JAMAICA, Kingston (21 July 2016) - - Mr. Michael W. Lodge of the United Kingdom was today elected, by consensus, Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority at its 22nd Session in Kingston. He has since 2011 been deputy to the Secretary-General of the Authority and its Legal Counsel since 2007. 

He succeeds Mr. Nii Allotey Odunton of Ghana, who has been Secretary-General since 2009. The President of the Assembly, Rear Admiral Md Khurshed Alam (Rtd) (Bangladesh), presided over the elections in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Authority.

JAMAICA, Kingston (19 July 2016) - - Commercialization of marine minerals in areas beyond national jurisdictions were well within reach and could be attained in the foreseeable future, the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority, Nii Allotey Odunton (Ghana), said at the twenty-second session of the Authority in Kingston this morning.

JAMAICA, Kingston (18 July 2016) - - The Council of the International Seabed Authority in a series of actions, this afternoon agreed to propose two candidates to the Assembly for election as a Secretary-General of the Authority; approved the extension of five year exploration contracts for six entities and concluded discussion on the elaboration of a draft marine minerals exploitation code.

JAMAICA, Kingston (16 July 2016) - - The International Seabed Authority and the Cook Islands Investment Corporation (CIIC) have signed a 15-year contract for exploration for polymetallic nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone.

The Contract was signed in Kingston on Friday 15 July 2016, in Kingston, by the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority, Nii Allotey Odunton, and Michael Henry, the Director of CIIC.

The application for the exploration contract was approved by the Council of the International Seabed Authority on 21 July 2014. 

JAMAICA, Kingston (14 July 2016) – The ISA Legal and Technical Commission today issued the initial working draft Regulations and Standard Contract Terms on Exploitation for Mineral Resources in the Area as part of its remit from the Council to develop the Mining Code for activities in the Area.

JAMAICA, Kingston (14 July 2016) - - The International Seabed Authority and the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) today signed an Agreement of Cooperation in Kingston.

The purpose of the agreement is to specify the scope of cooperation between the IHO and the Authority where both organizations will consult each other on matters of common interest with a view to ensuring maximum coordination of their work and activities and promoting or enhancing a better understanding in the collection and exchange of standardized data and information.

JAMAICA, Kingston (13 July 2016) - - The Council of the International Seabed Authority meeting in Kingston this afternoon disposed of four agenda items and elected vice-presidents to serve the executive body in 2016, took note of a report on the periodic review of the implementation of plans of work for exploration for polymetallic nodules in the Area and a report on the status of national legislation for deep seabed mining and related matters. 

JAMAICA Kingston (12 July 2016) - - The International Seabed Authority began its twenty-second annual session in Kingston, Jamaica, today with a crowded agenda, including elections to its executive Council, two subsidiary organs and of a Secretary-General to steer its activities for the next four years.

The Authority’s supreme organ, the Assembly, and the Council adopted their agendas and elected their officers for the session.

JAMAICA, Kingston (4 July 2016) - - Extensions of the first set of exploration contracts, new applications for approval of plans of work for exploration and the development of draft regulations for exploitation of polymetallic nodules in the deep seabed beyond the limits of national jurisdiction (the Area) are among priority issues to be debated as the twenty-second annual session of the International Seabed Authority convenes in Kingston, Jamaica, from 11 to 22 July 2016.