It is with great sadness that the International Seabed Authority (ISA) received the news of the unexpected passing of Mr. Harald Brekke on 11 May 2025. Mr. Brekke’s passing is a profound loss to the ISA community. On behalf of ISA, Madam Secretary-General conveys her deepest condolences to the family of Mr. Brekke and the Government of Norway.
Mr. Brekke was elected as a member of the ISA Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) in July 2011 for a five-year term (2012-2016) and re-elected in 2016 for another five-year term (2017-2021). His term was further extended until the end of 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He served as a Vice-Chair of LTC from 2018 to 2020 and as a Chair from 2021 to 2022.
Over his 11 years on the LTC, Mr. Brekke made tremendous contributions to the work of both the LTC and the ISA. Notably, under his leadership as a Chair and Vice-Chair, the LTC prepared and submitted to the Council the draft regulations on the exploitation of mineral resources in the Area, along with 10 sets of associated draft standards and guidelines. Several of these were drafted under his leadership as facilitator of specific LTC working groups. He also managed the work of LTC during the challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During this period, the LTC also adopted recommendations for the guidance of the contractors on several key matters, including the relinquishment of areas under exploration contracts for polymetallic sulphides and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts, the assessment of potential environmental impacts arising from exploration activities, and on the content, format and structure of annual reports. Furthermore, the LTC completed the review of the implementation of the environmental management plan for the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, leading to the designation of four additional areas of particular environmental interest. It also prepared and submitted to the Council a draft regional environmental management plan for the area of the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge and a draft standardized approach for the development of regional environmental management plans.
As a Chair of the LTC’s Data Working Group, Mr. Brekke also provided substantive guidance to the Secretariat on the development and implementation of the ISA data management strategy.
Indeed, Mr. Brekke was a well-known and respected figure in the ISA community and ocean governance in general. Following the completion of his term on the LTC in 2022, he was elected to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.
Mr. Brekke will be remembered not only for his exceptional professional expertise and leadership but also for his warmth, character, friendship and collegiality, as well as loyalty and dedication to the work of the LTC and the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, especially the principle of the common heritage of humankind.
Rest easy, dear friend,
ISA