Samantha Robb

About/Bio

Samantha Robb is a South African-qualified attorney specialising in marine environmental protection and Ocean governance. She currently works as a lawyer in the Ocean Litigation Department at Ocean Vision Legal, where her practice focuses on developing, strengthening, and enforcing international marine protection obligations, with a particular focus on deep-seabed mining. She has been extensively engaged in deep-seabed mining governance since 2022. She is a member of the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) Minerals Working Group and has attended meetings of the International Seabed Authority as an observer since 2023. She holds an LLM in Public International Law (cum laude), specialising in Oceans, the Environment, and Sustainability, from Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Prior to her work in ocean governance, Samantha practised in the field of public interest litigation, representing communities and individuals in matters involving human rights infringements, environmental justice, corporate accountability, and constitutional law.

Recently Published

Is Deep-Seabed Mining Compatible with the Human Right to a Healthy Environment? Insights from the ICJ and IACtHR Climate Change Advisory Opinions

June 1, 2026

Samantha Robb

Naima Taafaki-Fifita

Michelle Bender

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 (ICJ) and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) issued their AOs on Climate Change (here and here, respectively). These historic AOs have generated extensive commentary. This blog…

Two Birds, One Bill: How BBNJ National Legislation Can Tackle UNCLOS Deep Seabed Mining Gaps

December 4, 2025

Hannah Lily

Samantha Robb

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 (BBNJ Agreement) will enter into force on 17 January 2026, marking a pivotal moment for marine conservation, global ocean governance and multilateralism. Many States Parties will need to…

Untouchable metals: How the obligations of UNCLOS States Parties limit the commercial viability of unilateral deep sea mining

June 23, 2025

Toby Fisher

Samantha Robb

Reflecting an extraordinary and unprecedented act of multilateralism, Part XI of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (‘UNCLOS’) protects the mineral resources of the seabed beyond national jurisdiction (‘the Area’) from a global free-for-all. It declares the Area and its resources as “the common heritage of [hu]mankind” (‘CHM’) and provides that the resources can…

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About/Bio

Recently Published

Is Deep-Seabed Mining Compatible with the Human Right to a Healthy Environment? Insights from the ICJ and IACtHR Climate Change Advisory Opinions

Two Birds, One Bill: How BBNJ National Legislation Can Tackle UNCLOS Deep Seabed Mining Gaps

Untouchable metals: How the obligations of UNCLOS States Parties limit the commercial viability of unilateral deep sea mining

Popular articles by Samantha Robb

How could the BBNJ Agreement affect the International Seabed Authority’s Mining Code?

Untouchable metals: How the obligations of UNCLOS States Parties limit the commercial viability of unilateral deep sea mining

Two Birds, One Bill: How BBNJ National Legislation Can Tackle UNCLOS Deep Seabed Mining Gaps

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