News

Yesterday, the new Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the International Seabed Authority (ISA), H.E. Ms. Alison Stone Roofe, presented her credentials to ISA Secretary-General H.E. Mr. Michael W. Lodge during a ceremony held at ISA Secretariat in Kingston.

Ambassador Stone Roofe, in reiterating the commitment of Jamaica as host State of ISA, stated: “I am deeply honoured to serve in this capacity and to continue the tradition of excellence by my predecessors. Jamaica will continue to support ISA to ensure that the Organization is successful in carrying out its mandate.”

Norway, France and Mexico have reaffirmed their commitment to support, through three separate grants, the implementation by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) of capacity development programmes and activities targeted at developing States members of ISA and to improve their integrated participation in the work of the Organization.  

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia have concluded a virtual national capacity building workshop, which took place on 25-27 January in Kingston / 26-28 January in Indonesia.

The workshop involved 87 participants, including government officials, policymakers and researchers, and aimed at providing them with the necessary skills to enable Indonesia’s full participation in the work of ISA and in activities in the Area.

Today, the new Permanent Representative of Malta to the International Seabed Authority (ISA), H.E. Ms. Vanessa Frazier, presented her credentials to ISA Secretary-General H.E. Mr. Michael W. Lodge during a virtual ceremony.

“The International Seabed Authority plays an important role in the protection of marine environments and the promotion of ocean governance,” said Ambassador Frazier. Secretary-General Lodge stated that “It is a great pleasure to welcome Ambassador Frazier amongst the ISA community and to acknowledge Malta’s support to the work of the Organization.”

Yesterday, the new Permanent Representative of the European Union to the International Seabed Authority (ISA), H.E. Ms. Marianne Van Steen, presented her credentials to ISA Secretary-General H.E. Mr. Michael W. Lodge, in a ceremony that took place at the headquarters of ISA in Kingston, Jamaica.

 “I am delighted to welcome H.E Ms. Van Steen as new Permanent Representative of the European Union to ISA and we look forward to continuing working closely with the European Union and its member States in the implementation of our mandate” said Mr. Lodge.

On 17 December 2020, the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) formally endorsed the shift towards a programmatic approach to capacity development and requested the Secretary-General to prepare and implement a dedicated strategy to meet the needs identified by ISA members, in particular geographically disadvantaged States, landlocked developing countries, small island developing States and least developed countries.

The Assembly of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has approved today the Action Plan for Marine Scientific Research (MSR) in the Area that will formalize ISA’s contribution to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, set to begin January 2021.

The objectives of the UN Decade are at the core of ISA’s mandate to promote and encourage the conduct of marine scientific research in the international seabed area (the Area), disseminate the results, and facilitate participation of developing States in deep-sea exploration and research programmes.

Yesterday the International Seabed Authority (ISA) opened its workshop on Marine Scientific Research in the Area, which will identify ways to establish a collaborative platform to improve the state of knowledge of biodiversity in mid-ocean ridge ecosystems, in particular in the Indian Ocean.

The virtual workshop, organized in collaboration with the China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association (COMRA), and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), will last three days.

The Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has approved Blue Minerals Jamaica Limited’s plan of work for exploration of polymetallic nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), making Jamaica, the host country of ISA, the second Caribbean country and the sixth small island developing State to sponsor a contractor for exploration in the Area.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is inviting comments from stakeholders on the draft Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy prepared by the Secretariat.

On 3 December 2020, members of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) reelected Mr. Michael W. Lodge as Secretary-General for a second term commencing in January 2021. Following his reelection, Secretary-General Lodge will serve another 4-year term for the period 2021-2024.

The 26^th Session of the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) formally decided to name its deep-sea exploration museum in honour of its former Secretary-General, Mr Nii Allotey Odunton, recognizing his contribution to the advancement of the mandate of the Organization.  

Mr Nii Allotey Odunton, from Ghana, served as ISA Secretary-General from 2009 to 2016.

Located at the headquarters of the Authority, the “Nii Allotey Odunton Museum” was formally launched in July 2019, on the margins of the 25^th Anniversary of ISA.

Today the International Seabed Authority (ISA) opened its international workshop on the development of a Regional Environmental Management Plan (REMP) for the Area of the Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge with a focus on polymetallic sulphides (PMS) deposits.

Today the International Seabed Authority (ISA) held a high-level webinar to present the draft Action Plan developed in support of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

The main purpose of this high-level event was to present the key components of the draft Action Plan by highlighting how it represents the objectives identified for the UN Decade and the six strategic research priorities around which ISA will mobilize its actions in a complementary and synergistic manner.

Today, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and China officially launched the Joint Training and Research Centre (JTRC) established under the memorandum of understanding that was approved by the ISA Assembly during its 25^th session, to offer training to aspiring professionals from developing countries in deep-sea related science.