Last March marked the end of 15 years of tough negotiations.
The UN announced member states had agreed to the wording of what is becoming known as the 'High Seas Treaty' to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine life in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
A key to the agreement, which has yet to be signed, was to guarantee that developing nations lacking the financial resources for expensive research, were not marginalised and denied a share of the anticipated benefits from the commercial exploitation of materials found in international waters.
