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UPSC » Daily News Analysis ‘High Seas Treaty ‘: 9 July

Daily News Analysis ‘High Seas Treaty ‘: 9 July

Recently, India has decided to sign and ratify the High Seas Treaty, a global agreement for conservation and protection of biodiversity in the ocean.

Table of Content

About High Seas Treaty:

  • It is also known as the UN Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdictions (BBNJ), which was negotiated in 2023. 
  • First ever international legally binding treaty to govern the high seas. 
  • It is an agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
  • The High Seas, the oceans outside the national boundaries of countries, are international commons, open for use by all. 
  • The resources found in these areas, which constitute about 64% of the ocean surface, are open for extraction by anyone.

Key provisions of the High Seas Treaty:

    • It ensures benefits from ocean life, like drug development, are global commons, free from intellectual property rights, and shared equitably.
    • The treaty addresses four themes: 
      • Marine genetic resources (MGRs) and their Digital sequence information, including the fair and equitable sharing of benefits; 
      • Area-based management tools (ABMTs), including marine protected areas (MPAs); 
      • Environmental impact assessments (EIAs); and 
      • Capacity building and transfer of marine technology (CB&TMT).
  • As of now, 91 countries have signed the treaty, but only eight of them have ratified and made the submission.

Why in News?

  • Recently, India has decided to sign and ratify the High Seas Treaty, a global agreement for conservation and protection of biodiversity in the ocean.