Latest news with #DuncanMuhumuzaLaki
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
New deep sea mining rules lack consensus despite US pressure
After two weeks of negotiations, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is still far from finalising rules for extracting coveted metals on the high seas despite heightened pressure triggered by US efforts to fast-track the controversial practice. Following a meeting in March and the current session in Jamaica, the 36 members of the ISA's executive council completed on July 17 a line-by-line reading of the proposed "mining code" and its 107 regulations for exploitation of the ocean floor in international waters. The minerals and metals in question, such as cobalt, nickel, and manganese, are used for electric vehicles and other emerging technologies. "This marks a significant milestone," council president Duncan Muhumuza Laki said to applause. But after more than a decade of talks, crucial sections of the proposed rules including mechanisms for protecting the marine environment are far from winning consensus, and several delegations have publicly opposed calls from Laki to work quickly to finalise the code this year, as envisioned in a 2023 roadmap. "The exploitation activities cannot begin as long as we do not have a solid, equitable framework," Chilean representative Salvador Vega Telias, whose country is one of 37 asking for a moratorium on deep sea mining, told the plenary session. He also said mining could not begin until experts could pinpoint "all the scientific knowledge that we need to have to identify the potential impacts and effects on the marine environment." For ISA Secretary-General Leticia Carvalho, "the deep sea needs rules." But, she added, "I firmly believe that the success of deep sea governance will depend on our ability to draw from robust science, inclusive dialogue, and the wisdom to act with precaution." Canadian mining firm The ISA session, which will continue this week with the assembly of all 169 member states, comes as US President Donald Trump threw a monkey wrench into the process in April. The Republican instructed his administration to fast-track the granting of permits for deep sea mining in domestic and international waters, citing an obscure 1980 US law and sidestepping the process undertaken by the ISA. The United States is not party to the independent ISA or to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), under which the ISA was established in 1994. Canada's The Metals Company (TMC) quickly jumped at the opportunity, lodging the first request for a high seas mining license -- a short-circuiting of the ISA process that was slammed by non-governmental organisations and some member states. Those parties appear to want to send a message to TMC on Friday, the last day of the council's session. A draft text still under discussion calls on the ISA's legal and technical commission to investigate "possible issues of non-compliance of contractors that may arise out of the facilitation of or the participation in actions intended to appropriate resources... contrary to the multilateral legal framework." The draft calls on the commission to report any instances of non-compliance or potential violations of the Law of the Sea and "recommend, where appropriate, measures to be taken by the Council." Nori, a subsidiary of TMC, has held since 2011 an exploration contract for an area of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean, which expires in one year. The Canadian firm had hoped to be the first recipient of an ISA-awarded commercial mining license to be used in that area, before pivoting to apply to Washington to work there. 'Common heritage' The talks in Kingston have been tense at times, with several delegations miffed about the rules put in place by the council president, including convening some negotiations behind closed doors. 'What the council is discussing currently is the common heritage of humankind,' Emma Watson of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, an alliance of NGOs, told AFP, criticizing what she called a 'big shift' in procedure. Ocean defenders have battled against what they say is the advent of an industry that will threaten isolated ecosystems, which have still not been thoroughly studied. Company executives and some countries say the world needs these strategic minerals and metals to propel clean energy technologies, such as electric cars.
