The High Seas Treaty constitutes the main decision taken in this century in the international agenda of the sea
The ink is not yet dry on the pages of the text of the Treaty on the Biological Resources of the High Seas, which was finally, after nearly 15 years of negotiations, approved by UN Member States. Focusing on that large portion of the sea that lies beyond the areas of maritime jurisdiction of the coastal States, this agreement is a victory for multilateralism and international law, at a time when the geopolitical impasses arising from the West/Russia and US/China tensions and the old North/South antagonisms, despite being consolidated, were not superior to the collective will of the international community, where many developing countries, including small developing island States, were decisive for the adoption of the Treaty. Also worthy of praise is the action of the European Union, always at the forefront of the search for an international agreement on this matter, as well as that of several European countries, with emphasis on France, which has sought, through the leadership of President Macron, to bring a strong ambition to the ocean arena. Portugal was also a country at the forefront of defending this Treaty, with emphasis on the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Portuguese Mission to the UN, and the fact that both the UN Secretary-General and the highest person responsible for issues legal and the law of the sea, who played a leading role here, are both Portuguese citizens. The Oceano Azul Foundation is proud to have collaborated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in some initiatives to support the conclusion of the Treaty.
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