NEW YORK - A treaty of the high seas was adopted by consensus and received a standing ovation during the United Nations meeting in New York on Monday. Known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty, or BBNJ, but widely referred to as the High Seas Treaty, which has received widespread support from most countries, is key to protecting the ocean, promoting equity and fairness, tackling environmental degradation, fighting climate change, and preventing biodiversity loss in the high seas. This agreement is also a welcome addition to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which provides the legal framework under which all activities in the ocean take place. Rena Lee, Chairwoman of the Intergovernmental Conference, described the development of the agreement as "a monumental and crucial endeavour." This high seas agreement provides a concrete and progressive development of UNCLOS in this regard.