France 24
5 days ago
- Business
- France 24
New deep sea mining rules lack consensus despite US pressure
Following a meeting in March and the current session in Jamaica, the 36 members of the ISA's executive council completed on Thursday a line-by-line reading of the proposed "mining code" and its 107 regulations for exploitation of the ocean floor in international waters. The minerals and metals in question, such as cobalt, nickel and manganese, are used for electric vehicles and other emerging technologies. "This marks a significant milestone," council president Duncan Muhumuza Laki said to applause. But after more than a decade of talks, crucial sections of the proposed rules including mechanisms for protecting the marine environment are far from winning consensus, and several delegations have publicly opposed calls from Laki to work quickly to finalize the code this year, as envisioned in a 2023 roadmap. "The exploitation activities cannot begin as long as we do not have a solid, equitable framework," Chilean representative Salvador Vega Telias, whose country is one of 37 asking for a moratorium on deep sea mining, told the plenary session. He also said mining could not begin until experts could pinpoint "all the scientific knowledge that we need to have to identify the potential impacts and effects on the marine environment." For ISA Secretary-General Leticia Carvalho, "the deep sea needs rules." But, she added, "I firmly believe that the success of deep sea governance will depend on our ability to draw from robust science, inclusive dialogue, and the wisdom to act with precaution." Message for Canadian mining firm? The ISA session, which will continue next week with the assembly of all 169 member states, comes as US President Donald Trump threw a monkey wrench into the process in April. The Republican instructed his administration to fast-track the granting of permits for deep sea mining in domestic and international waters, citing an obscure 1980 US law and sidestepping the process undertaken by the ISA. The United States is not party to the independent ISA or to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), under which the ISA was established in 1994. Canada's The Metals Company (TMC) quickly jumped at the opportunity, lodging the first request for a high seas mining license -- a short-circuiting of the ISA process that was slammed by non-governmental organizations and some member states. Those parties appear to want to send a message to TMC on Friday, the last day of the council's session. A draft text still under discussion, seen by AFP, calls on the ISA's legal and technical commission to investigate "possible issues of non-compliance of contractors that may arise out of the facilitation of or the participation in actions intended to appropriate resources... contrary to the multilateral legal framework." The draft calls on the commission to report any instances of non-compliance or potential violations of the Law of the Sea and "recommend, where appropriate, measures to be taken by the Council." Nori (Nauru Ocean Resources Inc.), a subsidiary of TMC, has held since 2011 an exploration contract for an area of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean, which expires in one year. The Canadian firm had hoped to be the first recipient of an ISA-awarded commercial mining license to be used in that area, before pivoting to apply to Washington to work there. 'Common heritage' The talks in Kingston have been tense at times, with several delegations miffed about the rules put in place by the council president, including convening some negotiations behind closed doors. What the council is discussing currently is the common heritage of humankind," Emma Watson of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, an alliance of NGOs, told AFP, criticizing what she called a "big shift" in procedure. Ocean defenders have battled against what they say is the advent of an industry that will threaten isolated ecosystems, which have still not been thoroughly studied. Company executives and some countries say the world needs these strategic minerals and metals to propel clean energy technologies, such as electric cars. © 2025 AFP
Int'l Business Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
New Deep Sea Mining Rules Lack Consensus Despite US Pressure
After two weeks of negotiations, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is still far from finalizing rules for extracting coveted metals on the high seas despite heightened pressure triggered by US efforts to fast-track the controversial practice. Following a meeting in March and the current session in Jamaica, the 36 members of the ISA's executive council completed on Thursday a line-by-line reading of the proposed "mining code" and its 107 regulations for exploitation of the ocean floor in international waters. The minerals and metals in question, such as cobalt, nickel and manganese, are used for electric vehicles and other emerging technologies. "This marks a significant milestone," council president Duncan Muhumuza Laki said to applause. But after more than a decade of talks, crucial sections of the proposed rules including mechanisms for protecting the marine environment are far from winning consensus, and several delegations have publicly opposed calls from Laki to work quickly to finalize the code this year, as envisioned in a 2023 roadmap. "The exploitation activities cannot begin as long as we do not have a solid, equitable framework," Chilean representative Salvador Vega Telias, whose country is one of 37 asking for a moratorium on deep sea mining, told the plenary session. He also said mining could not begin until experts could pinpoint "all the scientific knowledge that we need to have to identify the potential impacts and effects on the marine environment." For ISA Secretary-General Leticia Carvalho, "the deep sea needs rules." But, she added, "I firmly believe that the success of deep sea governance will depend on our ability to draw from robust science, inclusive dialogue, and the wisdom to act with precaution." The ISA session, which will continue next week with the assembly of all 169 member states, comes as US President Donald Trump threw a monkey wrench into the process in April. The Republican instructed his administration to fast-track the granting of permits for deep sea mining in domestic and international waters, citing an obscure 1980 US law and sidestepping the process undertaken by the ISA. The United States is not party to the independent ISA or to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), under which the ISA was established in 1994. Canada's The Metals Company (TMC) quickly jumped at the opportunity, lodging the first request for a high seas mining license -- a short-circuiting of the ISA process that was slammed by non-governmental organizations and some member states. Those parties appear to want to send a message to TMC on Friday, the last day of the council's session. A draft text still under discussion, seen by AFP, calls on the ISA's legal and technical commission to investigate "possible issues of non-compliance of contractors that may arise out of the facilitation of or the participation in actions intended to appropriate resources... contrary to the multilateral legal framework." The draft calls on the commission to report any instances of non-compliance or potential violations of the Law of the Sea and "recommend, where appropriate, measures to be taken by the Council." Nori (Nauru Ocean Resources Inc.), a subsidiary of TMC, has held since 2011 an exploration contract for an area of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean, which expires in one year. The Canadian firm had hoped to be the first recipient of an ISA-awarded commercial mining license to be used in that area, before pivoting to apply to Washington to work there. The talks in Kingston have been tense at times, with several delegations miffed about the rules put in place by the council president, including convening some negotiations behind closed doors. What the council is discussing currently is the common heritage of humankind," Emma Watson of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, an alliance of NGOs, told AFP, criticizing what she called a "big shift" in procedure. Ocean defenders have battled against what they say is the advent of an industry that will threaten isolated ecosystems, which have still not been thoroughly studied. Company executives and some countries say the world needs these strategic minerals and metals to propel clean energy technologies, such as electric cars.
