Highlights and images for 29 July 2024

The Assembly, one of the principal organs of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) empowered to establish general policies, began its 29th annual session on the 30th anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the birth of the ISA.

Amara Sowa, Sierra Leone, on behalf of Fanday Turay, Sierra Leone, Assembly President for the 28th session, opened the session.

Secretary-General Michael Lodge highlighted broad participation in the Assembly as a testament to the hard work done to raise the profile of the organization and an indication of broad support for and commitment to the work of ISA.

Acting President Sowa introduced the provisional agenda. Discussions focused on an agenda item on a joint proposal for a general policy of the ISA for the protection and preservation of the marine environment.

Some delegates expressed concerns, noting the heavy agenda for the Assembly, the lack of relevant Council recommendations, and the fact that environmental protection is addressed by relevant parts of the draft exploitation regulations.

Others, including the nine proponents of the agenda item, stressed that the Assembly has a mandate and responsibility to develop and adopt a general policy for environmental protection.

The Assembly adopted the agenda, deleting the agenda item on elections to fill vacancies in the Finance Committee, as no such vacancies had arisen.

In its first day of work, the Assembly further:

• approved requests for observer status by 14 observer organizations, while the requests made by Impossible Metals Inc. and the Seafloor Mineral Developers Association were not approved, as Vanuatu and Switzerland noted they do not fulfill the requirements for participation of non-governmental organizations as observers;
• commemorated the fifth edition of the Secretary-General’s Award for Excellence in Deep-Sea Research to Rengaiyan Periasamy, India, for his contribution to deep-sea scientific research;
• elected Nauru, the Dominican Republic, and Portugal as Vice-Presidents on the Bureau, with two more nominations pending as well as the nomination for the presidency by the Eastern European Group; and
• elected Brazil, Chile, Côte d’Ivoire, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, South Africa, and Switzerland as members of the Credentials Committee, with one nomination pending.

The annual report of the Secretary-General took center stage in the afternoon. Secretary-General Lodge highlighted the formal report (ISBA/29/A/2) and the illustrated report, drawing attention to the report on the implementation of the ISA action plan in support of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (ISBA/29/A/5). He stressed that the illustrated report demonstrates the breadth and substance of activities undertaken by the ISA over the last year, organized by reference to the ISA Strategic Plan and the nine strategic directions contained therein.

Delegates expressed their appreciation for the Secretary-General’s report, the ISA’s capacity-building initiatives, the centering of women's equitable participation in marine sciences, as well as support for the transfer of marine technology and for developing states to participate fully in activities in the Area.

A couple of delegates highlighted the ISA’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with one pointing specifically to SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), noting that the links between the ISA’s strategic plan and SDGs are “evident and commendable.”

Some delegates reiterated the call for a moratorium or precautionary pause, underscoring scientific uncertainty over the impacts of deep-sea mining, with Malta joining the call. Surangel S. Whipps Jr., President of Palau, lamented that “we are once again at the mercy of powerful external forces, reminiscent of colonial exploitation that scarred our history.”

A member stressed that a moratorium is not the solution given that such a measure would not operationalize the principle of the common heritage of humankind.

Others emphasized that deep-sea mining activities would directly contradict existing commitments, pointing to SDG 14 (life below water), the Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the UN Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), the Paris Agreement, and the Convention on Migratory Species.

Delegates noted progress made in the development of draft exploitation regulations for commercial deep-sea mining but that a significant amount of work remains. A delegation stressed that “crucial issues remain unresolved,” such as benefit-sharing, the institutional framework in respect to compliance and enforcement, and the “substantial knowledge gaps” related to deep-sea ecosystems.

In the evening, the ISA Secretariat organized a side event titled “The contribution of ISA to the objectives of the 2023 Agreement for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction.”