New York, USA, 25 March 2026 – Madam Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), Leticia Carvalho, delivered her remarks at the Preparatory Commission for the Entry into Force of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). The meetings are taking place from 23 March until 2 April 2026 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
News
Madam Secretary-General’s Reflections from Her Recent Mission to the United Kingdom and Switzerland at the Start of 2026
Kingston, Jamaica – 27 March 2026 – As I enter year two of my tenure as ISA Secretary-General, I feel that 2026 is off to a promising start, combining focused ambition, a spirit of collaboration, and principled pragmatism. These principles are guiding my engagement with Member States and how I am organizing the work of the Secretariat. This aim is part of a broader effort to explain why we consider the framework ready for consolidation to ensure that the ISA can deliver its unique role as guardian and steward of the deep seabed. The focus is on coalescing progress towards completion of the legal framework to make the system operational and coherent, delivering for multilateralism and the promise of the common heritage of humankind. Just having closed Part One of the 31st Session, I firmly believe that we saw these principles playing out in the negotiations and I am very pleased with the progress made. Please read my Council closing remarks here.
The Permanent Representative of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas presents Credentials to the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority
Kingston, 16 March 2026 — Her Excellency Mrs. Alveta Adderley-Knight presented her credentials to the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), Ms. Leticia Carvalho, as Permanent Representative of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to the International Seabed Authority, during a ceremony held on 16 March 2026 at ISA Headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica.
Secretary-General Leticia Carvalho meets with Judge Tomas Heidar, President of ITLOS
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Naming Life to Govern the Deep Seabed: A Q&A with experts from ISA and WoRMS in celebration of Taxonomist Appreciation Day
Kingston, 19 March 2026 – As the international community marks Taxonomist Appreciation Day on 19 March, the spotlight turns to a scientific discipline that quietly underpins environmental governance worldwide: taxonomy.
In Memoriam: His Excellency Mr. Juan José González Mijares
Kingston, Jamaica – 13 March 2026 – It is with profound sadness that I learned of the passing of His Excellency Mr. Juan José González Mijares, former Ambassador of Mexico to Jamaica and The Bahamas and former Permanent Representative to the International Seabed Authority.
Reflections from Madam Secretary-General Leticia Carvalho on Engagements in Cameroon
Yaoundé, Cameroon – 16 February 2026 – At the invitation of the Government of the Republic of Cameroon, I travelled to Yaoundé to open the inaugural in-person workshop of the African Academy for Deep Sea Diplomacy (ADSEA).
Legal and Technical Commission Concludes First Part of 31st Session, Advances Work on Exploration Contracts, Environmental Threshold Values and the Economic Planning Commission
Kingston, Jamaica – 6 March 2026 – The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has concluded the first part of the work of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC), which convened between 23 February and 6 March 2026. The LTC, which brings together legal, technical and scientific expertise to advise the Council, advances discussions and makes recommendations on the exercise of ISA functions, including rules, regulations and procedures, exploration contracts and environmental management.
Women Advancing Ocean Science from Research to Governance
Kingston, 8 March 2026 – On International Women’s Day, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) highlights the journeys of women shaping the future of ocean science and governance. Through initiatives such as the See Her Exceed Global Mentoring Programme – S.H.E., the Women in Deep-Sea Research project and activities funded under the ISA Partnership Fund, the ISA expands access to training, mentorship and international collaboration in a field that remains highly specialized and historically male-dominated.
