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The Secretariat of ISA wishes all its Members, observers and other stakeholders all the very best for the holiday season and the new year.
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The Council of ISA met three times under the 27th session in 2022. The main item on the agenda was the draft regulations on the exploitation of mineral resources in the Area. 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. It also approved the signing of a MoU between ISA and the African Union. The Assembly held its meetings under the 27th session in August 2022. Among other decisions, the Assembly approved the budget of ISA for 2023-2024 and adopted the capacity development strategy of ISA.
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Finalization of the regulatory regime for activities in the Area highlighted as critical to ensure protection of marine environment whilst respecting rights of States Parties under UNCLOS as part of ISA Secretary-General’s annual statement to UNGA
On 9 December, as part of his annual statement delivered to the UNGA, Secretary-General Lodge emphasized the efforts deployed by Members of ISA over the past five years to put in place a strong strategic framework to deliver more effectively the mandate assigned to it by UNCLOS. This includes the ISA Strategic Plan and High-Level Action Plan, the Action Plan in support of the UN Decade of Ocean Science and ISA Capacity Development Strategy. Mr. Lodge also underscored that completion of the regulatory regime for activities in the Area was a fundamental part of the evolutionary approach to be followed by ISA under UNCLOS and 1994 Agreement and a prerequisite to ensure the protection of the marine environment whilst respecting the rights of all States Parties to conduct activities in the Area.
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Five new permanent representatives to ISA presented credentials
During 2022, five permanent representatives to ISA presented their credentials to the Secretary-General of ISA, H.E. Mr. Michael Lodge.
H.E. Mr. Chen Daojiang, China
H.E. Mr. Fermin Gabriel Quiñones Sánchez, Cuba
H.E. Mr. Andreas Hadjichrysanthou, Cyprus
H.E. Mr. Jagdish Dharamchand Koonjul, G.O.S.K, Mauritius
H.E. Mr. Enrique A. Manalo, Philippines
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ROLE OF ISA IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT
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The ISA Secretariat hosted five high-level events and participated in the plenary and in Interactive Dialogues 5, 6, 7 and 8 as well as in four side events organized by Member States and partner organizations at the 2022 UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal. It was the opportunity to stress how the implementation of international law, as reflected in UNCLOS, can contributes to improved conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, particularly in areas beyond national jurisdictions. Highlights included the launch of ISA's Sustainable Seabed Knowledge Initiative (SSKI) and the release, together with UN-OHRLLS, of a pioneering study into the status of women scientists in deep-sea research disciplines in LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS. The importance of supporting LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS’s effective participation in all aspects of the work of ISA, including through tailored capacity development activities, was also underscored.
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ISA Secretary-General discussed opportunities offered to landlocked developing States under UNCLOS to access maritime benefits during Harare Blue Talks
On 6 June 2022, the Secretary-General of ISA, H.E. Mr. Michael W. Lodge, was invited to join the Harare Blue Talks and deliver a key note presentation on the provisions of UNCLOS through which the particular interests of land-locked developing States are recognized and can be actioned to enable them to access existing and emerging opportunities in support of their socio-economic development objectives as identified in the Vienna Programme of Action.
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Complementary of the legal regime for activities in the Area and provisions of future legal treaty under UNCLOS underlined during 4th Intergovernmental Conference on BBNJ
Attending the Fourth Session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) in March 2022, Secretary-General Lodge reiterated ISA's commitment to support the discussions of IGC and importance of ensuring consistency of any future BBNJ instrument with UNCLOS, the 1994 Agreement and legal regime for activities in the Area implemented by ISA.
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 From 12 to 16 December 2022, the Secretariat of ISA participated in the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP-15, Part 2) held in Montreal, Canada. This was the opportunity to engage at different levels in the discussions pertaining to the adoption of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and ensure complementarity with other international processes.
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In February 2022, the Secretary-General of ISA was invited to deliver a statement during the opening of the One Ocean Summit organized by France. At the first workshop on "Strengthening the tools of governance of the ocean", the Secretary-General recalled that UNCLOS remains the foundation for all human activity relating to the ocean and its resources and is the best guarantee for peace and good order in the ocean. He stressed that what is important now is to reinforce our collective action to ensure that this framework is respected and reinforced and that the institutions created for its implementation are respected, strengthened, and not undermined.
