Kingston, Jamaica (10 July 2026) – The Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has concluded the second part of its 31st session, which convened between 29 June and 10 July 2026.
The LTC, which brings together legal, technical and scientific expertise to advise the Council, advances discussions and makes recommendations on the exercise of ISA functions, including rules, regulations and procedures, exploration contracts and environmental management.
Participation
Thirty members of the LTC participated in person in the meetings, while three members participated remotely in working group meetings, reflecting continued engagement in ISA’s technical and legal work. All members who requested support through the Voluntary Trust Fund were able to participate, made possible by contributions to the Fund.
Exploration contracts
The LTC considered 30 annual reports on activities carried out by contractors in 2025, an essential component of ISA’s oversight of activities in the Area. No contractor was newly identified as having responded inadequately, or failed to respond, to the calls from the Council to address issues of concern identified by the Commission in relation to their contractual obligations.
The Commission considered three applications for extensions of approved plans of work for exploration, submitted by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources of Germany, Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. and the China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association. Having concluded that the information provided by the applicants met the applicable criteria set out in Council decision ISBA/21/C/19 and that all applicable procedures had been followed, the Commission recommended that the Council approve the three applications.
The LTC also considered the notification of material changes to the application submitted by Impossible Metals Bahrain W.L.L. for approval of a plan of work for exploration for polymetallic nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, and decided to defer consideration of the updated application to the first part of the 32nd session.
Standards and guidelines
Pursuant to the request of the Council during the first part of the 31st session, the LTC advanced its review of the consolidated list of standards and guidelines needed to support exploitation activities, producing a preliminary updated version.
The Commission identified matters on which guidance from the Council is requested, particularly those linked to the ongoing negotiations on the draft exploitation regulations. The LTC emphasized that sufficient resources would need to be allocated to reviewing the current list of draft standards and guidelines and for developing additional ones.
Regional Environmental Management Plans
Following the workshop on the development of a regional environmental management plan (REMP) for the Area of the Northwest Pacific Ocean held in Busan, Republic of Korea, in May 2026, the LTC completed the draft REMP for the Northwest Pacific Ocean and decided to release it for a State and stakeholder consultation.
The consultation is expected to begin in the first week of August and remain open for 90 days. The LTC will hold a dialogue event on the Northwest Pacific REMP at the margins of the Council meetings in July 2026 to support wider engagement.
The LTC also noted progress on the development of a REMP for the Area of the Indian Ocean, with an additional management workshop planned for 2027. It also decided to defer the review of the environmental management plan for the Clarion-Clipperton Zone to early 2027.
Environmental threshold values
The LTC took note of progress made by the Intersessional Expert Group on the development of environmental threshold values. The report is anticipated to be published on the ISA website at the start of August for a period of 90 days of stakeholder consultation.
The LTC is expected to consider the report and the outcomes of the stakeholder consultation process, and to make its recommendation to the Council during the 32nd session in 2027.
The LTC will hold a dialogue event on the development of environmental threshold values at the margins of the Council meetings in July 2026 to support wider engagement.
Environmental Impact Statement
The LTC reviewed the Environmental Impact Statement submitted by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources of Germany (BGR) for collector testing scheduled in the third quarter of 2027.
The LTC requested the Secretary-General to transmit their additional questions to BGR for response. The LTC will continue its evaluation, with a view to finalizing it during the first part of the 32nd session.
Contractors’ Training Programme
The LTC discussed the status of implementation of training programmes under plans of work for exploration. Based on the recommendations of its training subgroup, the Commission selected 35 first-ranked and 27 reserve candidates out of 339 applicants for 10 contractors’ training programmes.
The Commission commended the Secretariat for developing the ISA Capacity Building Portal and for its work to improve the effectiveness of the trainee candidate-selection process.
Data Management
The LTC also considered aspects of data management by the Authority, including progress on the assessment of DeepData, and supported recommendations towards a “next generation” database to strengthen the management and use of data related to the Area.
About ISA
The International Seabed Authority is an autonomous intergovernmental organization established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to organize, regulate and control activities in the seabed beyond national jurisdiction for the benefit of humankind as a whole. ISA is committed to ensuring that all activities in the deep seabed are carried out responsibly, using the best available scientific evidence and in accordance with the principle of the common heritage of humankind.
For media inquiries, please contact:
ISA Communications Unit, news@isa.org.jm
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For more information, visit our website, www.isa.org.jm