Statement of the ISA Secretariat in response to the New York Times article of 4 July 2024

Kingston, Jamaica, 8 July 2024 — Following the publication of an article in the New York Times on 4 July 2024[1]  making reference to allegations of various financial irregularities in the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the ISA Secretariat feels compelled to make the following comments on the substance of the allegations made and the release to the media of confidential information about ISA personnel.

Operations of the ISA Secretariat to be impaired by Hurricane Beryl

Kingston, Jamaica, 2 July 2024 — The Secretariat of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) would like to inform all ISA Members and observers, as well as all other relevant stakeholders, that the operations of the Secretariat may be impaired for the next 48 to 72 hours due to the approach of Hurricane Beryl, which is expected to make landfall on 3 July 2024 in Jamaica.

ISA hosts the first in-person meeting of international experts selected to develop environmental threshold values for deep-seabed mining

Kingston, Jamaica – 28 June 2024 – The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is currently hosting the first in-person meeting of the Intersessional Expert Group (IEG) established by the Council for developing binding environmental threshold values at its headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica. This three-day workshop held between 27 and 29 June 2024 is part of an ongoing process for the development of standards and guidelines mandated by the Council and led by the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC). The IEG comprises 30 experts from 19 different countries, including eight developing States.

ISA Secretariat concludes first meeting of former trainees gathered in the iCAN network

Kingston, Jamaica – 24 June 2024 — The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has successfully inaugurated the ISA-Capacity Development Alumni Network (iCAN), marking a significant advancement in its efforts to enhance capacity-building and facilitate the transfer of technology and scientific knowledge to developing States. The iCAN aligns with ISA’s obligations under Article 144 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 1994 Agreement, as well as its Strategic Plan and the ISA Capacity Development Strategy.