Highlights for Monday, 25 February 2019
Lumka Yengeni, South Africa, is congratulated by Olav Myklebust for her election as the ISA Council President for 2019.
On Monday, the Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) opened for the first part of the 25th annual session in Kingston, Jamaica.The Council elected its President and Vice-Presidents for 2019, addressed organizational matters, and heard reports on the status of exploration contracts, the implementation of the 2018 Council decision relating to the summary report of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) Chair and a strategy for the development of regional environmental management plans for the Area.The Council also considered components of the draft regulations for exploitation of mineral resources in the Area, focusing on the financial model, as well as on standards, guidelines, and key terms.Highlights of the day include:
election of Lumka Yengeni (South Africa) as Council President for 2019;
final steps towards the public launch of the database;
development of a work programme for the period 2019–2020 to implement the preliminary strategy for the development of regional environmental management plans;
progress towards developing common understanding on the financial model, notwithstanding varying opinions, and a decision to continue work under the relevant working group; and
the need to prioritize certain guidelines and balance certainty for industry against flexibility to keep pace with expanding knowledge.
Two side events took place during the day, organized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI).For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin.
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from the 1st Part of ISA-25. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, has published a summary and analysis report of the meeting, which is available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera
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The 1st Part of the 25th Annual Session of the ISA opens at the ISA headquarters in Kingston
Michael Lodge, ISA Secretary-General
Olav Myklebust, Outgoing Council President for the 24th Session
Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group
Lumka Yengeni, South Africa, Council President for the 25th Session
The dais during plenary
Lowri Mai Griffiths and Gavin Watson, UK
Vladimir Vinokurov, Russian Federation
Tian Qi, China
Young Lee, Republic of Korea
Tevita Suka Mangisi, Tonga
Tetsuya Yoshimoto, Japan
Urs Daniel Engels, Germany
Diva Amon, Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative
Chin Siew Fei, Singapore
Duncan Currie, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition
Michelle Walker, Jamaica
Conn Nugent, Pew Charitable Trusts
Enrico Milano, Italy
Patricio Ureña Palacio, Argentina
Conn Nugent, Pew Charitable Trusts, in discussions with the Chinese delegation
Mariusz Orion Jędrysek, Poland, and Olav Myklebust, Norway
L-R: Denys Wibaux, France; Guy Sevrin, Belgium; and Didier Ortolland, France
Marie Bourrel-McKinnon, ISA Secretariat, and Alison Swaddling, The Commonwealth
Lowri Mai Griffiths, UK, and Julian Wilckens, Germany
L-R: Nicole Lyas, Australia; Jennifer Warren, Lockheed Martin; and David Yardley, Australia, share a laugh before the start of the session.
Nicole de Paula, ENB, and Kenneth Wong, Canada
Delegates consult informally
Around the Venue
The Chinese delegation with Michael Lodge, ISA Secretary-General
The Japanese delegation
The Brazilian delegation
