2023-09-20 22:10:54
Minister Van Quickenborne pleaded in New York for Belgium to host the secretariat responsible for implementing the High Seas Treaty.
During a ceremony organized on the sidelines of the 78th UN General Assembly in New York, several countries, including Belgium, began to sign the High Seas Treaty, the first international convention requiring comprehensive protection of the oceans. This treaty, concluded in March 2023 and adopted in June, requires protecting 30% of the oceans by 2030, compared to barely 1% today. An ambitious objective, welcomed by NGOs.
“We are very impacted by the high seas. That’s where we live and that’s what we live off of.”
To mark this event, several leaders, representatives of civil society and Hollywood stars Sigourney Weaver and Jane Fonda, were gathered for a conference on the protection of the high seas, in a New York hotel. Belgium was represented there by its Minister of Justice and the North Sea, Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open Vld). The Flemish liberal, who moderated the meeting, pleaded for the installation in Belgium of the secretariat responsible for applying this new treaty.
“The ocean is the blue lung of our planet, it absorbs CO² and protects the climate. But it can only do this if biodiversity is protected,” declared Vincent Van Quickenborne. “We should not underestimate the role that Belgium played in this process. We were present from the start. By welcoming the secretariat, we want to guarantee its independence,” he added.
He also committed to encourage the ratification of the treaty by the Twenty-Seven during the Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU.
Race for ratification
This UN event also marks the start of the race to ratify the Treaty. To come into force, the text must be ratified by at least sixty States. The goal is to reach this number to the Paris Conference scheduled for June 2025. There will be five years left for UN member states to honor their obligations, which leaves very little time.
“This treaty will not apply itself. It is our turn to give back to the ocean what it has given us.”
Panama, Bermuda, Palau, Singapore, the Philippines, Malta… The countries most concerned took the podium one following the other to call for the implementation as quickly as possible of the commitments provided for in the convention.
“We are very impacted by the high seas. It’s where we live and it’s what we live off of, so its protection is fundamental,” Bermuda Home Affairs Minister Walter Roban said.
“We’re not done yet. This treaty will not apply by itself. It’s our turn to give back to the ocean what it gave us,” added Jane Fonda, who is very involved in defending the environment.
1695249101
#Belgium #signs #High #Seas #Treaty #York
