Kingston, Jamaica – 19 December 2024 — The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Seabed Authority (ISA) have signed an agreement to advance decent work, including improving and safeguarding occupational safety and health, for workers in seabed-related activities.
As global interest in seabed resources grows the agreement formalizes the collaboration between the two organizations and highlights their shared commitment to ensuring that workers’ rights remain a priority. It also contributes to the pursuit of a Just Transition in support of a new social contract for the maritime industry.
The partnership, which was signed on 19 December 2024, underscores the need for responsible and sustainable practices that adhere to international labour standards, and it commits the ILO and ISA to working together working together to uphold these values.
The agreement has already been endorsed by the ISA Council and the ILO’s Governing Body. Key elements include:
- Promoting Decent Work: upholding international labour standards and ensuring the protection of workers’ occupational safety and health in seabed-related operations.
- Joint Activities: collaboration on research, technical meetings and training programmes to improve working conditions and safety practices.
- Mutual Representation: facilitating knowledge exchange by allowing representatives from both organizations to take part in governance meetings relevant to their shared objectives.
Welcoming the agreement, ILO Director General, Gilbert F. Houngbo, said, “the signing of this agreement between the International Labour Organization and the International Seabed Authority reflects our joint commitment to ensure that decent work, including occupational safety and health and the protection of human life are central to all seabed-related activities”.
ISA Secretary-General, H.E. Michael W. Lodge, highlighted the importance of collaboration, adding, “Joining hands with the International Labour Organization at such critical times is key to ensure the protection of human life in relation to activities in the Area in the future. This is particularly important in light of the current development of new technologies that may introduce new workplace hazards and risks that may have not yet been addressed by the existing international rules and standards”.
More details can be found in the ISA Technical Study No. 26 on Competencies of the International Seabed Authority and the International Labour Organization in the context of activities in the Area.
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
For more information, visit our website, www.isa.org.jm, or follow us on Twitter @ISBAHQ.