At the ongoing United Nations conference on oceans, 33 countries supported the temporary moratorium on deep seabed mining. They declared this as a measure to protect the global ocean biodiversity and the underexplored diversity of marine floor species.
“The sea floor is home to a largely unexplored wildlife and must be preserved,” states the official declaration adopted at the summit.
The document describes the valuable minerals in international waters as “the common heritage of mankind.” Commercial mining of these resources is considered a violation of international law. This position has led many countries, including Germany and France, to express dissatisfaction with the policy of the USA.
For your information, in April 2024, former US President Donald Trump had authorized the mining of metals like nickel and cobalt in American territorial waters, as well as in international waters.
In this context, France supports a complete ban on deep sea drilling, while Germany proposes a temporary halt.
At the conference, representatives from over 130 countries engaged in discussions on measures concerning challenges threatening the global oceans — rising water temperatures, changes in chemical composition, and plastic pollution.
Notably, the USA did not send a government-level delegation to this significant summit.
This call to action is being regarded as another proof of the international community's desire to prioritize nature over commercial interests.
