Why in News?
Recently, the fourth meeting of the Inter-governmental Conference (IGC-4) was held in New York to conclude a draft of the instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine Biological diversity in areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).
- The IGC-4 is convened under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
About BBNJ Treaty-
- The “BBNJ Treaty”, is also known as the “Treaty of the High Seas”. It is an international agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, presently under negotiation at the United Nations.
- This new instrument is being developed within the framework of the UNCLOS, the major international agreement governing human activities at sea.
- It will accomplish a more holistic management of high seas activities, which should better balance the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.
- BBNJ encircles the high seas, beyond the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) or national waters of countries.
- As per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), these areas account for “almost half of the Earth’s surface”.
- These areas are barely regulated and also least understood or explored for its biodiversity- only 1% of these areas are under protection.
- Launched at the One Ocean Summit in February 2022, the High Ambition Coalition on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction brings together several delegations engaged in the BBNJ negotiations on a common and ambitious outcome at the highest political level.
- The negotiations are centred around a package of elements agreed upon in 2015, namely,
- The conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, in particular, together and as a whole, marine genetic resources, including questions on the sharing of benefits.
- Area based management tools, including marine protected areas.
- Environmental impact assessments.
- Capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology.
Need of Legally Binding Instrument for BBNJ-
- The Areas beyond national jurisdiction comprise 95% of the ocean and supply crucial ecological, economic, social, cultural, scientific and food security benefits to humanity.
- However, these areas filled with life are now vulnerable to growing threats, along with pollution, overexploitation, and the impacts already visible of climate change.
- The rising demand for marine resources in the coming decades- for food, minerals or biotechnology- threatens to intensify this problem.
- The high seas are extremely biodiverse and have been exploited without even knowing the consequences.
- While there are scientific explorations of the surface water of the high seas, the deep sea, below 200 metres of the surface has hardly been studied.
- The deep seafloors believed to be the harshest habitat, the extinction process is setting in.
- The 184 species (of Molluscs) assessed, 62% are listed as threatened, 39 are critically endangered, 32 are endangered and 43 are vulnerable.
- In the Indian Ocean vents, 100% molluscs are already listed as critically endangered. This reveals the urgent need to protect them from extinction. Yet, the International Seabed Authority, a Jamaica-based intergovernmental body, is permitting deep sea mining contracts.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)-
- The UNCLOS is an international treaty which was adopted and signed in 1982.
- As per the UNSC Presidential statement, “UNCLOS is the legal framework applicable to activities in the oceans, including countering illicit activities at sea.”
- It divides marine areas into five main zones namely- Internal Waters, Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the High Seas.
- India ratified the law in 1995.
- India supported freedom of navigation and over flight and unimpeded commerce based on the principles of international law, reflected notably in the UNCLOS 1982.
Objectives-
- To facilitate international communications.
- To enable equitable and efficient utilisation of ocean resources.
- To protect and preserve the maritime environment.
- To promote maritime safety.