News

The Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) will open the first part of its 26th session on 17th February 2020 in Kingston, Jamaica. It is expected that Member States will continue their discussions on the draft regulations for exploitation of mineral resources in the Area, including on the financial terms of contracts.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is holding, for the first time ever, an international workshop on “Capacity development, resources and needs assessment” at its headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica, from 10 to 12 February 2020. 

For ISA workshop participants and delegates in relation to the outbreak of novel coronavirus

Following the declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the current outbreak of novel Coronavirus as a global health emergency, the Government of Jamaica, Ministry of Health and Wellness, has issued a ban on travel to and from China: http://bit.ly/Travel_ban

The Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Mr. Michael W. Lodge has announced with grave concern that, as of 29 January 2020, the Voluntary Trust Fund established to cover the cost of participation by members of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) and the Finance Committee from developing countries stands in negative balance.

The Fund is also unable to provide financial support to the eleven members of the LTC who have requested to participate in the first part of the 26^th session of the LTC to be held from 24 February to 6 March 2020.

The ISA Secretariat is pleased to announce that the following workshop reports are now available online:

International workshop on the Deep CCZ Biodiversity Synthesis

From 1 to 4 October 2019, ISA together with the Deep CCZ Project led by the University of Hawaii, convened an international workshop on the Deep CCZ Biodiversity Synthesis. The workshop which was held in Friday Harbor, Washington, USA, was attended by 48 international experts. Financial support was provided by the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts and ISA.

The first two national experts selected in the context of the Africa Deep Seabed Resources (ADSR) project joined the ISA Secretariat on 20 January 2020. A total of 10 experts, including 5 women, from different African States, members of ISA and the African Union, will be deployed with the ISA Secretariat in the course of 2020. The objectives of this deployment are to strengthen their expertise in geology and ocean/Blue Economy policy while contributing to the work of the Secretariat.  

International experts from member States, including developing counties and sponsoring States as well as from the scientific community, and contractors convened at a workshop held to discuss the development of a Regional Environmental Management Plan (REMP) for the Area of the Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge in Évora, Portugal, from 25 to 29 November

Applications are now open for four at-sea placement opportunities with Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI) as part of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) contractor training programme. Nauru nationals are encouraged to apply.

ISA is calling for Bachelor, Master or PhD graduates in geology, engineering or other relevant degree or background to take part in NORI’s offshore campaign which aims to collect a bulk sample of polymetallic nodules to further advance NORI's onshore processing programme.

Today, 16 November 2019, marks the 25th anniversary of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Today, the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Mr. Michael W. Lodge welcomed H.E. Margo Deiye, as the new Permanent Representative of the Republic of Nauru to ISA.

Ambassador Deiye has served as a member of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Nauru to the United Nations since 2012, where she has successfully championed Small Island Developing States’ (SIDS) issues both at the international and regional levels.

 by Michael W Lodge, ISA Secretary-General

The The International Seabed Authority (ISA) together with the Centre for Oceans Law and Policy, University of Virginia, School of Law will hold an international conference at the AC Marriot Hotel on the legal, scientific and economic aspects of deep seabed mining from 14 to 16 November in Kingston, Jamaica.

The Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Mr. Michael W. Lodge signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday, 18 October to establish the first ever joint training and research centre with Mr. Wang Hong, Administrator of State Oceanic Administration of China.

The Beijing Pioneer Hi-Tech Development Corporation and the International Seabed Authority (ISA) have signed a 15-year contract for the exploration of polymetallic nodules in the international deep seabed area. This is the first exploration contract signed by ISA for polymetallic nodules in the western Pacific Ocean.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is committed to contributing to the delivery of the 2030 Agenda and supporting Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) to achieve the sustainable management of their marine resources, highlighted Mr. Michael W. Lodge, Secretary-General of ISA at an Our Oceans conference side-event held in Oslo today, hosted by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).