Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the adoption of UNCLOS
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ISA emphasizes the importance of strengthening multilateralism in ocean affairs for the sustainable management of global public goods at the ASEAN Conference on the 40th Anniversary of UNCLOS
On Tuesday, 29 November 2022, Secretary-General Lodge was invited to address the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Conference organized in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Mr. Lodge underscored the fundamental role that UNCLOS has played over the last 40 years in promoting legal order and peace in the oceans as well as the importance of the legal regime for the deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction – the Area – in the overall framework set out by UNCLOS and the 1994 Agreement as a “concrete example of how the international community can come together to ensure sound and careful management of global public goods for the benefit of humanity as a whole”.
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UNCLOS at 40: achievements and challenges
As ISA and the international community celebrate 40 years since the adoption of UNCLOS, let’s hear from our Members on the main achievements of this unique treaty.
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Conversation with H.E. Ms. Margo Deiye, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Nauru to the United Nations and ISA
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ISA Secretary-General delivers a keynote address at the Symposium on Global Maritime Cooperation & Ocean Governance 2022
On 3 November 2022, Secretary-General Lodge was invited by the China-Southeast Asia Research Centre on the South China Sea to deliver a keynote address at the Symposium on Global Maritime Cooperation & Ocean Governance 2022. Mr. Lodge highlighted the importance of effective multilateralism and international cooperation as it relates to ocean governance and specifically the governance of the deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction under UNCLOS and the 1994 Agreement.
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Legal framework for activities in the area
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ISA Council closes Part III of its meetings and concludes its 27th session
The Council of ISA closed the meetings of Part III of its 27th session on Friday, 11 November 2022, ending the 27th session of ISA. The Council met in person for ten days. A total of 30 of the 36 Members of the Council were in attendance, along with 16 other Members and 12 observers. The main item on the agenda was the draft regulations on the exploitation of mineral resources in the Area prepared by the Legal and Technical Commission and submitted to the Council in March 2019. The Council also discussed other processes and documents necessary to support the sustainable development of mineral resources in the Area and agreed on a plan of work for 2023.
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The Interoceanmetal Joint Organization signs a second extension agreement with the International Seabed Authority
On 4 November 2022, ISA and the Interoceanmetal Joint Organization (IOM) signed a 5-year extension agreement for the contract for exploration for polymetallic nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean. This is the second 5-year extension that has been granted to IOM.
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ISA-NIOF side event at UNFCCC’s COP 27 highlights technological and scientific knowledge for the prospection of marine minerals in the deep waters of the world and of Africa
On 14 November 2022, ISA and and the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF) of Egypt hosted a side event at the 27th conference of the parties (COP 27) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt to raise awareness of the potential of deep-seabed exploration in the Area to support the blue economy of Africa and the energy transition. The side event titled “Technological and scientific knowledge in support of prospecting marine mineral resources in the deep waters, including of the African countries” was facilitated by Dr. Suzan El-Gharabawy, Head of the Marine Geophysics Department at NIOF and Vice Chair of IOC-AFRICA. It featured presentations from international experts about a variety of initiatives in the realm of deep-sea mineral exploration and highlighted opportunities for the African continent.
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Marine scientific research
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ISA successfully concludes workshop on enhancing genetic approaches to advance deep-sea taxonomy for biodiversity assessment in the Area
On Friday, 25 November 2022, ISA successfully concluded a three-day workshop organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea (MOF) and the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK) in Seocheon, Korea. It gathered experts from the scientific community, ISA exploration contractors, government and regional organizations from 20 countries attending either in person or remotely. This workshop is the third in a series of workshops convened by ISA in collaboration with the MOF and MABIK since 2020 to advance deep-sea taxonomic knowledge and inform ISA’s efforts to protect the marine environment in the Area.
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ISA convenes the inception workshop of the Sustainable Seabed Knowledge Initiative
ISA convened the inception workshop of the Sustainable Seabed Knowledge Initiative (SSKI) at MABIK in Seocheon, Republic of Korea, from 29 November to 01 December 2022, in collaboration with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea and with financial support from the European Commission. During the three-day workshop, participants discussed SSKI implementation and monitoring plan, stakeholder engagement, mobilization of partners and resources to maximize SSKI’s contribution to the science-policy interface for sustainable ocean governance.
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WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AND LEADERSHIP
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ISA Conversations is ISA's new podcast series to celebrate the contributions of women to the progressive development of the law of the sea as reflected in UNCLOS and related instruments.
