Participabts at the 28th Council session in Kingston, Jamaica
By Adebayo Adeoye
The International Seabed Authority, ISA, has started its 28th Council session in Kingston, Jamaica, with Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the ISA, Her Excellency Maureen Tamuno, serving as the facilitator of Informal Working Group, IWG, on Inspection, Compliance and Enforcement.
Dr Tamuno is also Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Jamaica.
The Council opened the meetings of Part II of its 28th session last week Monday, while it is expected to last for three weeks, with two weeks of council meeting and one week of general assembly.
Part of the discussion at the meeting of the council includes further revision of Part XI of the draft regulation of inspection, compliance and enforcement.
The council would also continue to advance the negotiations on the draft regulations relating to the exploitation of mineral resources in the area prepared by the Legal and Technical Commission of ISA; the report on the outcome of the inter-sessional dialogue and working group discussions held since the end of Part I of the 28th session; the reports of the Legal and Technical Commission and the Finance Committee, and the operationalization of the Enterprise and the Economic Planning Commission.
All the 167 countries that make up the ISA and observers are all in attendance.
In his opening remarks, the Secretary-General of ISA, His Excellency Michael W. Lodge, welcomed the delegates to Jamaica and thanked the Jamaican government for its support in ensuring that all conditions were met for the meeting despite ongoing renovation works at the meeting venue.
He also thanked the members of the Legal and Technical Commission and the Finance Committee which held their meetings from June 28 to 7 July and from July 5 to 7, respectively, and informed delegates that the reports are available on the ISA website in English as unedited advance versions pending translation to the other five languages of the United Nations.
Lodge also commended the work of facilitators of the different informal and inter-sessional working groups for their contributions in advancing the text of the regulations since the last meetings.Adeoye Adebayo
