The International Seabed Authority, an agency under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, celebrated its 30th anniversary. It was established to oversee the exploration and use of non-living marine resources in international waters.
Key facts about ISA
- It is an autonomous international organization established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 1994 Agreement on the Implementation of Part XI of UNCLOS.
- Headquarters: Kingston, Jamaica.
- Members: 168 Member States (including India) and the European Union.
- Its jurisdiction covers approximately 54% of the total area of the world’s oceans.
- ISA ensures effective protection of the marine environment from the harmful effects of deep-sea activities.
Mandate
- Regulate the conduct of all exploration activities and exploitation of minerals in the deep seabed.
- Protect the marine environment from harmful effects of activities related to the deep seabed.
- Encourage marine scientific research.
India and ISA
On 18 January 2024, India submitted two applications for exploration in the international seabed zone of the Indian Ocean
- Polymetallic sulphides in the Indian Ocean Ridge (Carlsberg Ridge).
- Cobalt-rich ferromanganese layers of the Afanasy-Nikitin Seamount in the central Indian Ocean.
India currently has two contracts for exploration in the Indian Ocean
- Polymetallic nodules and sulphides in the central Indian Ocean Basin and Ridge.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
- The Convention on the Law of the Sea, formally known as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), was adopted in 1982 to establish jurisdictional limits over oceanic areas.
- The Convention defines a distance of 12 nautical miles from the baseline as the territorial sea limit and a distance of 200 nautical miles as the exclusive economic zone limit.
- It provides for the transfer of technology and money from developed countries to underdeveloped countries and also requires the parties involved to implement rules and laws to control marine pollution.
- India signed UNCLOS in 1982.
Three new institutions under UNCLOS
- International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea: It is an independent judicial body established to resolve disputes arising in the context of UNCLOS.
- International Seabed Authority: It is a United Nations body established to regulate the exploration and exploitation of the non-living resources of the oceans.
- Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf: It deals with the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) regarding the establishment of the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.