Effective international cooperation in collecting and sharing knowledge of ocean resources will be critical to realizing all aspects of the Blue Economy in the Indian Ocean region, particularly data on marine biodiversity, highlighted the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Mr. Michael W. Lodge, at the Third IORA Ministerial Conference held in Dhaka on 5 September.

A high-level workshop on ‘Deep-seabed Resources and the Blue Economy,’ organized by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in partnership with the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, was held in Nay Pyi Taw, this week.

Deep seabed mining has the potential to accelerate progress towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by increasing scientific knowledge of the deep ocean whilst at the same time providing opportunities for economic growth on the basis of fairness and equity , highlighted Mr. Michael W. Lodge, Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) at the High-Level UN Global Compact meeting held in Oslo, Norway, last week.

The 2019 edition of World Oceans Day 2019 (WOD) was launched in Kingston, Jamaica, on 7 June with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Open Day, held in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT) of Jamaica and the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU).

High-level representatives from African States, international organizations and experts on law of the sea, policy, mining, environment protection and geology convened at a regional workshop from 16 to 18 May, organized in Pretoria by the International Seabed Authority (ISA), in partnership with the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).

To mark the 25th Anniversary of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the Government of the People’s Republic of China pledged extraordinary support to the programmes and initiatives of ISA that encourage increased participation of developing States, including in marine scientific research activities, and promote the sustainable development of mineral resources in the international deep seabed area.

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar offered a contribution to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) at a ceremony led by Ambassador Hau Do Suan, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations in New York, on 3 April.

Today marks a major step forward towards the delivery of a comprehensive legal regime for deep-seabed mining beyond national jurisdiction with the release of draft regulations on exploitation of the mineral resources in the international seabed area by the Legal and Technical Commission, a 30-member expert advisory body of the International Seabed Authority (ISA).