The 27th Session of the ISA Council, Part III, opened on October 31, 2022, in Kingston, the capital city of Jamaica. Jamaica, Germany, France, Russia, and more than 30 other member states of the ISA dispatched personnel, and observers, including the US, the Pew Charitable Trusts, and Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, were present without voting rights. Amb. Chen Daojiang, head of China’s delegation and China’s Permanent Representative to the ISA, led the delegation, and made a speech on exploitation regulations development.

Amb. Chen Daojiang said that deep sea environment protection is of great significance for deep sea resources exploration and exploitation. At the same time, turning the principle of common heritage of mankind from a concept into a reality needs a balance between deep sea exploitation and marine environment protection; and partial emphasis on environment protection or exploitation goes against the spirit of UNCLOS and the 1994 Agreement.

Amb. Chen stressed that protecting deep sea environment is an inherent requirement of international seabed exploitation institutions. China would like to join hands with all parties to steadily advance an international deep sea exploitation process that gives due consideration to deep sea environment protection and enhances the welfare of the mankind.

This Session will continue reviewing the draft of international seabed mineral resources exploitation regulations and the roadmap for exploitation regulations development, and discuss topics such as the reviewing procedures of Regional Environmental Management Plan and the operation of the Enterprise and Economic Planning Committee.