Nations secure UN global high seas biodiversity pact
A whale shark swims next to volunteer divers after they removed abandoned fishing net that was covering a coral reef in a protected area of Ko Losin, Thailand June 19, 2021. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
Negotiators from more than 100 countries completed a UN treaty to protect the high seas on Saturday, a long-awaited step that environmental groups say will help reverse marine biodiversity losses and ensure sustainable development.
The legally binding agreement to conserve and ensure the sustainable use of ocean biodiversity was agreed after five rounds of protracted United Nations-led negotiations that ended in New York on Saturday, a day after the original deadline.
"The ship has reached the shore," the UN conference president, Rena Lee, said after a marathon final day of talks.
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