Singapore’s PM Lee hails draft law of the sea treaty

The treaty needs to be adopted at a later UN session and then ratified by at least 60 parties before it becomes effective.

A conference of the parties or COP will be set up so that country representatives can meet on a regular basis and hold each other accountable to the agreement.

Mrs Lee, who is a Special Envoy of Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs, said she felt a mix of relief, gratitude and joy as the treaty was finalised, given talks originally started on such an agreement in 2004 and the more polarised world that now exists.

She said that it is always worth it to work towards consensus, because consensus is never easy or guaranteed.

The draft agreement is not perfect but it is a solid foundation that gives us the tools we need to address the urgent threats facing our oceans in order to achieve our goal of conservation and sustainable use of BBNJ for current and future generations. She praised the role of her peers and fellow delegates and said it again showed Singapore's ability to shepherd negotiations at the global level.

She said that the successful and consensus outcome was a testament to Singapore's position as a trusted interlocutor and bridge-builder in the international community, as well as our leadership role in developing international law of the sea.

It was filled with lessons every step of the way, lessons on how to protect our marine environment and biodiversity, lessons on how to listen to each other and work towards compromises and consensus, lessons on how to organise a conference and even lessons on how to navigate the UN system, according to Mrs Lee. Only 7.9 per cent of the global ocean is recognised as protected by the United Nations Environment Programme. Only 1.2 per cent of the high seas fall under a designated MPA.

The groundwork is done to allow vast areas of the ocean to be legally categorized as MPAs. That would restrict what activities are allowed within those areas, including stopping fishing in important areas of biodiversity.

It is hoped that new protection areas could stop the degradation of species and allow marine populations to recover.

There is a chance that the conclusion of negotiations on the BBNJ Agreement will be the beginning of our collective efforts to protect the high seas, and I hope that it will be an impetus for greater awareness and action, according to Mrs Lee.