New York, USA – On 27 June 2024, H.E. Mr. Hussein Athuman Kattanga presented his credentials to the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), H.E. Mr. Michael W. Lodge, as the first Permanent Representative of the United Republic of Tanzania to ISA during a ceremony held in New York.
Ambassador Kattanga, appointed by the Honourable Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, brings over 30 years of extensive experience in government service. His career highlights include serving as Chief Secretary to the Government of Tanzania, Ambassador to Japan and Chief Court Administrator of Tanzania.
Ambassador Kattanga holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Finance from the Institute of Finance Management in Dar es Salaam and an MSc in Finance from Strathclyde University, Glasgow.
During the ceremony, Ambassador Kattanga emphasized Tanzania’s dedication to the mission of ISA. “Tanzania, as a major maritime country with a coastline of 1,424 kilometres, attaches great importance to ocean affairs and seabed activities. We stand firmly behind the ISA’s mission to achieve sustainable deep-sea mining, balancing marine environment protection and seabed mining activities for the benefit of our oceans,” he stated. He also highlighted the need for tailored capacity development activities for developing countries and commended ISA’s ongoing efforts and training programmes.
Secretary-General Lodge acknowledged Tanzania’s active contribution to the work of ISA and commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. “It is a great pleasure to welcome Ambassador Kattanga as the first Permanent Representative of Tanzania to ISA. This is a clear recognition of the importance that Tanzania attaches to the mandate and work of ISA as a steward of the Area and its resources for the benefit of all.” Secretary-General Lodge said.
“ISA’s cooperation with Tanzania has grown significantly over the past three years. We have recently had the pleasure of hosting a Tanzanian expert in the Secretariat as part of our collaboration with the United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries. I look forward to continuing to support Tanzania’s development aspirations as the country seeks to maximize the benefits of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 1994 Agreement,” Mr. Lodge added.
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:
Mr. Philip Janikowski, Communications Specialist, ISA, pjanikowski@isa.org.jm