New Delhi. 26th Sept 2024. Greenpeace India welcomes India’s significant step forward in ocean conservation, as the country officially signed the Global Ocean Treaty, also known as the High Seas Treaty or Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). This milestone was achieved during the United Nations General Assembly yesterday in the New York time zone.
Avinash Chanchal, Campaign Manager at Greenpeace India said: “By joining this historic effort, India has shown international leadership for marine biodiversity conservation as this new Treaty will allow the creation of large protected areas on the High Seas, beyond 200 nautical miles (or 370 kilometers) from the coastlines. Such large sanctuaries on the High Seas will support the recovery of marine life and increase its resilience to climate change. In return, a healthy Ocean is vital to protect the climate, and to support the livelihoods of millions of people in the region.”
The Global Ocean Treaty, adopted in June 2023, will enter into force when at least 60 governments have written it into their national law and, as of today, only 10 countries have completed the ratification process [1].
“India now needs to prioritize ratification of the Global Ocean Treaty and step forward as a regional driving force to implement bold measures for biodiversity protection and climate change mitigation”, says Avinash Chanchal.
This year, India has again suffered from extreme weather events causing too many casualties, meanwhile industrial overfishing, pollution and climate change impacts, such as rising sea levels and temperature, are dramatically affecting coastal fisheries and livelihoods. Oceans and Climate are connected and supporting one another. Our leaders need to understand it and start protecting ecosystems that can best mitigate climate change and secure a sustainable future for all. Protecting the wide Ocean with a Global Treaty to create large scale sanctuaries on the High Seas is a good start, and one within reach.
Now is the time to make history. Greenpeace India, is calling for the ratification of the Global Ocean Treaty to safeguard ocean biodiversity, support climate change mitigation and the future of the next generations.
Notes to editors
[1] Palau, Chile, Belize, Seychelles, Monaco, Mauritius, Federated States of Micronesia, Cuba, Singapore and the Maldives.
See the High Seas Alliance ratification tracker: https://highseasalliance.org/treaty-ratification/
Full list on the UN website here.
Greenpeace also created an interactive map where ratification of the treaty can be monitored, along with threats on the oceans and suggestions for marine protected areas.
In September 2023, Greenpeace International published 30×30: From Global Ocean Treaty to Protection at Sea. The report explores how cumulative pressures on the high seas are increasing and sets out the political process to deliver protection for the global oceans.
A petition has been launched by Greenpeace South Asia to call on governments to rapidly ratify the UN Ocean Treaty to create new ocean sanctuaries.Contacts:
Avinash Chanchal Kumar, Campaign Manager at Greenpeace South Asia – India
Phone: +91-80-42821010
Email: avinash.chanchal@greenpeace.org