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Listen to the exchange with Dr. Kirsty McQuaid, third recipient of the ISA Secretary-General Award for Excellence in Deep-Sea Research (2021), sharing insights on her professional and personal journey she went through and that led her to be a key expert in the recent design of a networks of marine protected areas around South Africa and later to be internationally recognized for the remarkable work undertaken and that contributed to the establishment of several additional areas of environmental interest to expand global network of protected areas in the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean.
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You can access ISA Conversations on your favourite podcasting platform
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ISA and the Ministry of Ocean and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea strengthen their partnership in support of deep-sea research, data management, sustainable development of seabed minerals and capacity development
On 24 November 2022, the Secretary-General of ISA, H.E. Mr. Michael W. Lodge, and the Honorable Minister of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea, H.E. Mr. Seung-hwan Cho, formalized a renewed partnership between the ISA Secretariat and the Ministry of Ocean and Fisheries to further strengthen collaboration in deep-sea exploration, scientific research and the sustainable development of seabed mineral resources in the the Area.
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Capacity development & training
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ISA's Deep Dive platform is coming soon!
Watch out for ISA's new e-learning platform Deep Dive, which will be coming online very soon! Deep Dive is the first and only e-learning experience exclusively devised by an intergovernmental institution to address all elements of the legal regime set out in Part XI of UNCLOS, the 1994 Agreement, and the rules, regulations and procedures adopted by ISA, covering technical and scientific aspects. The facilitated e-learning allows maximum flexibility with individual learning activities that participants can complete at their own pace, regardless of location. The Deep Dive e-learning programme is indispensable for those with established careers or aspirations in the emerging field of deep-sea related research disciplines and those working in the context of the sustainable development of the ocean and its resources.
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Apply for training opportunities provided by GSR by 31 January 2023
Applications are now open for five (5) training opportunities for candidates from developing States, Members of ISA. The placements are provided by Global Sea Mineral Resources NV (GSR) in accordance with its obligations under its contracts for exploration for polymetallic nodules (PMN) with ISA.
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Five African experts completed their deployment programme in the ISA Secretariat under the ADSR project
Five African experts completed their two-month deployment in the ISA Secretariat as part of the National Experts Deployment Programme of the Africa Deep Seabed Resources (ADSR) project in August 2022. This month, we feature interviews with two of them: Ms. Linda Ansu-Kyeremeh from Ghana and Mr. Johan Astony Mataro from Tanzania.
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ADSR expert Linda Ansu Kyeremeh talks about her experience working in the Compliance Assurance Regulatory and Monitoring Unit at ISA on the development of an inspection tool that can be used in supervising deep-seabed mining activities in the Area.
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ADSR expert John Mataro talks about his experience working in the Office of Environmental Management and Mineral Resources at ISA to characterize water masses along the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, the mid-Atlantic ridge and in the Indian ocean to propose mining technologies that reduce the impact of plume formation and protect the marine environment.
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Meet also ADSR experts Ms. Lucy Njue from Kenya and Mr. Feuwo Nicodeme Noel from Cameroon who also completed their deployment with ISA in August. We will feature interviews with them next month.
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Did you know that ISA's duty to develop and implement mechanisms to build capacity for developing States, in accordance with its mandate under the UNCLOS and the 1994 Agreement, is recognized in the strategic plan of ISA for the period 2019–2023? Find out more on ISA's role in capacity development by reading the capacity development strategy!
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Do you know which decisions were adopted by the Council and the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority during its 26th Session? Check out the 26th Session selected decisions which is available in all 6 UN languages:
Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish
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What approaches can be used to promote coherent, collaborative and scientifically robust ways and means for enhancing taxonomic knowledge of biodiversity in the Area?
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How can women stabilize and grow economies in Africa? Find out in the WIDSR report which summarizes the key findings of a gender mapping exercise of the deep-sea research field and related disciplines and activities in LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS. It identifies the critical barriers faced by women scientists from LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS in participating in and accessing leadership positions in this field of work.
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Brochure
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Brochure
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Annual Report 2021
How will the ISA-China JTRC develop the capacity to advance and share human knowledge of the deep ocean and its environment? Find out in the JTRC Annual Report 2021, now available in English and Chinese.
ENGLISH | CHINESE
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Job and consultancy opportunities
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Job opportunities
Junior Professional Officer (JPO) positions (P2)
Deadline: 31 December 2023
Consultancy opportunities
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