International Seabed Authority

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The Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) is an organ of the Council of the International Seabed Authority and currently consists of 25 members who are elected by the Council for a period of 5 years on the basis of personal qualifications relevant to the exploration, exploitation and processing of mineral resources, oceanography, economic and/or legal matters relating to ocean mining and related fields.

The Commission is entrusted with various functions relating to activities in the deep seabed area including the review of applications for plans of work, supervision of exploration or mining activities, assessment of the environmental impact of such activities and provide advice to the International Seabed Authority’s Assembly and Council on all matters relating to exploration and exploitation of non-living marine resources (such as polymetallic [manganese] nodules, polymetallic sulphides and cobalt crusts).

The Commission has, since its inception developed the Regulations on Prospecting and Exploration for Polymetallic Nodules in the Area and the Regulations on Prospecting and Exploration for Polymetallic Sulphides and Cobalt-Rich Ferromanganese Crusts in the Area.

Meetings of the LTC usually precede the annual sessions of the Authority and tables its report to the Council during the session.       

At its 17th Session in 2011, the Council elected the following members for a 5 year term beginning 1 January 2012 - 31 December 2016.

At its recent LTC meeting in 2012, the Commission elected Russell Howorth as its Chairman and Christian Reichert as Vice Chairman.