In preparation for Part II of the 31st Session of the International Seabed Authority, Madam Secretary-General Leticia Carvalho welcomed the Permanent Representatives of the ISA Member States on Friday, 12 June 2026.
At the ISA Headquarters in Kingston, she expressed to the high-level group her deep appreciation to ISA´s host country, Jamaica, for its continued support to the work of the Authority and for the hospitality extended to delegations throughout the year.
According to Leticia Carvalho, the upcoming session “will involve a broad and ambitious agenda extending well beyond the negotiations on the exploitation regulations.”
The members of the Legal and Technical Commission will meet in Kingston from 29 June to 10 July, followed by the Finance Committee meetings from 7 to 10 July. The Council will gather for two weeks, from 13 to 24 July and Part II will conclude with meetings of the ISA Assembly, from 27 to 31 July 2026.
The Council will consider important institutional, financial and governance matters, the status of contracts for exploration, as well as the reports of the Finance Committee and of the Legal and Technical Commission, and possible timeline for the establishment of the Economic Planning Commission.
Additionally, the Council will be expected to consider and determine an appropriate roadmap for 2027, building on the progress achieved during the current session and identifying priorities for the work ahead.
The Secretary-General reflected that “this makes the upcoming meetings particularly significant,” representing “an opportunity not only to continue substantive negotiations, but also to shape the direction and organization of the Council’s work in the coming year.”