Kingston Jamaica – 18 December 2024 — The Secretariat of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has released today an independent expert report analyzing in-depth the 30 years of contribution of ISA to advancing marine scientific research and exploration in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) and more specifically, to the scientific objectives of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
Established in 1994 by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ISA has a unique global mandate, positioning it as the primary intergovernmental organization promoting and encouraging marine scientific research in ABNJ. With a mandate covering more than 54% of the world’s ocean seabed, ISA has, over the last 30 years of its existence, been instrumental in progressing knowledge and understanding of the deep-sea and its ecosystems, ensuring that the best available science informs all decision-making processes.
In 2020, ISA’s 168 Member States unanimously adopted the Marine Scientific Research Action Plan to support the UN Decade. This strategic framework strengthened ISA’s leadership role in implementing the global Deep Sea Research Agenda while expanding its impact. It reinforced the scientific foundation for applying the precautionary approach in ABNJ and enhanced measures for protecting the marine environment.
This Global Deep Sea Research Agenda is structured around six Strategic Research Priorities (SRPs) designed to advance scientific knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems: standardize methodologies for biodiversity assessments, foster technological innovation, assess and mitigate human impact on the marine environment, enhance data sharing and deep-sea literacy, and strengthen scientific capacity, particularly in developing States.
In four years, this approach has enabled focused and diplomatic deep-sea research based on priority actions while aligning with internationally agreed scientific research objectives and targets.
his independent report commissioned by the National Oceanography Centre of the United Kingdom (NOC) benefited from the strategic guidance of 15 internationally renowned experts from 25 countries and entities. Among the key findings of the report are the fact that through its Global Deep Sea Research Agenda implemented since 2020, ISA was able to:
- Accelerate the promotion of scientific research by organizing 29 international events promoting scientific deep-sea research, involving 879 experts, a quarter of whom are from Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Land Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Big Ocean States (BOS).
- Establish a wide range of strategic partnerships by formalizing 44 collaborations to facilitate the co-delivery of actions and results against scientific research priorities identified by Member States.
- Play a leading role in global deep-sea research diplomacy through the leadership of its Secretary-General together with Heads of State and governments, ocean and industry leaders to raise awareness of the added value of ISA’s work through the collective implementation of this Global Deep Sea Research agenda.
- Escalate its growth of scientific publications, which facilitated the advancement of the work carried out in line with the Global Deep Sea Research Agenda. Contractors reported 431 peer-reviewed publications across 121 journals between 2020 and 2023, including 359 that were directly informed by the results of ISA-regulations exploration activities. Notably, the report found that 30% of the authors were women. Since 2020, the ISA Secretariate has facilitated the publication of five technical studies, two policy briefs and two fact checks on cross-cutting scientific research objectives.
- Enhance the recognition of collaborative research between exploration contractors and the broader marine scientific community, which resulted in more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
- Facilitate increased investment in environmental activities. Since 2020, over 100 USD million have been invested through environmental activities and surveys carried out by contractors in ABNJ. Furthermore, ISA has allocated in its regular budget USD 8.4 million over the past 10 years specifically for programmatic expenditures aimed at implementing the SRPs set out by the Global Deep Sea Research Agenda. Several Member States have consistently provided extrabudgetary contributions in support of ISA’s activities, totalling USD 1.9 million in 2024.
Welcoming the launch of this independent report, the ISA Secretary-General, noted that “This report is a testament to the significant strides made by ISA and its partners over the years in advancing ocean exploration and deep-sea research for the benefit of all”.
“It is remarkable to see how much has been achieved through our collective efforts to implement ISA’s ambitious and comprehensive Global Deep Sea Research Agenda resulting in enhanced international collaboration and commitment for better knowledge in support of the stewardship of the Area and its resources for the benefit of humankind as a whole”, he added.
Mr. Alan Evans, Head of Marine Policy at the National Oceanography Centre said: “With a mandate to carry out, promote, encourage and disseminate the results of marine scientific research in the international seabed area (The Area) to ensure the effective protection for the marine environment, the ISA plays a critical role in the development and implementation of international ocean governance.”
“To this end the National Oceanography Centre, UK, was particularly pleased to contribute to this report, which demonstrates the significant contributions enabled by the ISA in support of not only the UN Ocean Decade but more broadly in the generation of knowledge of the deep-sea” he concluded.
The full report, including detailed case studies, scientific findings, and policy recommendations, is available on the ISA website at: The contribution of the International Seabed Authority to the scientific objective of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development
About ISA
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is an autonomous intergovernmental organization mandated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to manage the mineral resources of the seabed beyond national jurisdiction for the shared benefit of humankind. ISA is committed to the principle that all economic activities in the deep seabed, including deep-seabed mining, must be regulated and responsibly managed using the best available scientific evidence for the benefit of all nations of the world. ISA works to ensure that the voices of all States, including developing States and other stakeholders, are effectively heard in discussions around the sustainable development of the deep seabed.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Mr. Philip Janikowski, Communications Specialist, ISA, pjanikowski@isa.org.jm