31st Session of the Council
Part I
9– 19 March 2026
General
- Indicative Programme of Work (IPW), Part I, 31st Session (v. 11 March 2026): PDF
- Annotated Agenda: PDF
- Briefing note on the Further Revised Consolidated Text of the draft Regulations on Exploitation of Mineral Resources in the Area (version 24 February 2026): PDF
Further Revised Text and related documents
- Further Revised Consolidated Text (ISBA/31/C/CRP.1/Rev.2): Word doc | PDF
- Further Revised Consolidated Text (clean) (ISBA/31/C/CRP.2/Rev.2): Word doc | PDF
- Further Revised Suspense Document (ISBA/31/C/CRP.3): PDF
- Draft indicative list of outstanding issues (ISBA/31/C/CRP.4): PDF
- Draft Decision on the Establishment of the Compliance Committee (ISBA/31/C/CRP.5): PDF
Informal Working Groups (from December 2025)
1.Effective control
2. Inspection, compliance and enforcement mechanism
3. Equalization measure
4. Rights and interests of coastal States
5. Underwater cultural heritage
6. Environmental management and monitoring
7. Test Mining
8. Closure Plans
9. Reference to regional environmental management plans (REMPS)
Friends of the President (from December 2025)
1.Submarine cable protection
2. Payment mechanism and review of payment mechanism
3. Modification of a Plan of Work by a Contractor
4. Environmental Compensation Fund
5. Seabed Mining Register
6. Prevention of corruption
7. Environmental Goals and Objectives
8. Non-Compliance Notice, Suspension, and Termination of Exploitation Contract
Other outstanding issues
Definition of “Contractor”
- Paper from the United Kingdom and the Interim Director-General of the Enterprise on the treatment of the Enterprise in the Draft Regulations on Exploitation
- Annex – References to “Contractor” in the Draft Regulations on Exploitation (considering the role of the Enterprise)
Letters and other communications
- The ocean and human rights, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, Astrid Puentes Riano, 31 December 2024
- Policy Brief the Precautionary Principle and Deep-Seabed Mining: A State obligation under international law that must be urgently respected, UN Human Rights Council, May 2025
- Framework for environmental social and human rights impact assessments and the right to a clean healthy and sustainable environment, Report of the Special Rapporteur Astrid Puentes Riano, 17 July 2025
- Briefing by Greenpeace, 2 March 2026
- Letter from GSR, 3 March 2026
- Open Letter from the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, 9 March 2026
IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin Daily Summaries
The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) writers for this meeting are Tomilola Akanle Eni-ibukun, Ph.D.; and Wanja Nyingi, Ph.D. The Digital Editor is Anastasia Rodopoulou. The Editor is Pam Chasek, Ph.D.
General
- Indicative Programme of Work (IPW), Part I, 31st Session (v. 10 March 2026): PDF
- Annotated Agenda: PDF
- Briefing note on the Further Revised Consolidated Text of the draft Regulations on Exploitation of Mineral Resources in the Area (version 24 February 2026): PDF
Further Revised Text and related documents
- Further Revised Consolidated Text (ISBA/31/C/CRP.1/Rev.2): Word doc | PDF
- Further Revised Consolidated Text (clean) (ISBA/31/C/CRP.2/Rev.2): Word doc | PDF
- Further Revised Suspense Document (ISBA/31/C/CRP.3): PDF
- Draft indicative list of outstanding issues (ISBA/31/C/CRP.4): PDF
- Draft Decision on the Establishment of the Compliance Committee (ISBA/31/C/CRP.5): PDF
Informal Working Groups (from December 2025)
1.Effective control
2. Inspection, compliance and enforcement mechanism
3. Equalization measure
4. Rights and interests of coastal States
5. Underwater cultural heritage
6. Environmental management and monitoring
7. Test Mining
8. Closure Plans
9. Reference to regional environmental management plans (REMPS)
Friends of the President (from December 2025)
- Submarine cable protection
- Review of payment mechanism
- Modification of a Plan of Work by a Contractor
- Environmental Compensation Fund
- Seabed Mining Register
6. Prevention of corruption
7. Environmental Goals and Objectives
8. Non-Compliance Notice, Suspension, and Termination of Exploitation Contract
Other outstanding issues
Definition of “Contractor”
- Paper from the United Kingdom and the Interim Director-General of the Enterprise on the treatment of the Enterprise in the Draft Regulations on Exploitation
- Annex – References to “Contractor” in the Draft Regulations on Exploitation (considering the role of the Enterprise)
Letters and other communications
- The ocean and human rights, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, Astrid Puentes Riano, 31 December 2024
- Policy Brief the Precautionary Principle and Deep-Seabed Mining: A State obligation under international law that must be urgently respected, UN Human Rights Council, May 2025
- Framework for environmental social and human rights impact assessments and the right to a clean healthy and sustainable environment, Report of the Special Rapporteur Astrid Puentes Riano, 17 July 2025
- Briefing by Greenpeace, 2 March 2026
- Letter from GSR, 3 March 2026
- Open Letter from the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, 9 March 2026
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