As always, UNGA was an action-packed week full of productive bilats that help me as Secretary-General to ensure that as we navigate progress I am taking into account the guidance, cautions, recommendations and best practices that Member States provide to execute the work of the Secretariat to the best of our ability.
Commencing the week by meeting my dear friend and eminent colleague, Ambassador and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Oceans (as well as serving in the capacity of ISA Council and Assembly President), Peter Thomson, is always a great moment to learn more about the head and tail winds we face in trying to advance global ocean governance and to brief him on ISA negotiations. Our discussions are often anchored in identifying important narratives and strategic alliances that can help champion the importance of collaboration to make sure that no one is left behind and that the call for the financial means to achieve SDG 14 is heard.
But more than his wisdom on policy and planning, Ambassador Thomson reminds me that progress is crucially rooted in passion, storytelling around lived experience and speaking from the heart about what matters. He is a tireless advocate for the economic potential for a well- managed ocean and doesn’t mince words when it comes to slow progress and what can be done to accelerate action. I feel very fortunate to be able to bring his vast experience to support our work at ISA. I was very happy to hear that he feels that there is growing cohesion in regional approaches and more emphasis on ocean topics that is creating a “blue thread” through important conferences in 2027 and 2028. I look forward to working together on plans for the UN Ocean Conference in 2028 spanning the intersections of governance, finance and science.
A pleasant surprise to have a quick visit from another dear friend and esteemed colleague, Dr. Kilaparti Ramakrishna, Senior Advisor to the President and Director on Ocean and Climate Policy at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).
My official events commenced with a high-level roundtable on Maritime Governance and Decarbonisation hosted by UN Global Compact. This
well attended event brought together thought leaders from UN agencies (UNGC, IMO, UNCDF, UNOPS, ISA), Ministers from Ghana, Jamaica and the UK and industry, underscoring the importance of public private partnerships, sustainability ambitions for blue economy, and the role of developing countries in designing what works for their communities. There were also important discussions on the crucial role of UNCLOS as threats increase to shipping and the safety of crews who are trying to keep global trade in energy and food security flowing. Beyond freedom of navigation, I had the opportunity to make an intervention on the aspects of UNCLOS that provide for equity and prosperity built on well-governed and regulated ocean resources in the ISA context; and that global challenges require global governance.
All agreed that trade and a sustainable ocean economy are forces for good and one of the best ways to alleviate poverty, but must be grounded in strong standards, regulations and coordination. Minister Samuda of Jamaica highlighted that any just transition must make ocean health a central focus. My sincere thanks to Ms. Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General and CEO of the United Nations Global Compact and Mr. Erik Giercksky, Head of the Ocean Stewardship Coalition, for bringing us together.
At the invitation of the Government of France, I was delighted to attend the Rising Nations Gala dinner which brought together Heads of State and government, leaders of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), low-lying coastal States, and champion countries whose collective efforts since 2022 have elevated sea level rise into one of the defining priorities of the international agenda. The evening paid tribute to champions whose solidarity with affected countries and communities proved instrumental in achieving this milestone.
It was also a moment to acknowledge the leadership of H.E. President Emmanuel Macron for France’s contribution to the Ocean agenda, including UNOC-3; as well as H.E. Prime Minister Feleti Teo of Tuvalu and H.E. Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul of Germany for leading global efforts on this agenda. For ISA, this event proved an opportunity to renew meaningful partnerships amongst both donor and beneficiary communities and continue building understanding of the ISA mandate.
At UN Headquarters, I delivered ISA’s intervention at the LLDC Ministerial meeting hosted by the Permanent Mission of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to the United Nations, entitled, Building Resilient and Connected LLDCs: Accelerating Implementation of the Awaza Programme of Action through Partnership. As I reiterated during the latest Session of the ISA Council in July, strengthening engagement with developing countries is a priority for me, particularly landlocked developing countries and other groups to which the Convention gives special consideration. They bring perspectives that ocean governance needs: on equity, development, the fair distribution of benefits and justice between generations. Their participation strengthens the legitimacy of our institutions and the quality of their decisions. Important discussions are under way within the Authority on the rules governing mineral exploitation activities and the mechanisms through which benefits will be shared.
