What's happened
At the UN ocean summit in Nice, world leaders advanced efforts to protect the seas, including ratifying the high seas treaty and calling for a moratorium on deep-sea mining. The summit saw increased international cooperation, but challenges remain, especially regarding US actions on seabed exploitation.
What's behind the headline?
Critical Analysis
The summit underscores a pivotal moment in global ocean governance, with a clear shift towards multilateralism and legal frameworks. The ratification of the high seas treaty by 50 countries, nearing the 60 needed, signals a significant commitment to marine conservation. However, the US's unilateral approach to deep-sea mining, bypassing international authorities like the ISA, threatens to undermine these efforts. Macron's call for a moratorium reflects growing international consensus that deep-sea mining risks irreversible ecological damage, yet the US's stance complicates enforcement.
The summit's achievements are notable, especially the momentum behind the high seas treaty, which will provide the first legal mechanism to establish protected areas in international waters. Still, the gap between commitments and actual implementation remains wide, with only 8% of oceans currently protected and a target of 30% by 2030. The divergence in national actions, such as France's partial ban on bottom trawling and Greece's new marine parks, illustrates a patchwork approach that needs to be unified.
Looking ahead, the success of these initiatives hinges on international cooperation and the US aligning its policies with global conservation goals. The coming months will be critical as the ISA discusses a global mining code, and as more countries ratify the high seas treaty. The summit has set a hopeful tone, but the real test will be translating commitments into enforceable protections that prevent ecological collapse and preserve ocean health for future generations.
What the papers say
The Guardian reports that the UN summit in Nice marked a significant step forward, with 50 countries ratifying the high seas treaty and calls for a global moratorium on deep-sea mining. Karen McVeigh highlights Macron's emphasis on revitalizing multilateralism and the importance of international cooperation. Meanwhile, The Japan Times emphasizes concerns over US actions, noting Trump's move to fast-track deep-sea mining and the growing opposition from other nations, including Brazil and France. Both sources agree that the summit has generated momentum, but face challenges in enforcement and US policy divergence. The Guardian underscores the importance of legal protections and the need for increased marine protected areas, while The Japan Times warns that unilateral actions threaten global efforts to safeguard ocean ecosystems.
How we got here
The summit follows decades of negotiations on ocean governance, driven by concerns over climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource exploitation. Recent moves by the US to fast-track deep-sea mining have heightened tensions, prompting calls for stronger international regulation and protection of marine ecosystems. The high seas treaty, negotiated over 20 years, aims to establish legal protections for two-thirds of the ocean outside national jurisdiction, with ratifications accelerating in 2025.
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Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron is a French politician who has been President of France and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra since 14 May 2017.
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Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known as Lula, is a Brazilian politician and former union leader who served as the 35th President of Brazil from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2010.
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France, officially the French Republic, is a country consisting of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories.