Nice, France – 12 June 2025, The International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have signed a landmark memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation on matters related to deep-sea fisheries, biodiversity and the sustainable management of areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). The signing took place on the sidelines of the Third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France.

Nice, France – 11 June 2025 – The International Seabed Authority (ISA) launched the Deep-Sea Biobank Initiative (DBI) to enhance access to deep-sea biological samples and genetic data collected from the international seabed area beyond national jurisdiction (the Area). The DBI was announced on the margins of the third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France, during a high-level event that brought together government leaders, regional and international organizations, scientists and private companies.

Kingston, Jamaica – 23 June 2025 — The Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) officially opened its meetings under Part II of its thirtieth session in Kingston, Jamaica, to be concluded by 4 July 2025.

Kobe, Japan – 12 June 2025 – The International Seabed Authority (ISA), in collaboration with the Kobe Ocean-Bottom Exploration Center (KOBEC) at Kobe University, successfully concluded the Second international expert scoping workshop, “Charting future horizons: Harnessing advanced technologies for the protection and sustainable use of the international seabed area – Focus on monitoring.”

Kingston, Jamaica – 21 May 2025 – Ambassador Cheryl Spencer presented her credentials to the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), Ms. Leticia Carvalho, as the Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the ISA during a ceremony held in Kingston, Jamaica, on 20 May 2025.

Kingston, Jamaica – 6 May 2025 – The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has joined the Ocean Data and Information System (ODIS), a global network of interconnected platforms designed to enhance the accessibility, interoperability and discovery of ocean data. This collaboration, coordinated by the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange of IOC-UNESCO, strengthens international cooperation in ocean research and sustainable management.

Leading international experts gathered in Qingdao, China, from 27 April to 1 May 2025 for a technical workshop aimed at advancing the development of a regional environmental management plan (REMP) for the Area of the Indian Ocean, with a focus on Mid-Ocean Ridges and the Central Indian Ocean Basin.

Kingston, Jamaica – 1 May 2025 – The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is pleased to announce the signing of a Letter of Cooperation with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea (MOF-ROK) in support of the ISA Deep-Sea Biobank initiative, on the margins of the 10^th Our Ocean Conference held in Busan, Republic of Korea, from 28 to 30 April 2025.

Qingdao, China – 29 April 2025 – The International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the Government of China successfully concluded the third knowledge transfer workshop organized under the auspices of the ISA-China Joint Training and Research Centre (ISA-China JTRC), held in Qingdao, China, from 23 to 27 April 2025. The workshop focused on advancing marine spatial planning in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) to support sustainable deep-sea stewardship.