St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda — On Wednesday, 29 May 2024, the delegation of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) headed by the Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Michael W. Lodge, concluded a visit to Antigua and Barbuda and engagements in the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
The Secretary-General participated in several meetings and events held as part of the 4th International Conference on SIDS from 27 to 29 May. The key role played by Big Ocean States (BOS) in the full implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 1994 Agreement and their active participation in the governance of the Area and its resources for the benefit of humankind was underscored.
In his statement to the plenary, H.E. Mr. Michael W. Lodge recognized that “ISA is committed to the principle that all economic activities in the deep seabed must be regulated and responsibly managed using the best available scientific evidence for the benefit of all nations of the world.”
“We will continue to work with BOS to enhance understanding of the rights and obligations under UNCLOS and ensure effective participation in the governance of the ocean. We will make sure that your voices are heard and will support you in using the provisions of UNCLOS as a catalyst for societal and economic sustainable development,” he added.
A key outcome of the week was also the signing of the Call to Action for ensuring the stewardship of the Area and its resources for the benefit of all humanity through deep-sea science, technology and innovation by Fiji, Jamaica, Mauritius and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This call was launched during the SDG Summit in New York in September 2023.
The Honourable Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Jamaica, noted that “joining the Call to Action underscores Jamaica’s commitment to the objectives of ISA and reaffirms our support for its work in relation to conserving and sustainably using our oceans, seas and marine resources to advance sustainable development, especially in SIDS. The Call to Action also emphasizes the distinct role of ISA as the competent body under international law, through UNCLOS, designated to manage activities in the Area.”
ISA also co-organized two side events featuring government representatives, as well as representatives of international and regional organizations and academia.
The first side event, Leveraging SIDS knowledge, technology, innovation, and capacity to advance deep-sea research for the benefit of humanity, took place on 27 May. The event was co-hosted by Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica and Singapore and co-sponsored by the Cook Islands, Fiji, Malta, Norway and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). This side event provided an opportunity to highlight how ISA, through its unique and exclusive mandate, has significantly contributed to the protection of the environment beyond national jurisdiction for the benefit of all humanity and to the enhancement of the rule of law in the oceans by developing sound and stringent regulatory frameworks based on the precautionary approach, best available science, transparency and equity in accessing the Area and its resources during its 30 years of existence. The event brought together heads of governments, senior representatives of Member States and international and regional organizations and academia, including the Honourable Mark Brown, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Dr. Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Education and Foreign Affairs of Singapore, Mr. Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, State Secretary with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway, Under-Secretary-General Mr. Li Junhua, Head of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the 4th SIDS Conference, Professor Dale Webber, Director of the Centre for Marine Sciences at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, Mr. Joe Appiott, Coordinator for Marine, Coastal and Island Biodiversity with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, H.E. Mrs. Vanessa Frazier, Permanent Representative of Malta to ISA and the United Nations, H.E. Mr. Jagdish Dharamchand Koonjul, Permanent Representative of Mauritius to ISA and the United Nations, Dr. Branson Belle, Director of the Centre of Excellence for Oceanography and the Blue Economy at the Five Islands Campus of the University of the West Indies in Antigua and Barbuda and the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica.
The second side event, Leveraging partnerships and transformative actions to advance women empowerment and leadership in deep-sea research to support inclusive and sustainable ocean governance, was held on 29 May. The side event, hosted by Antigua and Barbuda and co-sponsored by Cook Islands, Malta, the United Nations Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries and IORA, discussed concrete actions towards women’s empowerment and leadership in marine scientific research through collaborative efforts and transformative partnerships. It also constituted a platform for discussing the importance of mainstreaming gender equality in highly technical and emerging fields of ocean science and ways to improve the effective participation of women from developing States. The panellists included the Honourable Samantha Marshall, Minister of State, Ministry of Health Wellness, the Environment and Social Transformation of Antigua and Barbuda, Mr. Deodat Maharaj, Managing Director, United Nations Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries, Fekita ‘Utoikamanu, Minister for Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications of the Kingdom of Tonga, Honourable Ms. Penelope Beckles, Minister of Planning and Development, Trinidad and Tobago, Under-Secretary-General Ms. Rabab Fatima, the High Representative of the United Nations for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States and Special Adviser for the 4th SIDS Conference, Ms. Francesca Cassar, Africa, Economic and Development Coordinator, Permanent Mission of Malta to ISA and to the United Nations, H.E. Ms. Janine Felson, Deputy Permanent Representative of Belize to the United Nations, H.E. Dr. Salman Al Farisi, Secretary-General, IORA, Mr. Edward Herman, Partnerships and Cooperation Director at the Seabed Minerals Authority of the Cook Islands, Mr. Sai Navoti, Chief of the Office for the SIDS, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Dr. Tricia Lovell, Deputy Chief Fisheries Officer/Vice-Chair of the National Ocean Governance Committee, Antigua and Barbuda and Dr. Anna Scott, CEO of Mithril Minerals.
The Secretary-General was also invited to deliver opening remarks at the side event organized on 29 May by UN-Oceans to discuss “Ocean action to support resilient prosperity in SIDS.” Mr. Lodge underscored that “most partnerships established by ISA include specific objectives designed to benefit LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS” and that all “are designed to respond to the capacity development needs identified by developing States themselves.”
“I am particularly proud that all our partnerships include dedicated workstreams for women’s empowerment and leadership with a specific emphasis on women scientists and practitioners from LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS,” Secretary-General Lodge added.
To learn more about ISA’s engagement at the 4th SIDS Conference, please visit https://www.isa.org.jm/events/isa-at-the-2024-sids-conference.
About ISA
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is an autonomous intergovernmental organization mandated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to manage the mineral resources of the seabed beyond national jurisdiction for the shared benefit of humankind. ISA is committed to the principle that all economic activities in the deep seabed, including deep-seabed mining, must be regulated and responsibly managed using the best available scientific evidence for the benefit of all nations of the world. ISA works to ensure that the voices of all States, including developing States and other stakeholders, are effectively heard in discussions around the sustainable development of the deep seabed.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Ms. Jaimie Abbott, Communications Specialist, ISA, jabbott@isa.org.jm