Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said the text represents a milestone in the preservation and sustainable use of ocean life and ecosystems.
The agreement was reached after complex discussions preceded by 10 years of negotiations. (photo: PL)
The Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodriguez, considered the International Treaty on Marine Biological Diversity Beyond National Jurisdiction a historic and beneficial event for the countries of the South.
And the Minister of Foreign Affairs indicated on his Twitter account that the so-called BBJN “agreed after complex discussions preceded by 10 years of negotiations, and it is a historical text that represents a milestone in preserving life and ecosystems and their sustainable use in the oceans.”
He added that “Cuba was honored to represent the Group of 77 plus China and that in the discussions” it was possible to preserve the unity of the group until the end of the process, which made it possible to achieve positive results for developing countries. . “
He also noted that this “demonstrates that when the global south remains coherent, it is possible to achieve the proposed goals and objectives. More than ever, unity and multilateralism are necessary to meet the daunting present and future challenges of humanity.”
Known as the Treaty on the High Seas, this legal instrument would place 30 percent of the world’s oceans in protected areas, allocate more money to marine conservation, and cover access to and use of marine genetic resources.
The agreement was reached by delegates to the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, and is the culmination of a series of UN-facilitated talks since 2004.
According to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement, this is a breakthrough after nearly 20 years of negotiations, and a victory for multilateralism and global efforts to confront the devastating trends facing the health of the oceans, now and for generations to come.
In his view, the treaty is crucial to addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
It is also necessary to achieve the goals and targets related to the oceans of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, he added, referring to the 30 by 30 commitment that proposes to protect one-third of biodiversity. of the world on land and sea by 2030, and to achieve it by December 2022.
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