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Article 153 (4) of UNCLOS provides that the obligation of the sponsoring States in accordance with article 139 of the Convention entails “taking all measures necessary to ensure” compliance by the sponsored contractor.
Annex III, article 4 (4) of UNCLOS makes it clear that such sponsoring States’ “responsibility to ensure” applies “within their legal systems”, and therefore requires the sponsoring States to adopt “laws and regulations” and to take “administrative measures which are, within the framework of its legal system, reasonably appropriate for securing compliance by persons under its jurisdiction”.
During the 17th session of ISA in 2011, the Council further invited sponsoring States and other members, as appropriate, to provide information on, or texts of, relevant national laws, regulations and administrative measures to the ISA Secretariat (ISBA/17/C/20, para. 3).
The present collection of laws, regulations and administrative measures with regard to activities in the Area is based on submissions made by member States. The texts are reproduced in the form and in the language(s) in which they were received from member States and were not formally edited and/or translated by ISA.
Disclaimer: Reference to the external websites below does not imply endorsement by the ISA Secretariat of their contents. Any views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of the ISA Secretariat. The hyperlinks are provided solely for informational purposes.
Information on National Legislation
Note Verbale from the Permanent Mission of Brazil
Existing National Legislation
National Laws, Regulations and Administrative Measures adopted by China since 2017 with respect to activities in the Area [CH] Note Verbale (18)-4 dated 26 April 2018
Text of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Exploration for and Exploitation of Resources in the Deep Seabed Area. Adopted February 26, 2016 and effective as of May 1, 2016
Mineral Resources Law of the People’s Republic of China (Adopted at the 15th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Sixth National People’s Congress on 19 March 1986, and revised in accordance with the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Revising the Mineral Resources Law of the People’s Republic of China, adopted at the 21st meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National People’s Congress on 29 August 1996).
Rules for Implementation of the Mineral Resources Law of the People’s Republic of China (Promulgated by Decree No. 152 of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China on 26 March 1994, and effective as of the date of promulgation).
Marine Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China(Adopted at the twenty-fourth session of the Standing Committee of the Fifth National People’s Congress on 23 August 1982; effective as of 1 March 1983, and revised at the thirteenth session of the Standing Committee of the Ninth National People’s Congress on 25 December 1999).
Administrative Regulation on the Prevention and Treatment of the Pollution and Damage to the Marine Environment by Marine Engineering Construction Projects [Chinese] (Promulgated by the State Council on 25 March 2010 and in force on the same day)
Seabed Minerals (Prospecting and Exploration) Regulations, 28 July 2015
Seabed Minerals (Amendment) Act, 16 June 2015
Seabed Minerals Act, 26 November 2009
Existing National Legislation
Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales
Note No. 001348
Embajada de la Republica Dominicana Jamaica
Note No. EDR-MIN/16-16
Note Verbale dated 3 May 2017
Existing National Legislation
Existing National Legislation
Information on National Legislation
Note Verbale from the Embassy of Mexico in Jamaica on 5 June 2018
Updated information by the Mexican Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), the Secretariat of Economy and the Mexican Geological Service. Received 5th June 2018
Report submitted by the Embassy of Mexico in Jamaica on 21 December 2011 on the Laws, Regulations and Administrative Measures of Mexico on Underwater Mining
Existing National Legislation
General Law on Ecological Balance and the Protection of the Environment (Ley General del Equilibrio Ecológico y la Protección al Ambiente), Diario Oficial de la Federación, 28 January 1988. Reform and update of 4 June 2012.
Regulation of the General Law on Ecological Balance and the Protection of the Environment on Environmental Impact Assessment (Reglamento de la Ley General del Equilibrio Ecológico y la Protección al Ambiente en Materia de Evaluación del Impacto Ambiental), Diario Oficial de la Federación, 30 May 2000. Reform and update of 26 April 2012.
United Mexican States. Mining Law, Diario Oficial de la Federación, 26 June 1992. Amended 28 April 2005.
National environmental policy for the sustainable development of Mexico’s oceans and coasts: Strategies for their conservation and sustainable use. (See A/61/372, annex.)
Royal Decree No. 2011/8 issued 24 January 2011 regulating the exploration for oil and gas and Royal Decree No. 2003/27 and Ministerial Decress No. 2010/77 - Regulations of the Mining Act.
Existing National Legislation
Existing National Legislation
Existing National Legislation
Existing National Legislation
Existing National Legislation
Regional Efforts