Press Releases

1.On Wednesday, July 15 (Tuesday, July 14 local time), at the Council of the ISA in its 21st session in Kingston, Jamaica, a by-election to fill a vacancy in the LTC was held and Mr. Natsumi Kamiya, Deputy Director General, Metals Mining Technology Development Department, JOGMEC, nominated by the Government of Japan, was elected as a member of the LTC by consensus.

2.The ISA is an international organization established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and its main aim is to control the mineral resources in the seabed and ocean floor and subsoil thereof beyond the limits of national jurisdiction (the Area), which are stated as “the common heritage of mankind” in the Convention. The LTC is an organ of the Council of the ISA and entrusted with various functions relating to activities in the Area including the adoption of draft rules, regulation and procedures for exploration and exploitation of the mineral resources in the Area, and supervision of exploration activities of contractors in the Area.

3.With growing international attention to the mineral resources in the Area, the importance of the ISA has been increasing. Japan intends to further actively cooperate with the ISA by providing the ISA with competitive Japanese experts, in addition to through its financial contributions. Mr. Kamiya is expected to contribute substantially to the work of the ISA as an expert of mineral resources in the Area.