New damage to the treaty intended to protect extraterritorial marine areas, still not signed after a fifth round of negotiations. A new session could take place by the end of the year.
Le Monde with AFP
again missed. After two weeks of negotiations, the United Nations member states (UN) separated on Friday August 26, without succeeding in finalizing the treaty to protect the high seas, several major disputes remaining to be exceeded to give birth to this crucial agreement for the Ocean, fragile and vital treasure for humanity.
After more than fifteen years of informal then formal discussions to give birth to a binding text, aimed at safeguarding this vast zone which covers almost half of the planet, this fifth session was to be the last – as already had to be the fourth in March. But, despite discussions that overflowed on Friday evening, that was not enough. “We have never been so close to the finish line in this process,” noted the president of the conference, the Singaporean Rena Lee.
“Even if we have made excellent progress, we still need a little time to succeed,” she added, collecting the approval of the plenary to suspend the sine die work. The UN General Assembly will now be seized of a request to take over this fifth session on a date that remains to be determined.
lack of agreement on the exploitation of genetic resources
“Despite the disappointment of not having finalized the treaty during these two weeks, we consider encouraging the progress made,” commented Liz Karan, of the NGO The Pew Charitable Trusts, calling for a new session by The end of the year.
Among the most contentious subjects in these negotiations, the distribution of possible benefits from the exploitation of genetic resources of the high seas, where pharmaceutical, chemical and cosmetic industries hope to discover miraculous molecules.
responding to the requests of developing countries which fear to miss potential benefits for lack of being able to conduct this costly research, the last text of text left on the table, but without agreement, the initial redistribution of 2 % – and to Term up to 8 % – future sales of products from these resources that do not belong to anyone. 2> “failed opportunity”
Greenpeace had also accused the European Union on Thursday, the United States and Canada of precipitating these negotiations towards a failure due to their “greed” to keep these resources for them. Accusations rejected by a European negotiator.
These matters of equity between North and South are going through many international negotiations, in particular those on the climate where victims’ developing countries but not responsible for warming demand in vain for rich countries to respect their promises of aid financial.
This treaty specifically targets the high seas, which begins where the exclusive economic zones (ZEE) of the States stop, at a maximum of 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) of the coasts, and which is therefore under the jurisdiction of no country. While the good health of marine ecosystems is crucial for the future of humanity, in particular to limit global warming, only 1 % of this space, which represents 60 % of the oceans, is protected.
One of the pillars of the Treaty on “Conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas not falling under the national jurisdiction” is also to allow the creation of protected marine areas. “A crucial step in efforts to protect at least 30 % of the planet by 2030,” said Maxine Burkett this week, an official for the Oceans in the US State Department.
Some experts fear that if the High Sea Treaty is not concluded by the end of the year, this objective is out of reach. The delegations are always opposed to the process of creating these protected areas, as well as on the methods of applying the obligation of environmental impact studies before a new activity on the high seas. “What a failed opportunity …”, regretted on Twitter Klaudija Cremers, researcher at the Institute of Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) which, like several NGOs, has a siege of negotiations.