ISA - Experts & Thought Leaders

The UK government announces its support for measures designed to protect the world’s ocean and improve the conservation of marine biodiversity. Ahead of International Seabed Authority (ISA) negotiations and a month ahead of COP28, the UK government has announced its support for a moratorium on the granting of exploitation licences for deep sea mining projects – which involve the extraction of minerals such as precious metals, copper and cobalt – by the ISA. Sufficient scientific evidence This means the UK will not sponsor or support the issuing of any such licences until sufficient scientific evidence is available to assess the potential impact of deep sea mining activities on marine ecosystems and strong, enforceable environmental regulations, standards and guidelines have been developed and adopted by the ISA. The UK is an international advocate for the highest possible environmental standards The UK is an international advocate for the highest possible environmental standards and has been pushing the ISA to develop strong and enforceable environmental regulations, standards and guidelines on deep sea mining. Cross-disciplinary learning To support this, a new UK-based environmental science expert network on deep sea mining will be launched to gather scientific data and increase the effective use of the UK’s world-class research through cross-disciplinary learning. This will build on the independent evidence review on deep sea mining carried out by independent experts following a government commission in 2022. The network will bring together the UK’s environmental science expertise to help fill the current evidence gaps on the environmental impact of deep sea mining and share internationally.

The World Ocean Council (WOC) is pleased to announce the expansion of its SMART Ocean-SMART Industries (SO-SI) Programme through the appointment of a Programme Manager, with support provided by Singapore-based Swire Shipping Pte. Ltd. Mr. William (Bill) Staby, as Programme Manager at the World Ocean Council (WOC), will lead the SO-SI Programme to organise industry/science partnerships and promote data collection by ships, platforms and other offshore infrastructure, which can be used to host or deploy instruments. Companies can also participate by sharing data they have previously collected. World Ocean Council’s (WOC) SO-SI Programme Companies with vessels and offshore facilities are invited to contact the World Ocean Council (WOC) Companies with vessels and offshore facilities are invited to contact the World Ocean Council (WOC), to participate in the SO-SI Programme, which enables companies to deliver on SDG 14 and the UN Decade of Ocean Science. Sam Swire, the Chairman of Swire Shipping Pte. Ltd., said: “We at Swire Shipping are proud to be one of the inaugural sponsors of the World Ocean Council’s SO-SI Programme and look forward to it bringing real benefits to stakeholders at the earliest opportunity.” Stepping up efforts for data collection He adds, “Understanding the relationship between the atmosphere and our oceans is crucial to mitigating the effects of global warming. We must step up our efforts for data collection, especially as this can be achieved using ‘ships, rigs and undersea cables of opportunity’ often at minimal additional expense.” Sam Swire continues, “The first ‘International Maritime Conference for Devising a Uniform System of Met-Ocean Observations at Sea’ was successfully convened in Brussels 170 years ago. Since then, those of us who have been able to report data from the 71% of our planet that is water have done so both for the good of the environment and our industry.” Broadening the understanding of the oceans Paul Holthus, the World Ocean Council’s (WOC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), emphasized that, “The most cost-effective way to significantly increase our understanding of the ocean (and the climate above the ocean) is to harness the use of the 60,000 merchant vessels, 3-4 million fishing boats, thousands of offshore aquaculture and energy installations and 1.2 million kilometres of submarine cables.” Unlocking this potential is the goal of the WOC SO-SI Programme Unlocking this potential is the goal of the WOC SO-SI Programme, which works to match companies with scientific institutions and ocean, weather and climate observation programmes, and facilitate the installation or deployment of instruments and the transfer of data to the appropriate public agencies. WOC partners with key ocean and climate institutions As the World Ocean Council (WOC) is the only ocean business and investment organisation with a global programme working to engage industries in data collection, the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO), International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), Seabed 2030 and other key ocean and climate institutions have developed partnerships with the World Ocean Council (WOC). Advancing ocean industry data collection also creates needs for innovation in developing instruments, data transfer, analytics, etc., as well as important investment opportunities.

International Maritime Organization (IMO) has welcomed the landmark agreement on a new oceans treaty to protect marine biodiversity on the high seas. IMO Secretary-General - Kitack Lim says landmark treaty will reinforce efforts to protect biodiversity The new legally binding international instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction – known as 'BBNJ' was agreed  on 4 March, 2023, following conclusion of the fifth round of treaty negotiations  at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York City, New York, United States of America (USA). IMO welcomes new oceans treaty This landmark achievement will no doubt reinforce efforts to protect biodiversity" International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General, Kitack Lim said: “Following almost two decades of discussions and negotiations, I am pleased to see the conclusion of the new legally binding instrument on marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, which was finalized in New York, on Saturday, 4 March, 2023." He adds, “This landmark achievement will no doubt reinforce efforts to protect biodiversity, in line with the aims of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Kunming-Montreal Global Framework for Biodiversity.” BBNJ treaty Kitack Lim continues, “IMO has participated throughout the negotiations given the organisation's mandate and expertise, and will continue to participate in the implementation of the new instrument. IMO looks forward to further strengthening our cooperation with Member States, the UN family and all other stakeholders.” The BBNJ treaty addresses, among other things: The conservation and sustainable use of marine BBNJ; Marine genetic resources, including questions on benefit-sharing (MGR); Area Based Management Tools (ABMT), including marine protected areas; Environmental impact assessments (EIA); and Capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology (CB&TMT) IMO actively participated in the negotiations IMO has been present throughout the negotiations and has actively cooperated with the UN IMO has been present throughout the negotiations and has actively cooperated with the UN, in particular with Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations; the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and with other specialised agencies like The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC) - IOC of UNESCO and the International Labour Organization (ILO).  IMO officials have outlined IMO’s experience in developing universal binding regulations for international shipping, in order to ensure shipping’s sustainable use of the oceans, through more than 50 globally-binding treaties.  Comply with stringent environmental, safety and security rules Ships plying their trade across the world’s oceans are subject to stringent environmental, safety and security rules, which apply throughout their voyage.  International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations are enforced through a well-established system of flag, coastal and port State control. Many IMO measures actively contribute to the conservation of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, including the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution by ships (MARPOL) and the International Ballast Water Management Convention – which aims to prevent the transfer of potentially invasive aquatic species – as well as the London Convention and Protocol regulating the dumping of wastes at sea.  IMO adopted numerous protective measures IMO has adopted numerous protective measures, which all ships must adhere to IMO has adopted numerous protective measures, which all ships must adhere to, both in and outside designated sensitive sea areas (PSSAs) and in special areas and emission control areas. These include strict rules on operational discharges as well as areas to be avoided and other ship routing systems, including those aimed at keeping shipping away from whales’ breeding grounds. IMO’s Polar Code is mandatory for ships for operating in the Arctic and Antarctic. IMO has also issued guidance on protecting marine life from underwater ship noise. The series of conferences to develop the new BBNJ legally-binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) began in 2018. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was adopted in 1982. It lays down a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world's oceans and seas establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources. UNCLOS embodies in one instrument traditional rules for the uses of the oceans and at the same time introduces new legal concepts and regimes and addresses new concerns. The Convention also provides the framework for further development of specific areas of the law of the sea. International legally binding instrument under UNCLOS The United Nations General Assembly decided, in 2015, to develop an international legally binding instrument under UNCLOS on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (UNGA resolution 69/292).