Kingston, Jamaica (29 July 2026) – The contribution of the International Seabed Authority’s African Academy for Deep Sea Diplomacy (ADSEA) to strengthening leadership in ocean governance across Africa was the focus of a side event during the margins of the 31st Session of the ISA Assembly.
Delegates from ISA Member States and other stakeholders gathered on Wednesday, 29 July 2026, to hear from high-level representatives of the Government of Cameroon and participants in the ADSEA programme.
ADSEA forms part of the ISA’s broader commitment to capacity development as a strategic investment, aligning with the ISA Capacity Development Strategy, and has the government of the Republic of Cameroon and the International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC), as official hosting partners.
The first session of the ADSEA programme, including online training session from September to December 2025, and in-person training session in February 2026, in Yaoundé, Cameroon, brought together 26 African diplomats and officials from 16 African States, including SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs.
In her opening remarks, ISA Madam Secretary-General Leticia Carvalho reminded that “African States helped shape Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 1994 Agreement”, adding that “That contribution must continue. African expertise needs to be present and heard as decisions concerning the Area are taken. ADSEA helps meet this need.”
The Secretary-General of the Ministry of External Relations of the government of Cameroon, H.E. Mr. Oumarou Chinmoun, declared that the side event provided “an excellent opportunity to promote the ADSEA programme, raise awareness, particularly among African Member States of the International Seabed Authority, as well as other States interested in this initiative, and advocate for the mobilization of the resources necessary to ensure its successful implementation.”
The Permanent Representative of Cameroon to the United Nations and the ISA, H.E. Ambassador Tommo Monthe, also presented his remarks during the panel, noting that the ISA “has played an important role over the years in providing opportunities to African nationals in building their capacities in issues relating to the Law of the Sea in General and ISA activities in particular, the ADESA programme being one of the various initiatives undertaken in that regard.”
The Ambassador affirmed that “capacity building in ISA related matters means the acquisition of knowledge and expertise, of competence, in short, the freedom to think and act with full awareness, by African diplomats on issues concerning the seas and oceans in general and the seabed in particular.”
During the second panel, participants heard first-hand testimonials of two ADSEA alumnis. For the First Secretary of the Mission of Côte d’Ivoire to the United Nations, Ms. Mockey Née Coulibaly Horokia Tialagnon, participating in the training “was one of the most rewarding experiences” of her professional journey, because the “pioneering initiative is shaping a new generation of African experts committed to advancing the continent´s role in the governance of the ocean and the resources of the deep-seabed Area.”
The Legal Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lesotho, Ms. Makatiso Morebotsane, Legal Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lesotho, highlighted the value of ADSEA’s training for professionals from landlocked countries:
“As a representative of a landlocked country, I had limited knowledge of the law of the sea. Through the programme, I gained a deeper understanding of the legal regime of the Area and the principle that deep-seabed resources are the common heritage of humankind. The online training provided a strong theoretical foundation, while the in-person section in Cameroon helped translate that knowledge into a practical context.”
The next session of the ADSEA Academy is scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.
About ISA
ISA is an autonomous intergovernmental organization mandated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to manage the mineral resources of the seabed beyond national jurisdiction for the shared benefit of humankind. ISA is committed to ensuring that all economic activities in the deep seabed, including mining, are regulated and responsibly managed using the best available scientific evidence for the benefit of all humankind.
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