A treaty to protect the world's oceans has been agreed after a decade of talks

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO • March 5, 2023

For the first time, United Nations members have agreed on a unified treaty to protect biodiversity in the high seas — nearly half the planet's surface — concluding two weeks of talks in New York. The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea came into force in 1994, before marine biodiversity was a well-established concept. Nichola Clark, an oceans expert at the Pew Charitable Trusts who observed the talks in New York, said, "This is a once in a generation opportunity to protect the oceans — a major win for biodiversity." The question now is how well the ambitious treaty will be implemented.