Together with opportunities for scientific cooperation, capacity development and access to technology, this work has direct significance for
landlocked developing countries. The timing of this event in New York provided a great run up to where I am right now, in beautiful Santa Cruz de la Sierra, at a workshop organized by ISA in partnership with the Government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, in its capacity as Chair of the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries, and the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. This workshop on the Participation of Land-Locked Developing Countries in the Regime of the Area and the Benefit-Sharing Mechanism under UNCLOS aims to strengthen understanding of the opportunities UNCLOS offers on blue economy and finance for LLDCs.
I am delighted to say that we’ve brought together representatives from 18 landlocked developing countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America, together with members of the Finance Committee of the ISA and experts in international law, mineral governance, benefit-sharing, marine science and capacity development.
I take the opportunity to deeply thank Hon. Mr. Hector Francisco Huanca Gutierrez, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bolivia, for his time during UNGA and leadership in ensuring the voice of LLDCs in the work of the Authority.
Bilateral meetings are of course central to advancing ISA negotiations through honest exchange, hearing directly from Member States and taking the opportunity to share challenges and opportunities from the Secretariat perspective. I had the immense honour, particularly given the time demands on Member States’ representatives over this busy week, to meet a number of Ministers and State Secretaries to discuss the status of the ISA negotiations, their views on sticking points, leverage points, where we are on track and where we can improve.
State Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, of Norway provided a warm welcome, expressing sincerity in his thought that there has never been a more important time for ISA’s unique endeavor and for how the international community, through the Convention, will manage a resource so critically important to all.
He also stated that upholding multilateralism is at the core of Norway’s foreign policy, and that therefore supporting the success of the ISA towards finalizing the Mining Code and enshrining robust environmental standards is a high priority. I thanked Norway for its substantial voluntary support, long-standing contribution of expertise to the LTC and Finance Committee, impressive perfect attendance at both Council and Assembly these last five years, and for leading important intersessional work on the Inspection, Compliance and Enforcement mechanism and Environmental Management and Monitoring. I look forward to furthering close collaboration with Norway.
In New York, I also had the honor to accept the presentation of credentials from the new Permanent Representative of the Gabonese Republic, H.E. Ambassador Patricia Muriel Djella Ogandaga. I am confident that our mutual cooperation will provide an opportunity to identify “those areas where Gabon’s experience and interests can contribute most directly to the work of the Authority and I invited Gabon to participate in the African Academy for Deep Sea Diplomacy.
We were also given a very kind reception by Hon. Ms. Annelies Verlinden, Minister of Justice and for the North Sea, and her colleagues at the Belgian Embassy. I updated the Minister on the status of the ISA negotiations and on our work on marine scientific research, knowledge sharing and capacity building. The Minister emphasized that as a small country it is in Belgium’s DNA to protect multilateralism with conviction and enthusiasm. She also highlighted the importance of transparency, accountability and a rules-based approach and expressed Belgium’s interest in hosting the BBNJ Secretariat. I thanked Belgium for its important role in building bridges across divergent positions, its leadership in the See Her Exceed – SHE- mentoring programme and for taking on substantial intersessional responsibilities on both test mining and the review provisions under draft regulation 107.
I also recognised Belgium’s role as a sponsoring State that has sought to maintain the ISA/UNCLOS pathway while emphasizing environmental safeguards, due diligence and regulatory credibility. I am very grateful for the offer to support advancing the regulations and look forward to building our collaboration.
The meeting with Hon. Mr. Mauro Vieira, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil was a wonderful moment to be reminded of how my home country
– a global ocean governance powerhouse – inspired my passion for ocean affairs. We had a meaningful exchange on the outcomes of the ISA 31st session, the pathway for the Mining Code, the 2027–2028 budget, the wider multilateral governance of the Area and collaboration with BBNJ. I acknowledged Brazil’s long-standing leadership role in the Finance Committee since 2007, its 100% attendance in Council and Assembly over the last five years and its intersessional support, particularly on Underwater Cultural Heritage.
