UNESCO World Heritage sites contain 20% of known species
The 1,157 protected sites account for less than 1% of Earth's surface but play vital roles as biodiversity hotspots.
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
New compact boosts marine protected areas
Five nations announced a new alliance to promote more conservation of marine ecosystems in the fight against climate change.
IUCN finds climate top threat to UNESCO sites
Climate change is damaging one-third of the world's UNESCO sites and has become the single-biggest threat they face, IUCN warned.
High seas treaty moves a step closer to reality among U.N. delegates
Diplomats, experts and international organizations are negotiating a new treaty aimed at protecting the rich biodiversity of open oceans against commercial pressures.
An 'alphabet soup' of high seas rules stands in way of sustainability
Because these ocean areas and deep seabeds lie beyond national jurisdictions, they fall within a patchwork of laws overseen mostly by U.N.-affiliated international organizations.