Summary
On Friday, the Council of the International Seabed Authority convened for the final day of the first part of its 26th session (ISA-26) in Kingston, Jamaica, finalizing its work. Delegates adopted a decision relating to the working method to address the draft exploitation regulations, agreeing to establish three informal working groups to address different thematic areas. They also adopted a decision on a standardized approach for the development, approval, and review of Regional environmental management plans (REMPs) in the Area, requesting the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) to take into account the submissions tabled by Germany, the Netherlands, and Costa Rica on REMPs as they further develop the “Guidance to facilitate the development of REMPs,” currently under consideration by the Commission.
The Council spent most of the day considering substantive matters, after a week dominated by procedural matters. For many, this was a welcome change as they delved back into the draft regulations, concluding a first reading of the sections on the protection and preservation of the marine environment, review and modification of a plan of work, and closure plans. In the afternoon, they also considered related annexes. In a brief statement on financial matters, ISA Secretary-General Michael Lodge appealed for contributions to the Voluntary Trust Fund to support the work of the Financial Committee and the LTC, and for support for the Voluntary Trust Fund for the Enterprise.Highlights of the day included:
- the adoption of a decision on a standardized approach for REMPs;
- the adoption of a decision on the working method to guide work on the draft exploitation regulations;
- discussions on regulations related to the protection and preservation of the marine environment, the review and modification of a plan of work, and closure plans; and
- a discussion on an annex to the draft regulations on the elements of an environmental impact statement.
Thanking delegates for their hard work, Acting Council President Kathy-Ann Brown (Jamaica) closed the meeting at 4:41 pm.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from the 1st Part of ISA-26. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has publish a summary and analysis report in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera
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Around the Venue
Katie Elles, ISA Secretariat, interviews Michelle Walker, Jamaica (left), and Gerard Barron, DeepGreen (right)
