Decoding the UN High Seas Treaty | In Focus podcast
For the first time, United Nations members have agreed on a unified treaty to protect biodiversity in the high seas. On March 4, a draft international agreement, called the UN High Seas Treaty, was finalised to govern the conduct of governments in \u2018open seas\u2019 \u2013 the major part of the world\u2019s oceans \u2013 two-thirds of it \u2013 which lie beyond the jurisdiction of any one country.\nOnce ratified by the signatory countries, the agreement will become legally binding. The treaty, dubbed the \u2018Paris Agreement for the Oceans\u2019, will also establish a conference of the parties (CoP) that will meet periodically so that member states can be held accountable for respecting the treaty.\nSo, what exactly does the UN High Seas Treaty propose? How will ensure that biodiversity of the oceans is protected? And what does it say in terms of sharing of marine genetic resources \u2013 a key sticking point in the negotiations preceding the agreement?