News

Through a letter dated 25 June 2021, the President of Nauru, H.E. Mr. Lionel Aingimea, has requested that the Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) complete the adoption of the rules, regulations and procedures necessary to facilitate the approval of plans of work for exploitation in the Area pursuant to Section 1, paragraph 15 of the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

On 21 June 2021, the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), Mr. Michael W. Lodge, reported on the status of the work of the Authority to the 31^st Meeting of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

World Hydrography Day is celebrated every year on 21 June to highlight the importance of hydrography and its relevance to current global challenges. On this occasion, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) reiterates its commitment to contributing to advance the general knowledge and understanding of the world’s ocean and, in particular, the deep sea and the deep seabed.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is seeking one or two consultant(s) with a background in social sciences, gender, sustainable development, science policy or related fields and requisite experience in gender data collection and analysis and/or with a good knowledge and understanding of the marine science research sector/deep-sea research or related fields.

The Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) finalized on 8 June 2021 the selection of candidates for two at-sea training opportunities offered by Tonga Offshore Mining Limited (TOML) in accordance with its obligations under its exploration contract for polymetallic nodules with ISA.

The two selected candidates are:

The International Seabed Authority is pleased to announce the winners of its art competition organized for World Oceans Day 2021 in two categories, local and international.

In the international competition, open to everyone over the age of sixteen, the winners are:

First prize:

Jessica Eggers, 27, from South Africa

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is mandated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to regulate and control seabed mineral activities in the international seabed area, also called the Area.

At the core of this mandate is the responsibility to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from such activities in the Area as well as to promote and encourage marine scientific research in the Area.

The third workshop organized in the framework of the Africa Deep Seabed Resources (ADSR) project successfully concluded yesterday with increased understanding among participants of regulatory processes related to deep-seabed mineral resources exploration and exploitation – including environmental management practices and tools - and of potential benefits for African States of engaging in activities in the international seabed area (the Area).

Applications are now open for two at-sea training opportunities for candidates from developing States Members of the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The placements are provided by Geosciences and Natural Resources of the Federal Republic of Germany (BGR), in accordance with its obligations under its exploration contract for polymetallic sulphides with ISA.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has joined the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) network of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO as an Associate Data Unit enabling the ISA Secretariat to serve as a node for IODE's Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS).

The President of the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for the 26^th session, Ambassador H.E. Mr. Denys Wibaux from France, and the President of the ISA Council for the 26^th session, Rear Admiral Md. Khurshed Alam from Bangladesh, have announced in a joint letter shared today with all Members of ISA the decision taken in consultation with the Secretary-General to postpone the face-to-face meetings of the 26^th session of the Assembly and the Council to a later date during the year.

Applications are now open for candidates from developing States Members of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for five training opportunities provided by the Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (Ifremer) in accordance with its obligations under its contract with ISA for the exploration for polymetallic nodules in the Area.

The selected candidates will be invited to participate in the 16th edition of the Deep-Sea Biology Symposium from 12 to 17 of September 2021 in Brest, France. 

Today, the Permanent Representative of Gabon to the International Seabed Authority (ISA), H.E. Mr. Michel Xavier Biang, presented his credentials to ISA Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Michael W. Lodge, during a virtual ceremony.

Ambassador Biang has been the Permanent Representative of Gabon to the United Nations since 2017 and was designated Permanent Representative to ISA on 11 February 2021.

Applications are now open for candidates from developing States Members of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for two at-sea placements with Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI) in accordance with its obligations under its exploration contract for polymetallic nodules in the Area.

ISA is calling for candidates with at a minimum a bachelor’s degree in engineering from an accredited educational institution and demonstrated interest in marine engineering and the seafloor minerals industry.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) released today additional standards and guidelines for stakeholder consultation for a period of 60 days, until 7 June 2021 3 July 2021.

The standards and guidelines are designed to complement the draft regulations for the exploitation of mineral resources in the international seabed area (the Area), which are currently being developed by ISA. The standards and guidelines are being produced following a three-phased approach.