Press Releases
Courtesy call on Foreign Minister MOTEGI by Ms. CARVALHO, Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA)
On November 25, at 5:30 p.m. for approximately 15 minutes, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, received a courtesy call from Ms. Letícia Reis de CARVALHO, Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), who is visiting Japan upon the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
- At the outset, Minister MOTEGI welcomed Secretary-General Carvalho’s visit to Japan and recognized that the ISA has contributed to the management of the exploration activities of the mineral resources in the Area (*) and development of marine science over the years since its establishment.
- Minister MOTEGI also stated that Japan attaches great importance to maintenance and development of the maritime order based on the rule of law and expressed his expectation for the continued leadership of Secretary-General Carvalho. Minister MOTEGI further stressed the importance of the early development of regulations on the exploitation of mineral resources in the Area that take into account both conservation of the marine environment and use of marine resources, stating that Japan will participate in the discussion constructively.
- In response, Secretary-General Carvalho expressed her gratitude for the support that Japan has provided to the ISA and her hope for Japan's continued active engagement in ISA’s activities, including the swift development of regulations on the exploitation of mineral resources in the Area.
(Reference) International Seabed Authority (ISA)
ISA was established on November 16, 1994, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), with all States Parties to the Convention as its members. The Secretariat is located in Kingston, the capital of Jamaica. The main mission of the ISA is to manage mineral resources in the Area (the seabed and ocean floor and subsoil thereof, beyond the limits of national jurisdiction), which the Convention defines as "the common heritage of mankind," and to organize and control activities in the Area in accordance with the provisions of the Convention and the 1994 Agreement on the Implementation of Part XI of the Convention.