Protecting Marine Biodiversity in Polar Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction

Relatively little is known about polar marine biodiversity, which faces increasing threats from extractive and non-extractive activities and from the effects of climate change. The international legal regime for the protection of polar marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction is currently inadequate, particularly in the Arctic. An important and useful outcome of this International Polar Year would be an international agreement for conservation and sustainable long-term management of marine biodiversity in the central Arctic Ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction. This agreement should incorporate the best elements of the Antarctic Treaty System together with modern conservation and management principles, and it should recognize the legitimate interests of the international community as a whole in the conservation and management of polar marine biodiversity.