Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Lebanon: Israeli occupation forces carried out an explosion in the southern border town of Kfar Kila
Russian Ministry of Defense: 37 Ukrainian drones destroyed in 4 hours over regions of Russia and the Black Sea.
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.

UN high-seas biodiversity treaty talks promising, albeit mildly

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 21 Feb 2023 11:28
4 Min Read

UN observers are holding their breath that the long-stalled deal can cross the finish line.

  • x
  • A tuna transport floating tank being towed from the fishing grounds off Libya to tuna ranches off Sicily, Italy. (AFP)
    A tuna transport floating tank being towed from the fishing grounds off Libya to tuna ranches off Sicily, Italy (AFP)

UN member states embraced "positive energy" as they began two weeks of talks aimed at finally negotiating a pact to protect and preserve vast portions of the world's seas.

Following more than 15 years of formal and informal talks, negotiators have gathered in New York for the third time in less than a year in what is expected to be a final and decisive session.

Yet, as the discussions, which are scheduled to last until March 3, began on Monday, cautious optimism appeared to be taking hold.

"I hope we've come together here with a will to get us to the finish line," conference chair Rena Lee said, as quoted by AFP, as the talks began, adding that "an agreement that is universal, that is effective, that is implementable and that is future-proof is within our reach."

At the conclusion of the opening day, she stressed, "There is a lot of positive energy in this room. So it behooves us to enhance this positive energy, keep our focus, keep our eyes on the prize, and really work to make this (conference) final."

Lee also welcomed actor and activist Jane Fonda, who handed her a petition on behalf of ocean defenders worldwide, with 5.5 million signatures calling for a "strong" treaty.

A historic agreement signed in Montreal in December at the United Nations COP15 biodiversity summit is adding to the air of optimism.

Countries then committed themselves to safeguarding 30% of the world's lands and seas by 2030 -- a nearly impossible challenge if it fails to include the high seas, of which only about one percent is now preserved.

The high seas begin at the edge of a country's Exclusive Economic Zone, which can extend up to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from its shore. As a result, they are subject to the jurisdiction of no country.

Despite accounting for more than 60% of the world's oceans and over half of the planet's surface, the high seas have historically received significantly less attention than coastal waters and a few iconic species.

But with no borders at sea, there is "just one ocean, and a healthy ocean means a healthy planet," Nathalie Rey of the High Seas Alliance, which includes some 40 NGOs, said as quoted by AFP.

Related News

China to US: 'Farmers should not be made to pay price of trade war'

Trump's immigration crackdown pushes detentions to record highs

'Failure is still possible'

Ocean ecosystems, which are under threat from climate change, pollution, and overfishing, produce half of the oxygen we breathe and help to minimize global warming by absorbing a large portion of the carbon dioxide released by human activities.

Notwithstanding some observers' hope and the informal conversations since the last session in August, ocean defenders warn that failure remains a possibility.

"If they do fail again, I think it really calls into question the process itself," Liz Karan of Pew Charitable Trusts said, as quoted by AFP.

Laura Meller of Greenpeace Nordic warned that "we're already in extra time."

"These talks are one final chance to deliver. Governments must not fail."

The draft treaty, which is riddled with parenthetic sections and many choices, illustrates the extensive list of difficult subjects that remain on the table.

While the creation of maritime protected areas is a major component of the mandate, delegations are divided on how these sanctuary zones will be constituted.

There is also no agreement on how to analyze the environmental impact of activities such as high-seas mining.

Furthermore,  debate persists over how to split up eventual profits from the collection -- by pharmaceutical, chemical, or cosmetic manufacturers, for example -- of newly discovered marine substances. 

Developing countries, unable to fund costly research, express concern about being left behind while others profit.

Observers accused affluent countries, particularly European Union members, of making only a last-minute move in this direction during the August session.

Read next: EU deliberately failing to protect marine life

  • US
  • UN high-seas
  • biodiversity treaty
  • European Union

Most Read

Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025
The ‘Arab Façade’ for Israeli occupation in Gaza

The ‘Arab Façade’ for Israeli occupation in Gaza

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A scene showing an al-Qassam Brigades fighter during an ambush on July 7, 2025, in a video released by the al-Qassam Brigades on August 26, 2025 (al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)
Politics

Al-Qassam reveals Beit Hanoun ambush targeting Israeli forces

A Palestinian youth stands on a hill overlooking IsraelI Ofer Prison, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (AP)
Politics

77 Palestinian prisoners killed in Israeli prisons since October 7

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during a joint press conference with US deputy special envoy for Middle East peace Morgan Ortagus at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon, Tuesday, August 26, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy Barrack calls Lebanese journalists 'animalistic"'

Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks (Photo by Mahdi Rtail)
Politics

Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS