ISA Registers Seven Voluntary Commitments to Support the Implementation of SDG14 at the 2017 Ocean Conference

New York (5 June 2017)  - - ISA has registered seven voluntary commitments for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources” as part of the United Nations Ocean Conference that opened today.

This international conference co-organized by Fiji and Sweden aims  to identify ways and means to support the implementation of SDG14, building on existing successful partnerships and stimulating innovative and concrete new partnerships. 

In light of this, the ISA announced its firm commitment to:

• Enhance the role of women in marine scientific research through targeted capacity-building (#OceanAction15467); 
• Encourage dissemination of research results through the ISA Secretary-General Award for Deep-Sea Research Excellence (#OceanAction15796);
• Improve the assessment of essential ecological functions of the deep sea oceans through long-term underwater oceanographic observatories in the Area  (#OceanAction17746); and
• Enhancing deep sea marine biodiversity assessment through the creation of online taxonomic atlases linked to deep sea mining activities in the Area (#OceanAction17776).

In partnership with UN-DESA:

• Abyssal initiative for Blue Growth”) Advance SDG 14 and the quest for a Blue Economy through the promotion of socio-economic benefits for developing countries, including SIDS, and increasing scientific knowledge and research capacity: perspectives on deep seabed mining (#OceanAction16538).

In cooperation with the African Mineral Development Center (AMDC):

• Foster cooperation to promote the sustainable development of Africa’s deep seabed resources in support to Africa’s Blue Economy (#OceanAction16374); and
• Map the Blue Economy of Africa to support decision-making, investment and governance of activities undertaken on the continental shelf and in adjacent international seabed areas. (#OceanAction16494)

The ISA will also co-organize a side event with Mexico, Tonga and UN-DESA with the support of the Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd (TOML) and Nautilus on Thursday 8 June 2017 in Conference Room 12 of the UN Conference Centre from 6.30 – 7:45 pm.

The Side Event aims to raise awareness of the potential benefits Small Island Developing States (SIDS) can get from deep seabed mining in their quest for blue growth.

- END -

Media Contacts
Anna Elaise | Marie Bourrel-McKinnon | Asenaca Navoti
news@isa.org.jm  | +1 212 963 6470 | +1 876 922 9105