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 ISA and DOALOS hosted two workshops at the headquarters of ISA in Kingston, Jamaica, between 5 and 14 September 2022. The first workshop focused on strengthening the capacity of participants in relation to ocean governance, science-policy interface and the blue economy in the Wider Caribbean Region. The second workshop was designed to gather expertise and suggestions to inform the scoping part of the next World Ocean Assessment of the United Nations Regular Process for the North Pacific and the Wider Caribbean Region.
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ISA continued to formalize and further expand its partnerships and collaborations with strategic partners.
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In March 2022, ISA signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) with a view to expand joint work in marine scientific research and deep-seabed exploration in support of the blue economy of the Indian Ocean region.
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In November 2022, ISA signed a letter of agreement with the Ministry of Ocean and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea to strengthen collaboration in support of deep-sea research, data management, sustainable development of seabed minerals and capacity development.
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In August 2022, the Assembly of ISA approved a memorandum of understanding with the African Union which sets the path for strengthened cooperation between the two organizations in areas of mutual interest. It is expected that the memorandum will be signed in 2023.
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New Partnerships Fund established to support ISA’s programmatic activities to advance marine scientific research and build capacities of developing States
At its meetings in August 2022, the Assembly of ISA approved the terms of reference for the establishment of a new Partnership Fund to promote marine scientific research. The Fund will provide a transparent mechanism through which donors can support the implementation of strategic programmatic priorities, specifically the ISA Action Plan in support of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the ISA Capacity Development Strategy.
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UNCLOS was opened for signature on 10 December 1982 in Montego Bay, Jamaica, after more than 14 years of negotiations involving more than 150 countries from all regions of the world and representing all legal and political systems as well as reflecting the whole spectrum of socio-economic development. On 16 November 1994, UNCLOS entered into force, establishing ISA as the trustee of the Area and its resources which are designated as the common heritage of humankind.
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At present, UNCLOS has almost achieved universality. It has been ratified by 168 parties, which includes 167 States (164 United Nations member States plus the UN Observer State Palestine, as well as the Cook Islands and Niue) and the European Union. All parties to UNCLOS are automatically Members of ISA. An additional 14 UN Member States have signed it, but not ratified it.
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 On 8 December 2022, the Secretary-General was invited to address the plenary meetings of the 77th session of the UNGA in relation to the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the adoption and opening for signature of UNCLOS. Secretary-General Lodge joined all speakers in commending the success of UNCLOS as a fundamental instrument for promoting legal order and peace in the oceans, noting that through the years it has been in force, it has demonstrated that it is resilient, flexibility and adaptability to changing economic, environmental and political realities.
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The first-ever Women in the Law of the Sea Conference took place from 26 to 289 September in New York. The Conference featured thought-provoking presentations and discussions on the empowerment of women in the law of the sea, marine sciences and ocean affairs. Leaders and experts in ocean governance and the law of the sea shared their views and perspectives on key achievements of UNCLOS 40 years after its adoption. They suggested ways to advance our understanding of the barriers that women are still experiencing when choosing careers in the law of the sea, marine sciences, deep-sea research and ocean affairs.
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UNCLOS at 40: achievements and challenges - Voices of ISA Members
As ISA and the international community celebrate 40 years since the adoption of UNCLOS, let’s hear from our Members on what UNCLOS is, its main achievements and possible challenges it may face in the future.
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During a virtual event held on World Oceans Day on 8 June 2022, ISA and partners highlighted the contributions of exploration contractors and information they collect in the Area in support of the implementation of UNCLOS and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The event was attended by over a hundred participants and featured presentations by the Government of Mauritius, Global Sea Mineral Resources (GSR), the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources of Germany (BGR), JPI Oceans’ MiningImpact2 project, Fugro and the HafenCity Universität of Hamburg and many others. On this occasion, ISA and IHO launched AREA2030, a new joint initiative that aims to facilitate the contribution by exploration contractors of high-resolution bathymetric data of the Area.
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In March 2022, the Council of ISA, acting on the recommendation of the LTC, approved the application for extension submitted by the Government of India for its exploration contract for polymetallic nodules in the Indian Ocean. The contract will be extended for a period of five years.
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 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. The extension had been approved by the Council of ISA in December 2021.
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 The in-person meetings took place between 5 and 7 December 2022 in Delft, Netherlands and involved 42 representatives of ISA exploration contractors. Participants discussed issues of common interest and key areas of work related to the respective obligations of contractors and the ISA Secretariat.
