India, Aug. 23 -- Delegates from around the world met at UN Headquarters in New York this week to advance the long-awaited high seas biodiversity treaty, with discussions ranging from rules of procedure, to the creation of a clearing-house mechanism and the location of the treaty's secretariat.

Formally titled the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction, it was adopted in June 2023 after years of negotiation, and is open for signature until 20 September.

With only eight ratifications left before it can enter into force, momentum is accelerating toward the treaty's implementation phase, which could begi...