Dr. Michael Imran Kanu presented his credentials to the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), H.E. Mr. Michael W. Lodge, as the Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to ISA, during a ceremony held in Kingston, Jamaica, on 1 November 2023.
Dr. Kanu has served as Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations in New York. Dr. Kanu also served as a member of the Legal and Technical Commission of ISA and represented the African Group as a coordinator for the discussions on the draft exploitation regulations for seabed minerals of the Area under the ISA Council Informal Working Group on Inspection, Compliance and Enforcement since 2021. A multilingual, Dr. Kanu holds a Doctorate in Juridical Science in International Business Law and a Master of Laws.
“I am pleased to present my credentials as the first Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to ISA, reaffirming the commitment of the Government of Sierra Leone to ISA and its important mandate. Over the past five years, Sierra Leone has incrementally increased our contribution to the work of ISA in managing the activities in the Area and critically increasing our scientific understanding of the deep seabed for the benefit of humanity. I particularly look forward to taking the work of ISA to the people of Sierra Leone through capacity development and scientific cooperation,” Dr. Kanu said during the ceremony.
Secretary-General Lodge welcomed Dr. Kanu as the new Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to ISA and underscored the important contribution that Sierra Leone has made to advance the work of ISA in recent years. “I look forward to furthering our cooperation with Sierra Leone in implementing all aspects of ISA’s mandate. It is a pleasure to welcome Ambassador Kanu today as Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone,” he said.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Ms. Jaimie Abbott, Communications Specialist, ISA, jabbott@isa.org.jm