News

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) today announced that the second part of the 26^th session of ISA initially scheduled to be held in July 2020 will be postponed, due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The session will instead take place in a reduced format in Kingston, Jamaica from 7 to 16 October 2020, with meetings of some of the technical bodies convened remotely starting from July 2020.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) Secretariat is pleased to convey to members of the ISA Council that Mr. Vladislav Kurbatskyi, the Facilitator nominated by the Council, has decided to extend the deadline for submission of written comments and proposals on his first draft of a mechanism for the election of members of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC), submitted on 22 April 2020.

The draft can be downloaded here.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has launched a consultation with its members and particularly developing States, to identify their national capacity development priorities as they relate to the role and responsibilities given to ISA by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 1994 Agreement.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) Secretariat is pleased to present to members of the ISA Council, the first draft of a mechanism for the election of members of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) submitted on 22 April 2020, by Mr. Vladislav Kurbatskiy, Facilitator nominated by the Council.

The draft can be downloaded here

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India has extended the deadline for submissions for the stakeholder consultation on an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) developed to conduct technical trials concerning a nodule collector pre-prototype in the Central Indian Ocean Basin in 2021.

The deadline has been extended to 24 May 2020.

Applications are now open for training opportunities for candidates from developing States with the China Ocean Mineral Resources R & D Association (COMRA) as part of the International Seabed Authority (ISA)’s contractor training programme.

ISA is calling for candidates with Bachelor or Master’s Degrees in Science (geology, geophysics, biology or environment) or Engineering (marine, mining, mechanical or electrical) to participate in COMRA’s fellowship and engineering training programmes Qingdao and Changsha, China.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is pleased to announce the release of its most recent publication listed below issued between January and April 2020.

Kindly note that a few of the publications will only be available electronically on ISA’s website.

TBD 2020 - Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation

Postponement of workshop dates

The Government of India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), is conducting a stakeholder consultation on an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) developed to conduct technical trials concerning a nodule collector pre-prototype in the Central Indian Ocean Basin in 2021.

The aim of the trial is to test the capability of the pre-prototype within a limited area on the seabed, as part of its exploration contract for polymetallic nodules with the International Seabed Authority (ISA). 

In light of the evolving nature of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the staff of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) at the headquarters in Kingston as well as in the liaison office in New York is working remotely until further notice. Accordingly, access to the books of condolences for the former Secretary-General H.E. Satya N. Nandan is closed to the public.

The Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Mr Michael W. Lodge, informs that in light of the evolving nature of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, staff at the ISA headquarters in Kingston, as well as in the liaison office in New York, will be working remotely until further notice.

The Secretariat is keeping the situation under review and will continue to apply the guidance and advice that is received from the World Health Organization, the Secretariat of the United Nations in New York, and the relevant national authorities in Jamaica.

Statement by Mr Michael W Lodge, Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority | Jamaica, Kingston 5 March 2020

Gender equality is a prerequisite for economies and communities to thrive. Women’s equal participation promotes sustainable, inclusive development and strengthens capacity in all sectors, including deep-sea scientific research.

Nominations are now open for the Third Edition of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Secretary-General’s Award for Excellence in Deep Sea Research.

Launched at the ISA Assembly in July 2018, the Award recognizes and encourages the achievements of young researchers from developing countries who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of scientific knowledge of the deep-sea environment, or to the development of environmentally sustainable regulatory frameworks.

The Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Mr. Michael W. Lodge welcomed H.E. Felix Ramon Garcia Tavera, as the Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to ISA, on 24 February 2020.

Before joining the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Jamaica as Ambassador last year, H.E. Felix Garcia served in the Diplomatic Mission in Panama in 2018, and in Columbia from 2009 to 2017.

Statement by ISA Secretary-General Michael Lodge

It is with profound sadness that I learned of the passing of H.E Satya N. Nandan who served for an unprecedented three terms as Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA). Through his 12 years of leadership, he built the confidence of the international community in the institution, and the system established for the governance of the resources of the deep seabed.