KEY POINTS TO BE DECIDED AS INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY COUNCIL MEETING ENDS

Key points to be decided as International Seabed Authority (ISA) council meeting ends.

Key decisions:

1. Mining Code

The meeting started with a President’s Briefing Paper calling for a Mining Code to be adopted at the current 30th session. The meeting will decide:

●    Whether the Mining Code is adopted this year; and if not,

●    What the workplan/ timeline is for the continuation of negotiations on a Mining code.

Over the course of the meeting, many states have expressed opposition to the adoption of a Mining Code, and discussions over the past two weeks have laid bare the sheer scale and complexity of unresolved regulatory issues. From liability and enforcement to scientific uncertainty and institutional gaps, governments are grappling with just how unready the ISA and the world are to allow such a risky and harmful activity to start.

2. A response by the Council to the actions by corporate actors seeking to mine outside of the multilateral ISA system

The move by The Metals Company (TMC) to seek to mine international waters unilaterally through a permit from the U.S has been widely condemned by member states during the Council meeting in March and elsewhere. The Council will decide whether to issue a warning regarding contractors’ legal obligations to abide by the rules established by the ISA as stipulated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

This would be a significant and necessary step for the body responsible for managing and safeguarding the international deep seabed, acting as a deterrent to other industry actors who may be considering this rogue route.

The DSCC will issue a reaction once the meeting has concluded. Spokespeople are available on the ground at the ISA. The annual Assembly meeting begins on Monday and is expected to include senior government figures, including presidents and ministers.