The treaty is intended to strengthen marine protections on the high seas, which are the international waters beyond the 200 nautical mile (370 kilometer) jurisdiction of coastal nations.
Deep into overtime, exhausted delegates to a conference at the United Nations' headquarters in New York sealed a deal to create a global network of marine protected areas covering 30% of the world's oceans by 2030.
It's a target scientists say is needed to preserve the rich diversity of marine species' health and to mitigate the rising impacts of climate change.
Climate scientists have warned for decades about bleaching of coral reefs, which are nurseries for commercial fisheries.
This year and next mark the countdown to a 2025 deadline for governments to strengthen their carbon-cutting plans.
The France-based court was created to uphold the European Convention on Human Rights, which took effect in 1953.
Negotiators and officials aim to wrap up so that May's 77th World Health Assembly can consider a proposed text.
The chair of the talks called for optimism despite divisions among plastic-producing nations and those urging restraints.
The group of organizations that reviewed the U.N. agency recommends several ways of strengthening its neutrality.
The humanitarian nightmare and attacks on civilians in Gaza dominated the U.N. Security Council's quarterly open debate.
Climate scientists have warned for decades about bleaching of coral reefs, which are nurseries for commercial fisheries.
