Kingston, 26 January 2026 — His Excellency Mr. Kohei Maruyama presented his credentials to Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), Ms. Leticia Carvalho, as Permanent Representative of Japan to the ISA, during a ceremony held on 26 January 2026 at ISA Headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica.
Ambassador Maruyama, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Jamaica, is a career diplomat with nearly four decades of service in Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has held senior positions across economic, protocol and diplomatic affairs, including as Director of the Japan-Korea Economic Affairs Division, Director of the Protocol Office at the Minister’s Secretariat and Consul-General of Japan in Busan and Vancouver. Prior to his current appointment, he served as a Minister and subsequently as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Japan to Canada.
During the meeting, Ambassador Maruyama reaffirmed Japan’s strong commitment to the mandate of the ISA under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He highlighted the shared responsibility to protect the ocean as the common heritage of humankind, to ensure a healthy marine environment and to support a sustainable and inclusive ocean-based economy. He also emphasized Japan’s intention to support effective multilateral cooperation, including efforts to finalize the exploitation regulations.
Secretary-General Carvalho welcomed Ambassador Maruyama and highlighted Japan’s long-standing engagement in deep-sea activities, including its pioneering role in marine scientific research and sustained participation in exploration activities in the Area. She acknowledged the significant contributions of Japanese contractors to the work of the ISA, notably in baseline environmental studies, comprehensive reporting and training and capacity-building initiatives supporting the participation of developing States.
Secretary-General Carvalho also reflected on her recent official visit to Japan, during which she engaged with government authorities, contractors, private sector actors, research institutions and technology developers. She highlighted Japan’s leadership in scientific excellence and innovation, including advancements supported under the Strategic Innovation Promotion Programme (SIP), such as environmental impact assessment methodologies, long-term monitoring systems, spatial and temporal prediction modelling and AI-enabled data analysis. She noted that these technologies could meaningfully inform the scientific and regulatory work of the ISA, particularly in support of its mandate to ensure effective protection of the marine environment.
Secretary-General Carvalho welcomed Ambassador Maruyama and Japan’s continued engagement with the ISA, particularly in advancing technological innovation. She commended Japan’s efforts to ensure that advanced environmental technologies remain both accurate and affordable, including advanced monitoring systems, reduced seabed disturbance techniques, improved plume management and long-duration seabed equipment.
Both reaffirmed their shared commitment to ensuring that ISA remains a credible, effective and forward-looking institution, capable of regulating activities in the Area in a manner that protects the marine environment and benefits present and future generations.
About ISA
The International Seabed Authority is an autonomous intergovernmental organization established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to organize, regulate and control activities in the seabed beyond national jurisdiction for the benefit of humankind as a whole. ISA is committed to ensuring that all activities in the deep seabed are carried out responsibly, using the best available scientific evidence and in accordance with the principle of the common heritage of humankind.
For media inquiries, please contact:
ISA Communications Unit, news@isa.org.jm
—————
For more information, visit our website, www.isa.org.jm