On 28 February 2022, Dr. Raijeli L. Taga (Fiji), facilitator of the informal working group on the protection and preservation of the marine environment, will host a webinar to present her suggested revised text for Parts IV and VI and Annexes IV, VII and VIII of the draft regulations on exploitation of mineral resources in the Area (ISBA/27/C/IWG/ENV/CRP.1). Following the presentation, members and observers of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) will have the opportunity to share their views on the proposed text.

The webinar will take place from 8:00 to 9:30 AM, Jamaica time and will be accessible to registered participants only. The webinar is taking place in accordance with the roadmap for work on the draft regulations endorsed by the ISA Council in December 2021 (ISBA/26/C/13/Add.1, annex).

Webinar documents:

• ISBA/27/C/IWG/ENV/CRP.1 – Text of the working group facilitator Ms. Raijeli Taga: revised version of Parts IV and VI and Annexes IV, VII and VIII of the Draft regulations on exploitation of mineral resources in the Area (ISBA/25/C/WP.1)
• Briefing note on presentation and exchange of views concerning the facilitator’s text ISBA/27/C/IWG/ENV/CRP.1

The informal working group on the protection and preservation of the marine environment is one of the three informal working groups established by the ISA Council in February 2020 during the first part of the twenty-sixth session of ISA (ISBA/26/C/11). The other two groups will address i) inspection, compliance and enforcement and ii) institutional matters. An open-ended working group on the financial terms of contracts for exploitation was also established by the Council in July 2018 to discuss a system and rates of payment for deep-sea mining of polymetallic nodules.

Please visit the working group’s page for more information.