{"id":60284,"date":"2023-06-20T16:58:55","date_gmt":"2023-06-20T04:58:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?p=60284"},"modified":"2024-07-11T12:19:03","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T00:19:03","slug":"so-we-have-a-global-oceans-treaty-what-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/so-we-have-a-global-oceans-treaty-what-now\/","title":{"rendered":"So we have a Global Oceans Treaty. What now?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In March this year, governments made history by unanimously agreeing on a Global Oceans Treaty at the UN in New York.  It\u2019s a ground-breaking agreement that will transform the way we treat our blue planet.<\/p>\n\n

Over 20 years in the making, getting the treaty across the line was the result of sustained efforts by Greenpeace and a whole range of other environmental groups, and enormous public pressure – a true triumph for people power and a step towards a healthier ocean and planet. <\/p>\n\n

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Greenpeace activists project ocean protection messages onto the Manhattan skyline during the second week of the resumed IGC5 negotiations in March 2023 calling for a strong Global Oceans Treaty. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

What\u2019s good about the Global Ocean Treaty?<\/h2>\n\n

The oceans are fundamental to all life on the planet. They regulate the climate, provide food and livelihoods to billions of people and are home to some of the most magical habitats on Earth. But they need our help and protection from destructive commercial practices such as bottom trawling and deep sea mining.<\/p>\n\n

The historic Global Ocean Treaty<\/a> sets out provisions that will pave the way for greater ocean protection, meaning marine life in vast swathes of the ocean to recover and thrive. The treaty does this by allowing for the creation of fully protected areas in international waters. Known as Marine Protected Areas or MPAs. <\/p>\n\n

To date, it\u2019s been impossible to create MPAs on the High Seas because the legal mechanism simply didn\u2019t exist. Now that we have a treaty, there is a pathway for protecting a third of the world\u2019s oceans by 2030. Often called 30×30, this is what scientists say is the bare minimum needed to avoid the worst of the climate and biodiversity crisis.<\/p>\n\n

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Greenpeace Aotearoa oceans campaigner Ellie Hooper talks about the significance of the Global Ocean Treaty from New York, just after it was agreed on earlier this year<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Does the Global Oceans Treaty offer protection beyond 30×30?<\/h2>\n\n

Securing this mechanism alone is monumental enough. But the Treaty also details how the rest of the oceans – those areas that are not put into protected areas – can be treated. That\u2019s because the agreement also has sections that designate rules on what activities can take place in the High Seas, and how their impacts should be assessed ahead of time. It also has provisions for sharing the benefits of resources found in the High Seas – given that no one nation \u2018owns\u2019 international waters or the life found within them.<\/p>\n\n

So we have a Global Oceans Treaty, what now?<\/h2>\n\n

What we have right now is an agreement between UN states on the Treaty text. This was no easy feat – it took years of negotiating, campaigning and public pressure to achieve this, as well as countries showing great flexibility in the final meeting in March to finalise the wording.<\/p>\n\n

Now that we have the Treaty text agreed – it has to be officially brought into force. Step one was the Treaty being formally adopted by consensus at the UN in New York on June 19.   <\/p>\n\n

Here\u2019s what will happen next: <\/p>\n\n