Governments officials and experts from Pacific Small Island Developing States (P-SIDS) convened at a regional workshop held in Nuku’alofa, Kingdom of Tonga this week, to strengthen national and regional capacities to access sustainably and benefit from seabed activities and therefore, from the Blue Economy.

International Seabed Authority (ISA)’s Secretary-General Mr Michael Lodge is in the Kingdom of Tonga this week to attend a regional workshop jointly organised by ISA and UNDESA with the support of the Kingdom of Tonga to discuss increased participation of P-SIDS in activities undertaken in the international seabed area as well as identifying the capacity-building needs of the Pacific sponsoring States. 

Science and gender equality are both vital for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In recent decades, the international community has made great strides in inspiring and engaging women and girls in science. Yet many challenges remain. According to UNESCO, women today account for only 38 per cent of the world’s researchers in ocean science, and the rate is even lower for women from developing countries. 

The Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) will open on the 25 February 2019 for the first part of its 25th annual session in Kingston, Jamaica, with Member States set to continue their discussions around the draft exploitation regulations for commercial deep seabed mining, which will include proposals for the payment mechanism for mineral exploitation. Policy discussions concerning key areas from the draft regulations will be the main focus of deliberations.

The World Maritime University (WMU) and the International Seabed Authority (ISA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their cooperation with a view, among other things, to advance achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14. The focus is on improving education and capacity-building initiatives in marine science.

The Beijing Pioneer Hi-Tech Development Corporation (BPHDC) has applied to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for approval of a plan of work for the exploration of polymetallic nodules in the Western Pacific Ocean.

Nominations are now open for the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Secretary-General’s Award for Excellence in Deep Sea Research. 

Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Mr. Michael Lodge today welcomed H.E. Lumka Yengeni, as the Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa to ISA.

At the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly in New York this week, Mr. Michael Lodge Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) highlighted the organization’s efforts towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development over the last year, and welcomed the Assembly’s acknowledgement of ISA’s key role in advancing Goal 14 on sustainable oceans.