The Guardian reported that representatives from more than 100 countries pledged to take action to protect the ocean from human harm, including strengthening the fight against illegal fishing, reducing plastic pollution and strengthening the protection of international waters.
Countries aim to reach a global agreement on sustainable use of the high seas by year-end
French President Emmanuel Macron said at a high-level meeting of the three-day One Ocean summit in Brest, France, on Sunday that 2022 was "a decisive year in which we should make clear and firm commitments."
"The oceans support life on Earth and produce more than half the oxygen we breathe, yet even they are under threat," said John Kerry, US Special Envoy for Climate Change. "The oceans and climate are inextricably linked, operating as one system."
The 27 EU member states and 16 other countries agreed at the meeting to reach a global agreement by the end of this year that would not only regulate the sustainable use of the high seas but also protect biodiversity in the oceans.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the summit: "We have a consensus, but we must move forward to conclude the treaty." The fourth and final round of negotiations on the global ocean convention will begin in New York in March. Countries participating in the "One Ocean" conference in France hope to successfully reach an agreement at this meeting.
Peggy Kalas of the High Seas Alliance said the One Ocean statement was a "timely and important commitment to protecting the world's high seas."
Environmental groups call for specific governance measures to be included in the agreement
François Chartier, a representative of Greenpeace France, said that environmental groups hope the agreement will set out specific protection mechanisms and governance measures.
Chartier gave an example, although more than 30 countries signed the so-called 30×30 target in January last year (2021), pledging to "protect 30% of the world's land and oceans by 2030 at the latest", the target has not yet specified details on the level of ocean protection.
The United States said at the meeting that it would support the 27 EU countries and about 10 other countries in launching international negotiations on plastic pollution at the United Nations.
Source: Environmental Information Center (https://e-info.org.tw/node/233377)
