ISA discusses deep-sea mining

Meeting for ten days in Jamaica from 10 July 2023, the council will discuss mineral mining along with other topics arising from working group discussions, the reports of the Legal and Technical and Finance Committees and the operation of the Enterprise and Economic Planning Commission.

Opening Part II of the 28th session, secretary-general Michael W. Lodge commended the efforts of working groups in helping redraft regulations since the last meeting of the council in March.

“The agenda guarantees to be a working session for the council with substantive discussions and advances on the negotiations of the draft regulations, carrying out the mandate of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 1994 Agreement with a view to establishing a robust legal framework for the activities in the area, while ensuring the effective protection of the marine environment,” he said.

The working group established in July 2018 to explore the payment mechanism for deep-sea mining has held its eight meeting whilst other working groups convened to discuss marine environment protection, inspection and enforcement, and institutional matters will hold their fifth meetings shortly. Other regulations will be discussed in an informal setting.