News

On 17 December 2020, the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) formally endorsed the shift towards a programmatic approach to capacity development and requested the Secretary-General to prepare and implement a dedicated strategy to meet the needs identified by ISA members, in particular geographically disadvantaged States, landlocked developing countries, small island developing States and least developed countries.

The Assembly of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has approved today the Action Plan for Marine Scientific Research (MSR) in the Area that will formalize ISA’s contribution to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, set to begin January 2021.

The objectives of the UN Decade are at the core of ISA’s mandate to promote and encourage the conduct of marine scientific research in the international seabed area (the Area), disseminate the results, and facilitate participation of developing States in deep-sea exploration and research programmes.

Yesterday the International Seabed Authority (ISA) opened its workshop on Marine Scientific Research in the Area, which will identify ways to establish a collaborative platform to improve the state of knowledge of biodiversity in mid-ocean ridge ecosystems, in particular in the Indian Ocean.

The virtual workshop, organized in collaboration with the China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association (COMRA), and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), will last three days.

The Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has approved Blue Minerals Jamaica Limited’s plan of work for exploration of polymetallic nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), making Jamaica, the host country of ISA, the second Caribbean country and the sixth small island developing State to sponsor a contractor for exploration in the Area.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is inviting comments from stakeholders on the draft Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy prepared by the Secretariat.

On 3 December 2020, members of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) reelected Mr. Michael W. Lodge as Secretary-General for a second term commencing in January 2021. Following his reelection, Secretary-General Lodge will serve another 4-year term for the period 2021-2024.

The 26^th Session of the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) formally decided to name its deep-sea exploration museum in honour of its former Secretary-General, Mr Nii Allotey Odunton, recognizing his contribution to the advancement of the mandate of the Organization.  

Mr Nii Allotey Odunton, from Ghana, served as ISA Secretary-General from 2009 to 2016.

Located at the headquarters of the Authority, the “Nii Allotey Odunton Museum” was formally launched in July 2019, on the margins of the 25^th Anniversary of ISA.

Today the International Seabed Authority (ISA) opened its international workshop on the development of a Regional Environmental Management Plan (REMP) for the Area of the Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge with a focus on polymetallic sulphides (PMS) deposits.

Today the International Seabed Authority (ISA) held a high-level webinar to present the draft Action Plan developed in support of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

The main purpose of this high-level event was to present the key components of the draft Action Plan by highlighting how it represents the objectives identified for the UN Decade and the six strategic research priorities around which ISA will mobilize its actions in a complementary and synergistic manner.

Today, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and China officially launched the Joint Training and Research Centre (JTRC) established under the memorandum of understanding that was approved by the ISA Assembly during its 25^th session, to offer training to aspiring professionals from developing countries in deep-sea related science.

The Secretariat of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) will organize a High-Level webinar to present the draft ISA Marine Scientific Research (MSR) Action Plan in support of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (ISBA/26/A/4) which will formally begin in 2021.

Today the International Seabed Authority (ISA) issued a video statement by the Secretary-General, Mr Michael W. Lodge, providing a progress report on the work of ISA over the last months. 

Noting that although the COVID-19 pandemic has forced ISA to adjust to new working conditions and constraints, the ISA Secretary-General stressed the remarkable progress made by the Organization in the execution of its work. In so doing, the Secretary-General commended the staff of the Secretariat for their resilience and ongoing dedication and commitment.

Ambassador Denys Wibaux, Permanent Representative of the Republic of France to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has been elected as President of the 26th Session of the Assembly of ISA.

The election by Assembly members formally took effect on 29 October 2020, through a silence procedure similar to the process adopted by the 30th Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The workshop on the ‘Development of a Regional Environmental Management Plan for the Area of the Northwest Pacific,’ organized by the International Seabed Authority (ISA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea (MOF) and the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), opened today via a virtual platform.

The Secretariat of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) will organize a follow-up webinar to present
the findings of the comparative analysis of the financial aspects of seabed mining and land-based mining,
as well as the developments on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) financial model, as
requested by the Council during its last meetings in February 2020.