The first contentious proceedings ever brought before the Seabed Disputes Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (the Chamber) concern far more than a…

The last fortnight has been dominated by two major developments: the proceedings initiated by deep-seabed mining contractors before the ITLOS Seabed Disputes Chamber, and the ICJ's Right to…

On 5 June 2026, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) announced two new proceedings before its Seabed Disputes Chamber (SDC). Nauru Ocean Resources…

On 30 May 2026, two deep seabed mining exploration contractors—NORI and TOML (“the contractors”), both subsidiaries of Canada-based The Metals Company (TMC)—lodged an application and a request for…

In 2025, following the 2024 advisory opinion (AO) of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on Climate Change (here), the International Court of Justice…

It was simply the worst of times? It has been a jarring start to the year and this particular season of darkness has already brought its fair shair…

Vouloir le beurre et l'argent du beurre Aspiring Canadian mining firm, The Metals Company, Inc. (TMC), through its wholly-owned subsidiaries (p. 10) Nauru Ocean Resources,…

The Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction…

Established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is responsible for administering resources in the Area,…

A ‘new generation’ of sponsorship agreements for deep sea mining operations between The Metals Company (TMC) subsidiaries and their sponsoring states is evolving. On May 29th, 2025 The…