Normative and institutional context  On 20 January 2026, the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (the ‘Authority’) – the international organization established under the United Nations…

Debates around deep seabed mining (DSM) frequently focus on the question of when the International Seabed Authority (ISA) will adopt its regulations for mineral exploitation. The ISA was…

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…

In July 2023, the two-year period within which the Council of the International Seabed Authority (Authority) was to complete the elaboration of the Regulations on exploitation of…

The last decade has seen a renewed interest in the commercial exploitation of deep seabed minerals located beyond national jurisdiction. However, the respective responsibilities of deep sea…