KINGSTON, JAMAICA,  1 November 2013 – – A sensitization seminar on Deep Sea Mining: Environmental, Legal and Technical Challenges will be held in Mexico from 11-12 November, 2013.
 
The seminar is a joint collaboration between the International Seabed Authority and the Government of Mexico and will be held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs offices in Mexico City.
 
The seminar is aimed at increasing public awareness of the nature of mineral resources in marine areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction (“the Area”), and on the outer continental shelf; and providing information on the role of the International Seabed Authority  with regard to the protection of the marine environment from the harmful potential effects of deep seabed mining and reflects the increasing interest and associated concerns of ISA member States on the potential impacts of deep sea minerals exploration and mining.
 
Similar sensitization seminars have been held in Indonesia (2007), Brazil (2008), Nigeria (2009) and Spain (2010), Jamaica (2011) and in New York (2012).
 
For further information on the seminar, contact Sandor Mulsow (smulsow@isa.org.jm), and/or Ascencio Herrera, Alfonso (alfonsoa@sre.gob.mx).

His Excellency Dong Xiaojun, newly appointed Ambassador of China to Jamaica, presented his credentials as the new Permanent Representative of China to the International Seabed Authority to the Secretary-General on Wednesday, 23 October 2013.

KINGSTON, JAMAICA, 29 August 2013 – – The Interridge/ISA Endowment Fund Fellowship Programme recently awarded fellowships to two students from developing countries.

The International Seabed Authority reached a milestone in its administration of the mineral resources of the deep seabed Area with the approval of exploration plans for cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts by Chinese and Japanese entities as it concluded its nineteenth session a day earlier in Kingston (15-25 July).

The nineteenth session of the International Seabed Authority ended a day early in Kingston on Thursday 25 July after its Assembly completed debate on the Secretary-General’s annual report and acted on four decisions.

The International Seabed Authority received a contribution of US$20,000.00 to its Voluntary Trust Fund from the Government of the People’s Republic of China on 3 July 2013.

The Council of the ISA, at its final meeting of the 19th Session, this morning recommended the adoption by the Assembly of a draft decision to institute a fixed overhead charge of $47,000 to be payable annually by contractors to cover the administration and supervision of contracts and review of their annual reports by the Authority.

In the wake of renewed interest in potential commercial exploitation for deep seabed minerals, the Council of the International Seabed Authority reviewed a summary Secretariat note from a technical report that provided a framework for polymetallic nodule exploitation in the Area.

A new and significant development in the work of the International Seabed Authority was reached in Kingston this morning when the Authority’s Council decided to approve the plans of work for exploration of cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts submitted by two corporations sponsored by China and Japan.