Ensuring the stewardship of seabed mineral resources…

In so doing, ISA has the duty to (i) ensure that activities in the Area are carried out for the benefit of mankind as a whole; (ii) ensure effective protection for the marine environment and of human life with respect to activities in the Area; (iii) promote and encourage the conduct of marine scientific research in the Area; and (iv) promote the effective participation of developing States in activities in the Area, in particular the least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS).

Through implementing the economic, social and environmental mandates assigned to it by UNCLOS and the 1994 Agreement, ISA is committed to timely and effective achievement of the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda. A recent independent assessment undertaken in 2021 provides evidence that ISA, through 2 the implementation of its mandate and the Voluntary Commitments registered by it at the 2017 UN Ocean Conference in New York, contributes in a meaningful way to 12 of the 17 SDGs, including SDG 14.

This event is expected to highlight the efforts engaged by the international community to establish strong partnerships in ocean matters in support of the achievement of the 2030 Agenda particularly in relation to the stewardship of seabed mineral resources and the protection of the marine environment of the Area for the benefit of humankind. Accordingly, it will also provide an important platform to discuss linkages with elements discussed under Interactive Dialogue 6 (Increasing scientific knowledge and developing research capacity and transfer of marine technology), Interactive Dialogue 7 (Enhancing the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and Interactive Dialogue 8 (Leveraging interlinkages between Sustainable Development Goal 14 and other Goals towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda).