UN talks on marine life end with no agreement

UNITED NATIONS－Diplomats from around the world have failed to reach an agreement on a United Nations treaty designed to protect marine life on the high seas, after a fifth round of talks ended in an impasse.

Negotiations at UN headquarters in New York were suspended early on Saturday following two weeks of talks that environmentalists had hoped would close a gap in international marine protection measures.

A proposed treaty would set rules for protecting biodiversity in two-thirds of the world's ocean areas that are outside national jurisdictions.

Talks centered on how to share benefits of marine life, establish protected areas, prevent harm from human activity on the high seas and to help poor countries gain the skills and means for ocean exploration.

Campaigners expressed disappointment at the failure to reach a deal, but said the talks produced some progress.

Laura Meller, who leads Greenpeace's ocean protection campaign, accused rich countries such as the United States of being too slow to compromise.

"Time has run out. Further delay means ocean destruction. We are sad and disappointed. While countries continue to talk, the oceans and all those who rely on them will suffer," Meller said.

One of the most sensitive issues in the text revolved around the sharing of possible profits from the development of genetic resources in international waters, where pharmaceutical, chemical and cosmetic companies hope to find new drugs, products or cures.

Such costly research at sea is largely the prerogative of rich nations, but developing countries do not want to be left out of potential windfall profits drawn from marine resources that belong to no one.

Similar issues of equity arise in other international negotiations, such as on climate change, in which developing nations that feel outsized harm from global warming have tried in vain to get wealthier countries to help pay to offset those impacts.

Janine Felson, Belize's ambassador to the UN, said "our livelihoods are directly dependent on the health of the ocean" in the Caribbean.

Conference chair Rena Lee said: "Although we did make excellent progress, we still do need a little bit more time to progress toward the finish line."

It will now be up to the UN General Assembly to resume the fifth session on a date yet to be determined.

Many had hoped the session, which began on Aug 15 at the UN headquarters, would be the last and yield a final text on "the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction".

"While it's disappointing that the treaty wasn't finalized during the past two weeks of negotiations, we remain encouraged by the progress that was made," said Liz Karan of the nonprofit Pew Charitable Trusts, calling for a new session by the end of the year.

Speaking on behalf of smaller developing island nations of the Pacific, the delegate from Samoa said they were disappointed.

Agencies Via Xinhua