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Deep-Sea Mining: Deep-sea mining negotiators to meet under Donald Trump shadow
UNITED NATIONS: The International Seabed Authority (ISA) meets next week to continue debating rules for ocean floor mining in international waters, after the United States moved to unilaterally kick-start the controversial industry. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Jamaica-based body, created by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, has been working for over a decade on rules governing mineral extraction on the high seas. Nations are divided over the desire to exploit the ocean depths for nodules rich in metals needed for electric vehicles and other emerging technologies -- and worries about disrupting, or possibly decimating, fragile ecosystems. The United States, which is not a signatory to the UN convention or an ISA member, disrupted the painstaking process this year when President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for his government to speed up issuing permits for underwater mining, including in international waters. Canadian firm The Metals Company (TMC) jumped at the opportunity and in April filed the first US application for a deep-sea mining license, angering environmental groups and many nations. Against this backdrop, the ISA's 36-member executive council reconvenes Monday in Kingston for two more weeks of negotiations on a "mining code." "Our shared objective remains the completion of the negotiations" this year, Council President Duncan Muhumuza Laki wrote in a letter ahead of the meetings. The Ugandan diplomat said an additional session in the fall may be needed to meet a year-end deadline. Louise Casson of Greenpeace called the push to wrap up negotiations "both very unwise and unfeasible." Nations should not be "bullied" into rushing through rules after TMC's "incredibly controversial and rogue move," she told AFP. Leticia Carvalho, secretary-general of the full ISA, said that with the global body "on the cusp of finalizing" its rules, "it is imperative that we get it right." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "When I speak of the need for timely action, this should in no way be interpreted as a call for rushed or unconsidered decisions," the Brazilian oceanographer told AFP in an e-mail. Moratorium Members are deeply divided over how to proceed, with a growing number calling for at least a temporary moratorium on deep-sea mining. French President Emmanuel Macron opened the UN Ocean conference last month in Nice saying it would be "madness to launch predatory economic action that will disrupt the deep seabed, disrupt biodiversity, destroy it and release irrecoverable carbon sinks -- when we know nothing about it." His country joined Chile, Costa Rica and Panama in a recent letter saying it is "clear" that the regulations "are not ready for adoption yet," and suggesting discussions on a new timeline. "We categorically disassociate ourselves from any suggestion or interpretation that the Council is bound, legally or politically, to adopt the regulations by the end of the year," the letter said. At the previous session in March, the ISA Council went through a debate on 55 of 107 proposed rules. Carvalho said, though some members "have expressed differing views on the desirability or timing of future mining activities, the overwhelming majority have remained committed to continuing the negotiations with good faith, diligence and unity, recognising the imperative of establishing a robust and science-based regulatory regime." A meeting of the full 169-member ISA is scheduled for July 21-25. The number of ISA members in favour of a precautionary pause to mining continues to grow -- from 12 in 2022 to 37 today, according to the NGO alliance Deep Sea Conservation Coalition -- but they are still far from the majority. At that meeting, Chile hopes to revive its bid to adopt "the protection and preservation of the marine environment" as a "general policy" for the body. The move is seen as a first step towards a moratorium.
