Illustrative photo – A coral reef off the Australian coast in a picture taken on November 25, 2016.
New York – Negotiators from UN member countries have agreed on the form of an international treaty to protect the oceans , which has been in question for 15 years. The agreement is intended to help preserve marine biodiversity and ensure its sustainable use, Reuters wrote.
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“The ship has reached the shore,” said Rena Lee, president of the United Nations Conference on Ocean Protection, after the talks concluded.
The agreement has yet to be ratified by UN member states. Its main goal is to ensure that in the future at least 30 percent of the ocean surface will be classified as protected areas, writes the DPA agency. Greenpeace, which participated in talks on the shape of the agreement.
The agreement covers parts of the ocean outside national jurisdiction, meaning at least 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from the coast. This represents roughly 60 percent of the surface of the world's oceans.
