For the first time, United Nations member states have agreed on a unified treaty to protect biodiversity in international waters to prevent threats to marine biodiversity.

⟦“⟧The ship has reached the shore,⟦”⟧ announced conference chair Rena Lee at the UN headquarters in New York, potentially bringing an end to 15 years of negotiations. On Saturday, delegates finalised the text, which will be officially adopted once it has been legally vetted and translated.

The precise content of the agreement has not yet been made public, but campaigners have already hailed it as a turning point for biodiversity protection.

⟦“⟧We really only have two major global commons – the atmosphere and the oceans,⟦”⟧ said Georgetown marine biologist Rebecca Helm.