Ø The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is an autonomous international organization established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Ø Headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica, came into existence on 16 November 1994, upon the entry into force of UNCLOS.
Ø It became fully operational as an autonomous international organization in June 1996.
Ø ISA is the organization through which States Parties to UNCLOS organize and control all mineral-resources-related activities in the international seabed area, also known as “the Area.”
Ø The international seabed area is the seabed and ocean floor and the subsoil thereof, beyond the limits of national jurisdiction and represents around 50 per cent of the total area of the world’s oceans.
Ø ISA has the mandate to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from deep-seabed-related activities.
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All States Parties to UNCLOS are ipso facto members of ISA. As of 18 May 2023, ISA has 169
Members, including 168 Member States and the European Union.