On 3 July 2023, the Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) confirmed the selection of five (5) candidates for training opportunities provided by the Deep Ocean Resources Development Co., Ltd. (DORD) in accordance with its obligations under its exploration contract for polymetallic nodules with ISA.
The selected trainees are:
- Md. Jahangir Alam from Bangladesh
- Ijeoma Orji from Nigeria
- Camila Stempels Bautista from Argentina
- Patience Makungu from Kenya
- Sapolu Tetoa from Tuvalu
Objectives and goals of the training programme
- The objective of the training is to expose trainees to skills and techniques used for the exploration of deep-sea mineral resources.
- The goal of the programme is for trainees to acquire basic planning skills for marine survey and on-board survey techniques.
- DORD wishes to deepen trainees’ understanding of Japan’s marine mineral resource development through the historical development and current status of Japan’s domestic non-ferrous mining, smelting and refining business.
Contents of the training programme
The programme is planned for approximately 30-40 days between October and mid-December 2023. It will be conducted in two phases:
Phase 1: At-sea training on-board a research vessel for a 10-day cruise survey. Training will include marine seismic reflection survey, marine geological survey using magnetometer and gravimeter, and marine geological mapping, as well as practical training on exploration technology of marine mineral resources.
Phase 2: On-land training for 20-30 days which will include tours of the facilities related to former mine sites, parts of the heritage that shows history of the Japanese industry, marine resource development such as marine geology and seabed mineral resources, as well as lectures by the experts in various field related to marine resource development.
One of the Voluntary Commitments registered by ISA at the 2017 UN Ocean Conference (#OceanAction 40768). and reiterated in 2022 was ‘Enhancing the role of Women in Marine Scientific Research through Capacity Building’ – As partner of the Women in Deep-Sea Research project (WIDSR), DORD has pledged to allocate 50% of the training opportunities to qualified women applicants.
***
All contractors with ISA have a legal obligation to provide and fund practical training opportunities for personnel from developing States and those of ISA, including the participation of such personnel in all activities in the Area which are covered by the contract.
The legal basis for the requirement stems from the provisions of UNCLOS and the 1994 Agreement and is set out in the standard terms of exploration contracts signed with ISA.
Please visit this page to know more about the Contractor Training Programme.
For additional information, please contact:
Ms. Annekah Mason, Training Coordinator, ISA, training@isa.org.jm