A fifth round of talks on a U.N. treaty aimed at protecting marine life on the high seas has ended in a deadlock, with diplomats failing to reach an agreement, according to the Associated Press. Negotiations at UN headquarters, which had been in progress for two weeks, were suspended on Saturday, the report said. Environmentalists had expected the current round of talks to close the gap on international ocean protection measures.
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The proposed treaty would reportedly set rules for the protection of biodiversity in two-thirds of the world‘s seas beyond national jurisdiction.
According to the report, the negotiations mainly focus on marine genetic resources and their benefit-sharing, the establishment of protected areas, preventing damage caused by human activities on the high seas, and helping poor countries acquire skills and methods for marine exploration and exploitation.
Activists reportedly expressed disappointment at the failure to reach an agreement, but said the talks had made some progress. Laura Mailer, director of Greenpeace’s ocean conservation campaign, accused the United States and other rich countries of being reluctant to compromise.
Negotiations will continue next year unless an emergency special meeting is called by the end of 2022, the report said. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Monica Medina also expressed disappointment at the result, but said she hoped the work done so far would continue. “We can’t go with the flow, let the waves and currents push us back,” Medina said. “We have to keep going.”