UN countries appeared Friday to be nearing an agreement on a long-awaited treaty to protect the high seas, a fragile and vital treasure that covers nearly half the planet.
UN countries appeared Friday to be nearing an agreement on a long-awaited treaty to protect the high seas, a fragile and vital treasure that covers nearly half the planet.
After more than 15 years of informal and then formal talks, negotiators are coming to the end of two more weeks of discussions, the third «final» session in less than a year.
«I do not believe that a solution is not in sight,» conference chair Rena Lee told a short plenary session Friday afternoon, calling on delegates to «stock up on snacks» as they try to get the treaty over the finish line before the scheduled end of talks later in the day.
«We have a window of opportunity to seal the deal, and we mustn’t let this opportunity slip through our hands,» she added, conceding though that the highly political issue of benefit-sharing for marine genetic resources remained a sticking point.
Even if compromises are found on all the remaining disputes, the treaty cannot be formally adopted at this session, she explained.
