New York, 17 June 2026 – His Excellency Mr. Milan Jaya Nyamrajsingh Meetarbhan presented his credentials to Madam Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority, Leticia Carvalho, as the new Permanent Representative of the Republic of Mauritius.
The ceremony was held on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA, with Madam Secretary-General warmly welcoming Ambassador Meetarbhan and valuing the opportunity to deepen the partnership with Mauritius, a State that, according to her, has a “serious commitment to responsible ocean governance grounded in science, equity and the rule of law.”
Ambassador Meetarbhan is a distinguished international lawyer and Doctor of International Law from the University of Sorbonne, France. He presided over the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority at its Eighteenth Session and has helped shape global ocean governance as co-chair of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea. He now returns to multilateral service as Mauritius’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations and to the ISA, bringing deep experience to the field.
During the ceremony, the ISA Secretary-General highlighted that Mauritius is a maritime State that “has long championed the rule of law in ocean affairs.” According to Leticia Carvalho, the country speaks with the ISA “as both an African nation and a Small Island Developing State, and it has been among the most activate participants in the Authority´s capacity development programmes.”
The new Permanent Representative stated that the presentation of credentials was marking his “return to the ISA”, an organization that he has been following for a long time, even before his graduation. Starting his second accreditation to ISA, he congratulated Madam Secretary-General on her leadership at “a pivotal moment for ocean governance.”
Ambassador Meetarbhan also praised Leticia Carvalho for her “science-based approach, transparency, and the constant work to achieve a balance between economic development, marine scientific research and environmental protection.”
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.
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