ISA is an intergovernmental body established by the Law of the Sea Convention. It aims to organize, regulate and control all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.
- It helps in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14 ―Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.
- It is based in Kingston, Jamaica.
| Headquarters | Kingston, Jamaica |
|---|---|
| Location |
New York, United States (Office of the Permanent Observer for the ISA to the UN) |
|
Membership
|
The Authority has 167 members and the European Union, composed of all parties to the Law of the Sea Convention |
- UNCLOS defines the international seabed area—the part under ISA jurisdiction—as ―the seabed and ocean floor and the subsoil thereof, beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.
- It has obtained its observer status in the United Nations.
- The Authority operates by contracting with private and public corporations and other entities authorizing them to explore, and eventually exploit, specified areas on the deep seabed for mineral resources essential for building most technological products.
- The Convention also established a body called the Enterprise which is to serve as the Authority‘s own mining operator, but no concrete steps have been taken to bring this into being.
- With a 15 year contract period ISA has allowed 8 players to exploit sea bed for polymetallic nodules.
- The 8 contractors are India, Germany, Russian Federation, Interoceanmetal Joint Organization (IOM) (Bulgaria, Cuba, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland and Russian Federation), Republic of South Korea, China, Japan, and France.
- In 2008, the Authority received two new applications coming for the first time from private firms in developing island nations of the Pacific like Nauru and Tonga.