JAMAICA WILL host the 10th session of the assembly of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), which will be convened in Kingston from May 24 to June 4.
This was preceded by a meeting of
the authority's legal and technical commission and environmental experts from
May 17 to 21.
During the upcoming session, the ISA will elect half of its executive council and a secretary-general to guide its operations for the next four years. It will also consider the organisation's 2005/2006 biennium budget and undertake further work on a regulatory regime for seabed sulphides and cobalt-rich crusts.
According to a press release, the commemoration of the authority's 10th anniversary, which falls on November 16, has been brought forward to coincide with its 10th annual session. The authority, with a current membership of 145, was established on November 16, 1994 following the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The convention
was opened for signature in Montego Bay, St. James.
OVERSEEING JURISDICTION
The authority's task, as spelt out in the convention and the agreement relating to the implementation of Part XI (seabed provisions) of the convention, is to organise and control all mineral-related activities in the international seabed beyond national jurisdictions. This seabed area and its resources have been designated by the convention as the common heritage of mankind.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, a special session of the authority's assembly will be held on May 25 and 26. There will also be panel discussions on the authority's achievements and future.
The annual session will have a full agenda, including consideration of the report of the authority's secretary-general, which reviews the inter-governmental organisation's work for the last 10 years and its future direction.
The most significant milestones in the authority's substantive work to date include the adoption in 2000 of the first set of regulations on prospecting and exploration for polymetallic nodules in the deep seabed area beyond national jurisdiction.
The authority represents a unique experiment in international relations, noting that it was the only world body with the responsibility of administering a global commons the resources of the deep seabed for the benefit of mankind. The authority is trying to play a more meaningful role in the international system of the oceans' governance.
