The International Seabed Authority (ISA) commenced its 22nd Annual Meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, on 11th July 2016. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea the ISA is the sole guardian of the “Area”, which is the seafloor in areas beyond national jurisdiction. The Area makes up nearly 50% of the surface of the planet and has a very special status as “Common Heritage of Mankind”.
IGA Visiting Fellow Torsten Thiele is participating in this meeting as Observer on behalf of IUCN, the world’s largest environmental network. A key challenge for the ISA is to fully develop its environmental framework, including relevant rules and procedures, before any deep seabed mining activities can be considered. This requires a full assessment of potential risks and impacts based on latest scientific research. Torsten moderated an information session for all delegates, "Environmental Aspects of the ISA Exploitation Regulations", provided by the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition earlier this week to ensure that these critical environmental concerns and legal obligations are fully taken into account.