News

Today, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) marked the occasion of World Oceans Day on 8 June at the United Nations virtual event ‘Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean,’ where leading voices from around the globe convened to celebrate the role of the oceans in everyday life and inspire action to protect the ocean and the sustainable use of marine resources.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) today launched its new website to provide its Member States and the wider ISA community with an improved user experience.

The site has been redeveloped with a new look and feel, and helpful navigation features so users can easily find up to date information about ISA, along with its programmes and activities.

The secretariat of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is pleased to inform members of the Council, other members of the Authority not represented on the Council, as well as observers and contractors that a series of informal webinars will be organized with a view to providing information on the preparation of the comparative analysis of the financial aspects of seabed mining and land-based mining. It is recalled that this analysis was requested by the ISA Council.

Background

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has donated $3,000 USD and furniture from its headquarters in downtown Kingston, to the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) to help address the impact on human health and well-being, in particular for the most vulnerable groups of the society, namely the homeless population living in Kingston. ISA staff have also contributed an additional $2000 to the donation through their Staff Association.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) today announced that the second part of the 26^th session of ISA initially scheduled to be held in July 2020 will be postponed, due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The session will instead take place in a reduced format in Kingston, Jamaica from 7 to 16 October 2020, with meetings of some of the technical bodies convened remotely starting from July 2020.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) Secretariat is pleased to convey to members of the ISA Council that Mr. Vladislav Kurbatskyi, the Facilitator nominated by the Council, has decided to extend the deadline for submission of written comments and proposals on his first draft of a mechanism for the election of members of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC), submitted on 22 April 2020.

The draft can be downloaded here.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has launched a consultation with its members and particularly developing States, to identify their national capacity development priorities as they relate to the role and responsibilities given to ISA by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 1994 Agreement.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) Secretariat is pleased to present to members of the ISA Council, the first draft of a mechanism for the election of members of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) submitted on 22 April 2020, by Mr. Vladislav Kurbatskiy, Facilitator nominated by the Council.

The draft can be downloaded here

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India has extended the deadline for submissions for the stakeholder consultation on an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) developed to conduct technical trials concerning a nodule collector pre-prototype in the Central Indian Ocean Basin in 2021.

The deadline has been extended to 24 May 2020.

Applications are now open for training opportunities for candidates from developing States with the China Ocean Mineral Resources R & D Association (COMRA) as part of the International Seabed Authority (ISA)’s contractor training programme.

ISA is calling for candidates with Bachelor or Master’s Degrees in Science (geology, geophysics, biology or environment) or Engineering (marine, mining, mechanical or electrical) to participate in COMRA’s fellowship and engineering training programmes Qingdao and Changsha, China.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is pleased to announce the release of its most recent publication listed below issued between January and April 2020.

Kindly note that a few of the publications will only be available electronically on ISA’s website.

TBD 2020 - Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation

Postponement of workshop dates

The Government of India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), is conducting a stakeholder consultation on an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) developed to conduct technical trials concerning a nodule collector pre-prototype in the Central Indian Ocean Basin in 2021.

The aim of the trial is to test the capability of the pre-prototype within a limited area on the seabed, as part of its exploration contract for polymetallic nodules with the International Seabed Authority (ISA). 

In light of the evolving nature of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the staff of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) at the headquarters in Kingston as well as in the liaison office in New York is working remotely until further notice. Accordingly, access to the books of condolences for the former Secretary-General H.E. Satya N. Nandan is closed to the public.

The Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Mr Michael W. Lodge, informs that in light of the evolving nature of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, staff at the ISA headquarters in Kingston, as well as in the liaison office in New York, will be working remotely until further notice.

The Secretariat is keeping the situation under review and will continue to apply the guidance and advice that is received from the World Health Organization, the Secretariat of the United Nations in New York, and the relevant national authorities in Jamaica.