Historic treaty

There is no doubt that it’s a big development that the United Nations states agreed to a historic deal to protect the high seas, a fragile and vital treasure that covers nearly half the planet (“International treaty: UN states agree historic deal to protect high seas,” March 5, Gulf Today website).

According to the report, UN member states finally agreed on Saturday to a text on the first international treaty after years of negotiations to protect the high seas, a fragile and vital treasure that covers nearly half the planet.

“The ship has reached the shore,” conference chair Rena Lee announced at the UN headquarters in New York shortly before 9:30pm (0230 GMT Sunday), to loud and lengthy applause from delegates. The treaty is seen as essential to conserving 30 per cent of the world’s land and ocean by 2030, as agreed by world governments in a historic accord signed in Montreal in December.

The world will be able to counter the destructive trends facing ocean health that will be beneficial to present and coming generations.

I would like to congratulate the world leaders for reaching a historic agreement on ocean protection, which was under huge debate for the last 15 years.

Kaleem Akhound,
By email