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	We cannot have a healthy planet without a healthy ocean by High Seas Alliance, WWF, Greenpeace, agencies   Climate change and human activities are causing the health of oceans to decline at an alarming rate. Oceans are faced with a multitude of threats which endanger both nature and humans.   Covering 70% of the planet, oceans provide us with oxygen and food. They regulate the climate, and are home to 80% of life on Earth.   Yet, oceans are becoming warmer, more acidic, and contain less oxygen. Sea levels are also rising. Combined with the impacts of overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction, this is leading to significant marine biodiversity loss. If we continue on this path, more than half of the world’s marine species may be on the verge of extinction by 2100.   Each year, the oceans absorb 23% of human-caused carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and capture 90% of the excess heat created by these emissions. Due to global warming and human activities, temperatures are rising rapidly, and the oceans are overwhelmed. Waters are becoming more acidic, increasing the number of “dead zones” which are deserted by wildlife fleeing suffocation.   Global warming and pollution lead to the spread of viruses and bacteria, as well as an increase in harmful algae that have an impact on aquatic fauna, but also humans.   The diversification of human activities in the oceans, particularly in terms of energy production and mining, also poses heightened threats for the conservation of marine life.   UN member states are to meet at the United Nations to try to agree on a long-awaited treaty that, if agreed, will govern the planet’s last, lawless wilderness: the high seas.   Two hundred nautical miles beyond the territorial waters and jurisdiction of nations, the high seas have been treated “recklessly”, according to leading environmental groups.   Warning that the outcome of the talks will determine the fate of the ocean for generations, they are urging world leaders to agree to an ambitious, legally binding treaty to protect marine life and reverse biodiversity loss.   http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/09/atlantic-ocean-circulation-nearing-devastating-tipping-point-study-finds http://theconversation.com/atlantic-ocean-is-headed-for-a-tipping-point-once-melting-glaciers-shut-down-the-gulf-stream-we-would-see-extreme-climate-change-within-decades-study-shows-222834 http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/11/ocean-warming-temperatures-2023-extreme-weather-data http://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/73/12/841/7319571 http://www.ioc.unesco.org/en/stor2024 http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/11/oceans-were-the-hottest-ever-recorded-in-2022-analysis-shows http://www.france24.com/en/environment/20230111-ocean-temperatures-in-2022-were-highest-ever-recorded-study-says http://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/ocean-deoxygenation http://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/code-blue-our-oceans-in-crisis/   Mar. 2023   UN delegates finally reach agreement on protecting marine biodiversity in international waters.   The final text of the Global Ocean Treaty, formally referred to as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction treaty (BBNJ), was agreed by country delegates after 2 weeks of tense debates, it is the culmination of UN-facilitated talks that began in 2004.   The treaty is aimed at protecting biodiversity on the high seas and in the deep oceans of the world. The legal framework would place 30 per cent of the world’s oceans into protected areas, put more money into marine conservation, and covers access to and use of marine genetic resources.   UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the treaty is crucial for addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.   “It is also vital for achieving ocean-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Global Biodiversity Framework,” referring to the so-called ‘30x30’ pledge to protect a third of the world's biodiversity – on land and sea – by 2030.   "Following a two-week-long rollercoaster ride of negotiations, governments reached agreement on key issues that will advance protection and better management of marine biodiversity in the High Seas," said Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, a coalition of over 40 ocean-focused NGOs that also includes the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).   Minna Epps, director of the Global Marine and Polar Programme at the IUCN, said the agreement represents a new opportunity.   "The High Seas Treaty opens the path for humankind to finally provide protection to marine life across our one ocean," Epps said in a statement. "Its adoption closes essential gaps in international law and offers a framework for governments to work together to protect global ocean health, climate resilience, and the socioeconomic wellbeing and food security of billions of people."   Protecting the world's high seas, which refers to areas of the oceans outside the jurisdiction of any country, is part of the larger push to protect planetary biodiversity and seen as key if nations want to keep their commitment to the UN Global Biodiversity Framework—also known as the known as the 30x30 pledge—that aims protect 30 percent of the world's natural habitat by 2030.   "With currently just over 1% of the High Seas protected," said the High Seas Alliance, "the new Treaty will provide a pathway to establish marine protected areas in these waters." The group said the treaty will make acheiving the goals of the UN Global Biodiversity Framework agreement possible, but that "time is of the essence" for the world's biodiversity.   "The new Treaty will bring ocean governance into the 21st century," said the group, "including establishing modern requirements to assess and manage planned human activities that would affect marine life in the High Seas as well as ensuring greater transparency. This will strengthen the effective area-based management of fishing, shipping, and other activities that have contributed to the overall decline in ocean health."   According to Greenpeace's assessment of the talks:   "The High Ambition Coalition, which includes the EU, US and UK, and China were key players in brokering the deal. Both showed willingness to compromise in the final days of talks, and built coalitions instead of sowing division. Small Island States have shown leadership throughout the process, and the G77 group led the way in ensuring the Treaty can be put into practice in a fair and equitable way".   "The fair sharing of monetary benefits from Marine Genetic Resources was a key sticking point. This was only resolved on the final day of talks. The section of the Treaty on Marine Protected Areas does away with broken consensus-based decision making which has failed to protect the oceans through existing regional bodies like the Antarctic Ocean Commission. While there are still major issues in the text, it is a workable Treaty that is a starting point for protecting 30% of the world’s oceans".   Greenpeace said it is now urgent for governments around the world to take the final step of ratifying the treaty. "We can now finally move from talk to real change at sea. Countries must formally adopt the Treaty and ratify it as quickly as possible to bring it into force, and then deliver the fully protected ocean sanctuaries our planet needs," Meller said. "The clock is still ticking to deliver 30×30. We have half a decade left, and we can't be complacent."   http://insideclimatenews.org/news/17062024/largest-marine-protected-areas-have-inadequate-protections/ http://www.highseasalliance.org/2023/06/19/high-seas-alliance-applauds-adoption-of-high-seas-treaty-and-calls-for-swift-ratification/ http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/60330/un-ocean-treaty-formally-adopted-race-ratification-begins/ http://www.highseasalliance.org/2023/03/04/agreement-reached-to-advance-high-seas-treaty/ http://www.iucn.org/iucn-statement/202303/iucn-statement-high-seas-treaty http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/58486/historic-un-ocean-treaty-agreed-greenpeace-statement/ http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/03/1134157 http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/about/news-room/press-releases-and-statements/2023/03/05/pew-welcomes-completion-of-high-seas-treaty http://www.un.org/bbnj/   http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/58685/governments-must-not-undermine-historic-global-ocean-treaty-by-giving-greenlight-to-deep-sea-mining/ http://www.socialeurope.eu/europe-must-unite-to-stop-deep-sea-resource-grab http://www.context.news/nature/opinion/we-must-stop-deep-sea-mining-before-it-begins http://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/deep-sea-mining http://www.dw.com/en/international-waters-biodiversity-sewage-illegal-fishing-climate-change/a-64762504 http://updates.panda.org/high-seas-treaty-can-we-make-ocean-history http://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/research-themes/ocean.html http://www.5gyres.org/plasticsmog http://www.su.se/english/news/growing-plastic-smog-of-170-trillion-particles-afloat-in-the-ocean-1.650009   Aug. 2022   UN negotiations to decide the fate of the oceans begin, Greenpeace International   The final negotiations for a Global Ocean Treaty begin today at the United Nations. The outcome of the meeting will determine the fate of the oceans for generations to come. 49 countries have committed to deliver an ambitious Treaty in 2022. These commitments must now become reality.   Laura Meller of Greenpeace’s Protect the Oceans campaign said from New York:   “These negotiations are a once in a generation opportunity to protect the blue part of our blue planet. The oceans sustain all life on Earth but for too long, we’ve neglected them. Delegates must finalise a strong Treaty this August. A weak Treaty, or any further delay, will maintain the broken status quo that has pushed the oceans into crisis.”   Awa Traore of Greenpeace Africa said:   "Governments have been discussing a Treaty for two decades. In that time, the oceans have lost so much and communities which rely on ocean resources are struggling. Here in West Africa, we’ve already seen fish stocks severely depleted by industrial fishing vessels and this is already harming livelihoods and food security across the region.   Any further delays would be a slap in the face to all who put faith in political leaders keeping their promises. Delegates must follow through on their governments’ commitments, and finalise an ambitious Global Ocean Treaty now.”   If a strong Global Ocean Treaty is not finalised in New York it will be essentially impossible to deliver 30×30 – at least 30% of the oceans protected by 2030. Scientists say this is the absolute minimum required to give the oceans space to recover.   