Sierra Leone Telegraph: 26 July 2025:
Weeks after governments promised bold action to protect the ocean at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice (June 2025), the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Council and Assembly meetings have concluded with no moratorium on deep-sea mining and a widening gap between promises and performance.
Despite vocal leadership from some States, which stood against efforts to rush the exploitation of the deep sea in the negotiations, many governments failed to meet the moment in Kingston, squandering a critical opportunity for ocean protection at a time of mounting ecological crisis.
The DSCC is urging all governments to reflect on the political and moral costs of inaction and stand firm for a moratorium.
The ISA Assembly missed a vital opportunity to debate key issues, such as the role of the deep ocean in climate regulation, whether we actually need to source minerals from the deep, the significant gaps in our knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems, and the urgent need to adopt a precautionary pause or moratorium on exploitation. Efforts to raise these important discussions were shouldered by a number of champion States present at the Assembly, willing to draw a line in the sand, but were consistently blocked by a few.
“38 States have now joined the call for a moratorium or precautionary pause, with Croatia joining the coalition during this Assembly,” said Sofia Tsenikli, DSCC Campaign Director. “But too many other States, which were bold in their ocean promises at UNOC, are not putting this into action at the ISA. Governments must meet their promises by doing what it takes to implement a moratorium before it’s too late.”
The ISA Assembly featured a handful of high-level calls for action, with powerful interventions from President Whipps of Palau, Minister Juan Carlos Navarro of Panama, and Ocean Ambassador Olivier Poivre d’Arvor of France, who proposed a 10-15 year precautionary pause.
These leaders echoed the growing public and scientific consensus that deep-sea mining must not proceed and that a moratorium or pause is required. Furthermore, Croatia announced its support for a precautionary pause at the Assembly on Thursday.
The Council meeting preceding the Assembly did not conclude the Mining Code and also mandated an inquiry into the potential breach of contractual agreements and international law brought about by The Metals Company’s moves to bypass the ISA and unilaterally mine international waters. These were both welcomed as positive outcomes, but concern remains that unless a moratorium is established, governments at the ISA could be sleepwalking into opening the door to one of the largest mining operations our planet has ever seen.
With the UN General Assembly and World Conservation Congress ahead, governments must act decisively to implement a moratorium before it’s too late.
Matthew Gianni, DSCC Co-Founder and Political Advisor, said, “Being on the fence or remaining silent is not a politically defensible position. We are risking severe ecological damage, and future generations will ask what we did to stop it. There is still a chance to stop this industry before it begins, but only if governments stand up for science, equity, and precaution now, and take action to prevent companies within their jurisdiction from cooperating with rogue mining operations.”
Legal adviser to the DSCC, Duncan Currie, said, “The initiation of the inquiry by the ISA into unilateral seabed mining applications outside of the international framework of UNCLOS is welcome, and must be conducted expeditiously and thoroughly. The health of the ocean depends on it.”
Two important issues remain in discussion ahead of the meeting closing later today: these are related to a legal obligation by the ISA to conduct an institutional review, as well as an initiative to implement a General Policy for the Protection of the Marine Environment. The latter would set the environmental goals and principles that should underpin all ISA activities and ensure environmental protection is not sidelined but embedded at the heart of the ISA’s mandate.
President Surangel Whipps Jr. of Palau at the July 2025 ISA Assembly said: “We are rushing to prepare regulations atop a foundation of scientific uncertainty, in direct contradiction of our obligation under Article 145 of UNCLOS to protect the marine environment. This is not urgency born of science, but acceleration shaped by external pressure. We must be guided by principle, and not by artificial deadlines.”
The Assembly meeting has now concluded. The two outstanding issues of importance relating to a General Policy on the Environment and a long overdue legal institutional review ended as follows:
General Policy
There was no clear decision on the General Policy on the Environment. Many countries agreed that it was required but there was considerable debate on when and how to move forward. A number of countries stated it would be regrettable if the ISA cannot agree to adopt a clear policy on protecting the environment and Chile agreed to carry the discussion forward informally with interested countries.
Institutional Review
The failure of the Assembly to adopt an obligatory governance review by the ISA, already 3 years overdue, was supported by an overwhelming majority of countries but was blocked by two countries. The decision was yet again deferred for discussion for next year.
Emma Wilson, DSCC Policy Advisor, said, “Failure to agree to advance these basic measures for ocean protection and ocean governance is a source of grave concern. It raises serious questions about the credibility of the ISA as a regulator with a mandate for environmental protection if it cannot even implement these standard tools of environmental governance. We need political leadership at the highest level at ISA.”
Jessica Battle, Lead WWF’s Global No Deep Seabed Mining Initiative said: “It’s deeply concerning that just two countries were able to block an obligatory governance review of the ISA, despite overwhelming support from the majority of speakers. Deferring this obligation yet again undermines transparency and erodes trust in the institution. We welcome the broad calls for action and urge the ISA to finally deliver this review — with full stakeholder participation — without further delay in 2026.”
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