A historic global treaty to protect the world's forests, coral reefs and other threatened ecosystems within 10 years, has been sealed at a UN summit. The rich and poor nations agreed to take “effective and urgent” action to curb the destruction of nature in an effort to halt the loss of the world's biodiversity on which human survival depends. Delegates from 193 countries committed to key goals such as curbing pollution, protecting forests and coral reefs, setting aside areas of land and water for conservation, and managing fisheries sustainability. This was disclosed by UN Environment Programme chief Achim Steiner after the accord was struck this morning following nearly two weeks of tense talks in the central Japanese city of Nagoya. One of the most significant elements of the accord was a commitment to protect 17 per cent of land and 10 per cent of oceans so that biodiversity there thrived.