the question of funding is still debated

The UN is relaunching its negotiations for a treaty to protect the high seas, these waters which are not under the authority of any State, outside their exclusive economic zones (EEZ), and which represent 60% of the oceans . The discussions, which had stopped last summer resume Monday, February 20 and for two weeks in New York. Now with the hope of arriving at a text.

What has changed since the failure of negotiations last August are in particular the commitments made in December by the international community at COP15 in Montreal on biodiversity, with the objective of protecting 30% of the land and sea surfaces to be protected. by 2030. Enough to create momentum. “What is encouraging is that a number of points that were disagreeing have been removedrejoices François Chartier, Ocean campaign manager at Greenpeace. Which means that there are fewer and fewer important elements of the negotiations left. “The question of financing is the fault line”, he says.

How will multinationals participate?

The financing of protection is therefore still under debate, as is the sharing of the wealth resulting from the exploitation of future maritime resources. “Are we going to be on binding protection mechanisms?asks François Chartier. That is to say, will the multinationals be forced to share these profits? In any case, this is what the G77, the developing countries, defend. Or will we be more on a voluntary contribution, which the Western countries, the European Union, the United States rather defend? It is on these questions, “that we really have to move forward”, believes François Chartier.

To be effective, it will also be necessary that this treaty, if it is signed, does not come into conflict with other regulations concerning for example fishing or the exploitation of the deep sea. Negotiations are due to be completed in early March.