To be considered a success, the meeting must deliver a Treaty that:   Sets as a primary objective the establishment of a global network of Marine Protected Areas.   Allows states, through a Conference of Parties (COP), to establish ocean sanctuaries, free from destructive activities like fishing and deep sea mining. Allows the COP to make decisions by vote when a consensus is not possible.   Defines Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to allow for the creation of fully and highly protected areas, which are most cost effective.   Allows the COP to decide whether activities such as fishing are allowed or prohibited in MPAs, without deferring to existing bodies. Allows the COP to adopt interim or emergency measures to protect an area pending the establishment of an MPA.   In the two decades since a Treaty was first discussed, more than a hundred marine species have become critically endangered. Industrial fishing pressure also now covers at least 55% of the global oceans and the climate crisis continues to damage the oceans’ ability to regulate our planet’s climate and temperature.   * Efforts to pass global ocean protection treaty fail. (BBC News)   A fifth effort to pass a global agreement to protect the world's oceans and marine life has failed. Talks to pass the UN High Seas Treaty had been ongoing for two weeks, but governments could not agree on the terms. Despite international waters representing nearly two-thirds of the world's oceans, only 1.2% is protected. The last international agreement on ocean protection was signed 40 years ago in 1982 - the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.   http://www.ipsnews.net/2023/02/last-ditch-effort-save-high-seas-treaty-sinking/ http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-62680423 http://highseasalliance.org/treatytracker/news/treaty-talks-end-without-resolution-in-new-york/ http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/55244/un-negotiations-oceans-begin-greenpeace-comments/ http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/15/un-member-states-meet-new-york-hammer-out-high-seas-treaty   Aug. 2022   WWF calls on UN member states to adopt a legally-binding global ocean treaty to protect marine life in currently underregulated high seas.   UN member states must agree this year on how to protect and manage the high seas, which cover half the planet. The high seas play a vital role in supporting fisheries, providing habitat for hundreds of thousands of species and mitigating climate change impacts, but are currently severely underregulated resulting in widespread exploitation.   WWF calls on UN member states to agree on an ambitious, legally-binding global treaty to protect marine life in the two-thirds of the ocean that lie beyond national jurisdiction, when they meet at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Conference this August.   “The high seas epitomize the tragedy of the commons. Because they don’t ‘belong’ to anyone, they have been treated recklessly with impunity. We need a common governance mechanism for our ocean to ensure that nobody’s waters become everybody’s waters – and everyone’s responsibility,” said Marco Lambertini, Director General, WWF International.   “Fifty nations have already pledged to achieve an ambitious ocean treaty that would lay the groundwork for protecting 30% of the ocean and assess the environmental impact of activities on the high seas. We call on remaining UN member states to do the same and bring home a resounding result to years of negotiations. Leaders must deliver a robust and equitable biodiversity treaty for the high seas that can help us reverse nature loss this decade and secure, for all, a healthier and sustainable future.”   The ocean treaty can be a game changer in protecting the exceptional natural values of the high seas and building the resilience of economically important fisheries. But this requires negotiators to step up significantly to heed global ambitions.   Global ambitions to protect 30% of our ocean by 2030 cannot be achieved without a framework to designate and manage protected areas beyond national jurisdiction. The ocean treaty under negotiation aims to spell out for nations, through a robust and equitable governance mechanism, how to conserve and sustainably use the shared resources of the high seas.   At the same time, such a mechanism can benefit those who depend on fishing for food security and livelihoods by putting in place restrictions in protected areas that prevent overfishing and other destructive practices, paving the way for healthier fish populations.   The ocean absorbs more than 90% of the world’s excess heat caused by human-induced global warming, and this stressor is exacerbated by overfishing and pollution. A robust ocean treaty can mitigate some of these threats and give our ocean, the planet’s largest carbon sink, a chance to recover.   For the new treaty to live up to its game-changing potential, WWF is calling on negotiators to resolve key issues, namely in providing for enhanced cooperation; ensuring the designation and monitoring of marine protected areas in the high seas; subjecting all planned high seas activities to an environmental impact assessment process; clarifying the choice of regime for handling marine genetic resources; and putting in place and strengthening capacity-building, technology transfer, and reporting mechanisms.   “The ocean is under pressure from increasing human activities, and a new ocean treaty is essential to alleviate that pressure by ensuring all these activities are managed holistically, with marine biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services to humanity at its heart. Only then can we set the ocean on a path to recovery and sustainability,” said Jessica Battle, Senior Global Ocean Governance and Policy Expert, WWF.   “Leaving half our planet a poorly regulated free-for-all benefits no one in the end. This negotiating session must aim for the most ambitious compromise attainable. It’s time to set aside self-interest and make the right choices for the future of our ocean, our climate and our communities.” http://bit.ly/3QNqjr8   Protect the ocean and prohibit destructive activities. (High Seas Alliance)   Since discussions at the United Nations first began on conserving biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) nearly two decades ago, the climate and biodiversity crises have dramatically worsened, with dire consequences for the ocean and those who depend on it for food, jobs and cultural sustenance.   Only 1% of the high seas is currently highly and fully protected while human activities, including fishing, mining and pollution continue to push the ocean to the brink. The High Seas Treaty presents a once in a generation opportunity to achieve the transformative change needed for our global commons. But it has to move ocean governance beyond the status quo by concluding an ambitious treaty with powers to truly protect the ocean and prohibit destructive activities, not leave protection to existing bodies which have fueled the global ocean crisis.   http://highseasalliance.org/ http://www.nature.com/articles/s44183-022-00006-2 http://www.passblue.com/2023/01/02/opposition-grows-among-countries-as-seabed-mining-efforts-push-ahead/   July 2022   UN Secretary-General declares an “Ocean Emergency”. (UN News)   UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today said that the world had too long taken the ocean for granted and is now facing an “Ocean Emergency”.   In a speech to the UN Oceans Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, Mr. Guterres pointed out that climate change is pushing ocean temperatures to new record highs, creating fiercer and more frequent storms, making the ocean more acidic, as well as raising sea levels.   “Nearly 80 per cent of wastewater is discharged into the sea without treatment. And some 8 million tons of plastic waste enter the oceans ever year. One mass of plastic in the Pacific is bigger than France. Without drastic action, this plastic could outweigh all the fish in the oceans by 2050,“ the Secretary-General said.   Today, plastic accounts for 85% of marine litter, putting all marine life at serious risk. When microplastics enter the food chain they are associated with serious human health impacts, which can include changes to genetics, brain development, respiration rates and more.   Chemical pollution is also a concern. Oil and other harmful liquid substances, fertilisers and pesticides, as well as sunscreens and pharmaceutical waste, cause developmental abnormalities, weakened immune response and reduced fertility in aquatic species.   Mr. Guterres said that unsustainable fishing practices in the world are rampant and over-fishing is crippling fish stocks, adding that the ocean is the main source of sustenance for more than one billion people.   http://unric.org/en/oceans-in-danger-the-threats-they-face/ http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/protecting-ocean-life-on-the-high-seas http://earthjournalism.net/video-highlight/human-impacts-and-human-rights-on-the-high-seas-a-webinar-for-ocean-journalists http://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/chapter/chapter-5
	UN General Assembly declares access to clean and healthy environment a universal human right by UN News, agencies   Aug. 2022   "We will all suffer much worse effects from environmental crises, if we do not work together to collectively avert them now" - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights   With 161 votes in favour, and eight abstentions, the UN General Assembly adopted a historic resolution, declaring access to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, a universal human right.   The resolution, based on a similar text adopted last year by the Human Rights Council, calls upon States, international organisations, and business enterprises to scale up efforts to ensure a healthy environment for all.   The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, welcomed the 'historic' decision and said the landmark development demonstrates that Member States can come together in the collective fight against the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.   “The resolution will help reduce environmental injustices, close protection gaps and empower people, especially those that are in vulnerable situations, including environmental human rights defenders, children, youth, women and indigenous peoples”, he said.   He added that the decision will also help States accelerate the implementation of their environmental and human rights obligations and commitments.   “The international community has given universal recognition to this right and brought us closer to making it a reality for all”, he said.   Guterres underscored that however, the adoption of the resolution 'is only the beginning' and urged nations to make this newly recognised right ‘a reality for everyone, everywhere’.   UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet also hailed the Assembly’s decision and echoed the Secretary-General's call for urgent action to implement it.   “Today is a historic moment, but simply affirming our right to a healthy environment is not enough. The General Assembly resolution is very clear: States must implement their international commitments and scale up their efforts to realize it. We will all suffer much worse effects from environmental crises, if we do not work together to collectively avert them now,” she said.   Ms. Bachelet explained that environmental action based on human rights obligations provides vital guardrails for economic policies and business models.   “It emphasizes the underpinning of legal obligations to act, rather than simply of discretionary policy. It is also more effective, legitimate and sustainable,” she added.   The text, originally presented by Costa Rica, the Maldives, Morocco, Slovenia and Switzerland last June, and now co-sponsored by over 100 countries, notes that the right to a healthy environment is related to existing international law and affirms that its promotion requires the full implementation of multilateral environmental agreements.   It also recognises that the impact of climate change, the unsustainable management and use of natural resources, the pollution of air, land and water, the unsound management of chemicals and waste, and the resulting loss in biodiversity interfere with the enjoyment of this right - and that environmental damage has negative implications, both direct and indirect, for the effective enjoyment of all human rights.   According to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment, Mr. David Boyd, the Assembly’s decision will change the very nature of international human rights law.   “Governments have made promises to clean up the environment and address the climate emergency for decades but having a right to a healthy environment changes people’s perspective from ‘begging’ to demanding governments to act”, he recently told UN News.   In 1972, the United Nations Conference on the Environment in Stockholm, which ended with its own historic declaration, was the first one to place environmental issues at the forefront of international concerns and marked the start of a dialogue between industrialized and developing countries on the link between economic growth, the pollution of the air, water and the ocean, and the well-being of people around the world.   UN Member States back then, declared that people have a fundamental right to "an environment of a quality that permits a life of dignity and well-being," calling for concrete action and the recognition of this right.   Last October, after decades of work by nations at the front lines of climate change, such as the Maldives archipelago, as well as more than 1,000 civil society organisations, the Human Rights Council finally recognised this right and called for the UN General Assembly to do the same.   “From a foothold in the 1972 Stockholm Declaration, the right has been integrated into constitutions, national laws and regional agreements. Today’s decision elevates the right to where it belongs: universal recognition”, said UN Environment chief, Inger Andersen.   The recognition of the right to a healthy environment by these UN bodies, although not legally binding— meaning countries don’t have a legal obligation to comply— is expected to be a catalyst for action and to empower ordinary people to hold their governments accountable.   “So, the recognition of this right is a victory we should celebrate. My thanks to Member States and to the thousands of civil society organizations and indigenous peoples’ groups, and tens of thousands of young people who advocated relentlessly for this right. But now we must build on this victory and implement the right”, Ms. Andersen added.   The newly recognised right will be crucial to tackling the triple planetary crisis. This refers to the three main interlinked environmental threats that humanity currently faces: climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss - all mentioned in the text of the resolution.   Each of these issues has its own causes and effects and they need to be resolved if we are to have a viable future on Earth.   The consequences of climate change are becoming increasingly apparent, through increased intensity and severity of droughts, water scarcity, wildfires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms and declining biodiversity.   The World Health Organization (WHO) has underlined that air pollution is the largest cause of disease and premature death in the world, with more than seven million people dying prematurely each year due to pollution.   Furthermore, the decline or disappearance of biological diversity - which includes animals, plants and ecosystems - impacts food supplies, access to clean water and life as we know it.   * States who abstained: China, Russian Federation, Belarus, Cambodia, Iran, Syria, Kyrgyzstan and Ethiopia.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2022/07/1123482 http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/07/bachelet-calls-urgent-action-realize-human-right-healthy-environment http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/07/un-general-assembly-must-affirm-right-healthy-environment-un-experts http://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/a77284-human-right-clean-healthy-and-sustainable-environment-catalyst http://reliefweb.int/report/world/what-right-healthy-environment http://www.ohchr.org/en/topic/climate-change-and-environment http://news.trust.org/item/20220719061741-7e38l/ Visit the related web page
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