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 On 14 November 2022, ISA 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. The event, titled “Technological and scientific knowledge in support of prospecting marine mineral resources in the deep waters, including of the African countries”, raised awareness of the potential of deep-seabed exploration in the Area to support the blue economy of Africa and the energy transition.
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Women empowerment and leadership
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 In June 2022, the International Gender Champions (IGC) network launched a new Impact Group on Research and Oceans for Women (IGROW) to provide a platform to facilitate synergies and collective actions to increase participation of women in ocean affairs. IGROW is co-chaired by the Secretary-General of ISA and H.E. Mr. Viliami Va'inga Tōnē, Permanent Representative of Tonga to ISA and to the UN. The launch of IGROW received overwhelming high-level support, most notably from IGC Alumna, the Honorable Ms. Fekita ‘Utoikamanu, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Tourism of the Kingdom of Tonga and Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares, USG, UN Legal Counsel.
The launch event was further joined by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the UN General Assembly; H.E. Ms. Mona Juul, Permanent Representative of Norway to the UN; Judge Maria Teresa Infante Caffi of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea; H.E. Ms. Vanessa Frazier, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Malta to ISA and the UN; H.E. Ms. Rabab Fatima, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to ISA and the UN; H.E. Ms. Mathu Joyini, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the UN; H.E. Ms. Margo Deiye, Permanent Representative of Nauru to ISA and the UN; H.E. Dr. Mathias Jonas, Secretary-General of the International Hydrographic Organization and Ms. Beate Andrees, Special Representative of the International Labour Organization to the UN.
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 At the UN Ocean Conference in June 2022, ISA launched the "Empowering women from LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS in deep-sea research" report. It 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 provides an overview of critical barriers faced by women scientists from LDCS, LLDCs and SIDS in participating in and accessing leadership positions in this field of work. . The report is the first output of the Women in Deep-Sea Research (WIDSR) project initiated by ISA and UN-OHRLLS in 2021.
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As part of the WIDSR project, a number of ISA exploration contractors have pledged to support women’s empowerment and leadership in deep-sea research, including BGR, DORD, GSR, Ifremer, Marawa, CPRM, TOML and NORI. In some cases, contractors have committed to allocate half of the opportunities available under the ISA Contractors’ Training Programme to women.
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 Dr. McQuaid is a marine scientist working at the interface between environmental management and marine conservation. She was recommended for the Award by the advisory committee appointed by the ISA Secretary-General. Her work was awarded for designing networks of marine protected areas around South Africa and using habitat classification to assess the representativity of the network of areas of particular environmental interest in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
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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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Marine Scientific Research
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SSKI is ISA’s new flagship initiative to support the implementation of the ISA Action Plan for Marine Scientific Research in support of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and its six strategic research priorities, adopted by all 168 Members in 2020. The initiative was launched in June 2022 at the UN Ocean Conference and aims to transform our understanding of the planet's largest ecosystem, the deep sea.
SSKI held its inception workshop at the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK), 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.
On 15 December 2022, ISA held a side event at CBD COP15 on innovating global scientific collaboration to advance our understanding of deep-sea biodiversity.
SSKI Brochure | Partners
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 In March 2022, ISA and the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) formalized their partnership to advance deep-sea taxonomic standardization in the Area. The collaboration between ISA and WoRMS will reinforce the quality of deep-sea taxonomic information and data in the ISA DeepData database through periodic scientific reviews between DeepData and WoRMS’ thematic sub-register, the World Register of Deep-Sea Species (WoRDSS).
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 On 21 June 2022, ISA hosted the second workshop of its MSR Information Series on Data Management. The webinar presented ISA’s data management strategy, ISA’s DeepData database, data analytics and their use for marine scientific research in the Area. It also identified ISA’s African Members’ priorities, challenges and future areas of collaboration for facilitating access to and sharing of data on the marine environment in the Area, as well as for advancing the development of DeepData.
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 On 6 September 2022, the Secretary-General delivered a keynote address for the opening of the “Challenger 150” Conference organized by the UK Natural History Museum together with Imperial College and the Challenger Society for Marine Science. In his statement, Secretary-General Lodge underscored ISA’s strong commitment to international marine scientific research in support of the conservation and sustainable management of the Area and its resources. ISA participated as headline sponsor of the three-day international conference held in London, which gathered more than five hundred experts and featured more than 250 presentations.
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On 27 June 2022, the Secretary-General of the ISA, H.E. Mr. Michael W. Lodge, announced that ISA was joining the call to action for investment in ocean science launched by the Ocean Decade Alliance. Mr. Lodge noted that the rapid development of technology and know-how used for marine scientific research in the last few years, particularly in the field of deep-sea research, has been a source of increasing global knowledge.
