St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda—On Monday, 27 May 2024, in the margins of the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the International Seabed Authority (ISA) welcomed representatives of governments, international and regional organizations and academia in a side event to discuss “Leveraging SIDS knowledge, technology, innovation and capacity to advance deep-sea research for the benefit of humanity.”

The Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) met with H.E. the Honourable Mr. Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, on 24 May 2024 in Antigua and Barbuda. The meeting was the opportunity to discuss the ongoing and productive engagement of Antigua and Barbuda in the work of ISA and in support of ocean governance in general.

In a significant stride towards fostering international cooperation and expertise in international law of the sea with a specific emphasis on the legal regime of deep-sea activities in the international seabed area (the Area), the International Seabed Authority (ISA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC), establishing the first-ever African Academy for Deep-Sea Diplomacy (ADSEA). The signing ceremony took place on Friday, 17 May 2024, in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Today, the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the Chairman of the Ocean Mining Industry Promotion Roundtable, Mr. Nobuaki Aoyama, signed a letter of cooperation to foster the relationship between the two institutions on strategic areas of mutual interest.

Beijing Pioneer Hi-Tech Development Corporation Ltd. (BPC), an exploration contractor sponsored by the Government of the People’s Republic of China, has informed the Secretariat of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) of the launch of a stakeholder consultation on the environmental impact statement (EIS) prepared for the testing of its polymetallic nodule mining component. BPC signed its 15-year exploration contract with ISA for the exploration of polymetallic nodules in the Western Pacific Ocean on 18 October 2019.

CMC plans to conduct a test of its nodule prototype collector vehicle to collect polymetallic nodules from a depth ranging from 5,000 to 5,500 metres between July and October 2025. This should allow CMC to validate the nodule collector’s efficiency, reliability and economic feasibility. Environmental monitoring to evaluate potential impact on deep-sea ecosystems will be conducted simultaneously. This prototype will operate in Block A-5 of the CMC’s contract area.

Barcelona, Spain – On Friday, 12 April, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) concluded its engagement at the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference, where scientists, policymakers and industry leaders convened to discuss cooperation, synergies and renewed commitments towards advancing marine science and knowledge.

Porto, Portugal— On Friday, 5 April, the International Seabed Authority (ISA), in collaboration with the Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC) of Portugal, successfully concluded the first international expert workshop entitled “Charting future horizons: harnessing advanced technologies for the protection and sustainable use of the international seabed area.”

Kingston, Jamaica – On 29 March 2024, the Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) successfully concluded the first part of its 29th session, marking significant progress in the ongoing negotiations of the draft exploitation regulations for mineral resources in the international seabed area (the Area).