I congratulated Brazil on hosting the 2027 Ocean Decade Conference in Rio de Janeiro from 7–9 April 2027, jointly organized by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), Brazil’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, and the City of Rio de Janeiro, as well as its Presidency of ZOPACAS (South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone). We also discussed ISA’s engagement around deep-seabed science, biodiversity knowledge, data, capacity development and the Sustainable Seabed Knowledge Initiative (SSKI). I am very grateful to his Excellency for his time and on-going support to ISA.
The week ended with important bilaterals with Portugal and Malta, two ISA Member States that have demonstrated exceptional leadership in advancing complex discussions while imparting contagious goodwill.
With Mr. Salvador Malheiro, Secretary of State for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, and Ms. Maria Luís Mendes, Legal Advisor and ISA Representative, I expressed appreciation to Portugal for its consistent and constructive engagement in the work of the Authority, including its strong attendance record, contribution to the LTC, voluntary support to ISA funds and continued substantive engagement in the regulatory process, including its co-facilitation with Singapore of work on the rights and legitimate interests of coastal States. I encouraged Portugal to continue helping identify practical pathways on the outstanding issues while maintaining the environmental and institutional safeguards it prioritises.
Portugal reiterated its clear articulation during the 31st session that completion of the Mining Code must be accompanied by adequate environmental safeguards, independent scientific knowledge, equitable sharing of benefits and credible institutional capacity for monitoring, compliance and enforcement. Their team also communicated its close collaboration with Brazil on ensuring that the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) has the support to ensure meaningful participation in ISA processes; this aim is also near and dear to my heart and I will continue to actively engage in advancing these efforts.
The meeting with Malta, led by Mr. Christopher Cutajar, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs, was very timely given its role as a champion country for the decision of the ISA Assembly of 23 July 2025, by which it designated 1 November as the International Day of the Deep Seabed, to be observed annually. The inaugural observance on 1 November 2025 was centred on the principle of the common heritage of humankind, the foundational legal concept that defines the character of the Area, the seabed and ocean floor, beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. The thematic focus for this year’s observance is “1,000 Reasons to: Discover. Share. Use.”, anchored in the Sustainable Seabed Knowledge Initiative (SSKI). The campaign will highlight how taxonomic research, data-sharing, capacity development and scientific collaboration support effective stewardship and science-based decision-making in the Area. It will also build momentum towards the 60th anniversary of the historic address delivered by Maltese diplomat Arvid Pardo to the United Nations on 1 November 1967.
We had an engaging discussion on how Pardo’s vision set in motion the development of the common heritage of humankind principle and, ultimately, the legal architecture reflected in UNCLOS and the International Seabed Authority; and how it was an inspiration for how the global community should undertake its business. I thanked Malta for taking on a constructive role following the 31st session on Agenda Item 17, its willingness to facilitate the intersessional, Member State-led, consideration of the possible questions relating to a Seabed Disputes Chamber advisory opinion and for its interest in supporting the ISA Deep-sea Biobank Initiative, which reflects our shared vision to ensure effective cooperation and complementarity between ISA and the BBNJ Agreement.
In closing, I wish to send me deepest thanks to Ms. Elinor Hammarskjöld, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel, and her amazing team, for warmly welcoming us and allowing me to make a formal introduction of ISA’s Legal Counsel, Mr. Steven Dietrich, and offering to join hands with ISA to navigate the complex landscape of holistic ocean governance. I very much appreciate our on-going collaboration.
Special thanks also to the amazing security team for all of their hard work in ensuring the safety of delegations during this incredibly hectic week. They are beyond diligent and manage to be deeply kind in the process!
Finally, I invite you to listen to my interview with UN News in Portuguese.
Leticia Carvalho,
Madam Secretary-General, ISA.
