It had to be, finally, the right moment. While meteorological events linked to global warming have never been so numerous, the Member States of the United Nations have, for two weeks, discussed the adoption of a treaty supposed to protect the high seas, this immense marine area representing 60% of the world’s ocean space. But, Friday August 26, the delegations left without having signed anything. And despite the encouraging statements of Rena Lee, the president of the conference, who estimated that the participants had “never been so close to the finish line”, several political and organizational voices display their pessimism about the signature, one day, by mutual agreement.
The NGO Greenpeace, present as an observer, notably denounced the “greed” of the United States and Canada, which are dragging their feet for economic reasons. Because if the desire to protect the high seas, an area located beyond the exclusive economic zones – that is to say from 370 kilometers from the coast – seems a priority in the speeches, the facts show that the subject profits from the exploitation of marine resources always end up winning. The main point of contention opposes the rich countries to those in the developing world, which, in addition to being the first victims of global warming, do not intend to miss out on the gains coming from the common ocean spaces. Indeed, the chemical industries – mainly pharmaceutical and cosmetics – see in the seabed a genetic treasure likely, for some, to revolutionize the world of health, and, for others, that of beauty. Unable to carry out costly research themselves, poor countries demand a percentage of redistribution. And it is its rate that paralyzes the negotiations. The latest draft text referred to an initial redistribution of 2%, which could eventually go up to 8%. But nothing is recorded, and it’s been more than fifteen years that the sessions are linked, without anything concrete succeeding.
This Saturday, on Franceinfo, the Renaissance MEP Catherine Chabaud did not hide her weariness of seeing the battle between the countries of the North and those of the South systematically take precedence over the well-being of all. “After this subject on biodiversity, it will be the turn of the treaty on the exploitation of the seabed, the mining code. Here too, the countries of the South are under pressure from China, Russia and perhaps even European countries,” she explains. The urgency does not seem to be the same for everyone, and at the end of the conference, the representative of the islands of Samoa, speaking on behalf of all those of the Pacific, could hardly hold back her tears. “The Pacific came here in good faith and will continue to do so until we conclude this conference in the near future,” she said nonetheless, as if to give herself the courage to return. Time is running out, and all observers agree that if the treaty is not adopted before the end of the year, it probably never will be.
