The European Union (EU) and six of its member states ratified the treaty on the protection of international waters on Wednesday (28), just days before the UN conference on the oceans, which will seek to bring it into force. The EU, along with Cyprus, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal, and Slovenia, submitted their ratification instruments to the United Nations, which approved the text in June 2023 after years of negotiations, according to the European mission to the UN. France and Spain had already done so earlier this year. This is a 'historic step for the protection of the world's oceans and the preservation of the delicate balance of the planet's ecosystems', commented EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, calling on all countries to follow their example. Thus, there are already 29 countries that have ratified this new treaty, a number still far from the 60 needed for it to come into force. It's a 'great advance', said the High Seas Alliance coalition of NGOs. 'However, we need to increase political pressure to achieve the 60 ratifications', added its director, Rebecca Hubbard, in a statement. Although France and environmentalists had hoped that the treaty would be finalized at the UN conference on the oceans, which will be held in Nice from June 9 to 13, this will not be possible. The pact can only enter into force 120 days after the 60th ratification. Despite this, France's top priority, as host of the conference, is to obtain the necessary 60 ratifications for the treaty to come into force. 'If not in Nice, then at least very soon', commented the French ambassador to the UN, Jérôme Bonnafont, this week. 'We have been pushing worldwide to improve understanding and awareness in countries, including those that do not have access to the sea', he added. A special ceremony is scheduled for June 9 in Nice, at the UN Treaty Office. The historic agreement aims to protect marine ecosystems, vital for humanity and threatened by multiple forms of pollution in international waters that cover almost half the planet. To achieve this, it provides for the creation of marine protected areas where certain activities can be restricted. Although the text does not provide a list, it is expected to include fishing or mining, which also depend on other international organizations.
https://jornaldebrasilia.com.br/noticias/mundo/ue-e-seis-estados-membros-ratificam-tratado-para-proteger-aguas-internacionais/