The Secretary-General had appointed a new Advisory Panel for the ISA Endowment Fund. The appointments became effective 1 November 2014 and would extend for a period of three years. The members of the Advisory Panel are as follows:

The International Seabed Authority is calling for applications for the training programme to be provided by China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association (COMRA) in 2015 pursuant to the contract for exploration for polymetallic sulphides between the International Seabed Authority and COMRA.

A Chilean Delegation led by His Excellency, Ambassador Eduardo Bonilla Menchaca, Chile’s Ambassador to Jamaica and Permanent Representative to the International Seabed Authority made a two-day visit to the ISA Secretariat on Wednesday and Thursday, 15th and 16th October 2014. 

In his keynote address to participants attending the Polymetallic Nodules Resources Classification Workshop, ISA Secretary-General Nii Odunton stressed the importance of the workshop and its outcome.

Secretary-General Nii Odunton accompanied by his Deputy and Legal Counsel, Michael Lodge, had the opportunity to visit the Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD) facility in Newcastle upon Tyne  on 4 September 2014, to get a look at Nautilus Minerals’ Polymetallic Sulphides Mining Technology.

On 11 September 2014, a Chinese delegation headed by Mr. Jiancai Jin, Secretary General, China Ocean Mineral Resources R & D Association of the People’s Republic of China (COMRA), visited the headquarters of the International Seabed Authority.

Ambassador Joachim Christoph Schmillen of the Federal Republic of Germany presented his credentials to the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority as the new Permanent Representative  to the Authority on 19 August 2014.