ON Dec. 24, 2017, the UN General Assembly voted to convene a multi-year process to develop a treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity, now referred to as the Treaty on Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Treaty), also known as the Treaty on the High Seas. Currently still in negotiation at the UN, the draft addresses four key areas: 1) marine genetic resources; 2) area-based management tools including marine protected areas; 3) environmental impact assessments and capacity building; and 4) transfer of marine technology.

Why is an international treaty for the high seas crucial to biodiversity?