New York, USA – On Monday, 15 June 2026, Madam Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority delivered her statement to the States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, UNCLOS. Leticia Carvalho shared her remarks with the 172 Parties, comprising 171 States and the European Union.
At the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the Secretary-General thanked the States Parties for their constant support to the ISA´s work since its establishment in 1994, highlighting their “sincere commitment to upholding multilateralism and the rule of law, which find one of their highest expressions in the principle of the common heritage of humankind.”
Leticia Carvalho shared updates and the main advancements in the work of the ISA for the past year, highlighting that “the Council has made significant progress towards the adoption of a robust and consistent regulatory framework, reflecting the highest standards of environmental protection.”
The ISA Secretary-General reinforced that the adoption of the Regulations is “now more than ever needed” to ensure the highest standards of environmental protection and to ensure “that the principle of the common heritage of humankind is fully upheld”.
Read the full statement here: https://isa.org.jm/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ISA_MSG_SPUNCLOS_JUNE-2026.pdf