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Contractors' Training Programme
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In 2022, 57 trainees from 25 developing States Members of ISA benefitted from training opportunities provided by 11 contractors.
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The ISA Secretariat held two end-of-training certificate presentation ceremonies for beneficiaries of the Contractors’ Training Programme.
In the first ceremony held in March 2022, 29 trainees from 20 developing States who benefitted from placements provided by six contractors between April 2021- March 2022 received their certificates.
During the second ceremony held in July 2022, 23 trainees from 15 developing States who benefitted from placements provided by five contractors in 2022 received their certificates.
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 The first training convened under the ISA-China Joint Training and Research Centre (JTRC) on mineral resources, environmental management and data management was held in virtual format from 24 to 26 May 2022. The workshop was joined by 55 participants from 20 countries, including 45 per cent of nationals from LDCs, LLDCs or SIDS and 45 per cent of women.
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Africa's Deep Seabed Resources (ADSR) project
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ISA hosted the fourth regional workshop in the framework of the ADSR project in Nigeria.
The fourth workshop took place from 5 to 7 October 2022 in Abuja, Nigeria. The workshop was organized by ISA in collaboration with the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and with the support of the African Union and NORAD. It gathered over 250 registered participants, including senior representatives from Nigeria and seven other African countries (Comoros, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Sao Tome and Principe, Sudan and Uganda).
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As part of the National Experts Deployment Programme of the ADSR project, the remaining five experts were successfully deployed to the ISA Secretariat for a period of two months between June and August 2022. Since 2020, a total of 10 experts have been deployed under the project. Find out more about their work during their deployment in the interviews below.
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The Secretariat of ISA, the Republic of France and Ifremer established a postdoctoral fellowship in deep-sea taxonomy. In May 2022, they announced the selection of Dr. Ranju Radhakrishnan from India. Dr. Ranju is a marine biologist and a recipient of the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) fellowship of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Government of India at the Cochin University of Science and Technology in Kerala, India.
Dr. Ranju joined Ifremer’s “Blue Revolution” project in September and will be working on the development and testing of 3D-imaging techniques for the identification of meiofauna organisms of deep-sea ecosystems found in areas currently being explored for mineral resources. She will also contribute to identify key-species that can be used as indicators for assessing potential environmental changes in the future, which will inform the work of ISA.
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National focal points for capacity development
ISA Secretariat successfully holds first 2022 meeting of national focal points The first meeting of 2022 of the national focal points in charge of liaising with the Secretariat of ISA on matters relating to capacity development (NAFOP-CD) took place on 18 May 2022. The meeting was held virtually and involved over thirty national focal points identified by Members of ISA to assist the Secretariat with the implementation of ISA’s programmatic approach to capacity development endorsed by the Assembly in December 2020.
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Deep-Diploma Sea Webinar series
 The Deep-Diploma Sea webinar series began in 2021 to raise awareness of ISA's role, mandate and work among personnel of permanent missions to ISA and the UN. To date, over 300 representatives have benefitted from the webinar series.
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ISA-NOC Interns
During 2022, two interns were selected under the ISA-National Oceanographic Center Internship programme:
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Tanga Morris from Cook Islands
Tanga explored imagery in ISA DeepData database. She created an inventory and catalogued images, including appropriate labels for biodiversity assessments and communication materials. Lastly, Tanga established effective interoperable links between DeepData and relevant external systems to build image libraries and DNA sequencing for deep-sea species in the Area.
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Ruiyan Zhang from China
Ruiyan worked on exploring biological data from the ISA DeepData database and other public sources, in order to evaluate the taxonomic information available in the Area for the design of SSKI activities and the development of REMP.
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In 2022, ISA issued 8 publications, 2 brochures and 2 policy briefs:
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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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ISA has partnered with Wakatoon to create this fun activity for children between the ages of 4 and 12 to learn about the deep sea, its incredible creatures, its environment and the work of ISA to explore and protect it. Stay tuned in 2023 to find out more.
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28th session of ISA
ISA Council
- 16 - 31 March 2023: First part of the 28th session of ISA Council
- 10 - 21 July 2023: Second part of the 28th session of ISA Council
- 30 October - 8 November 2023 (tentative): Third part of the 28th session of ISA Council
ISA Assembly
- 24 - 28 July 2023: 28th session of ISA Assembly
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