Highlights for Wednesday, 18 July 2018

Delegates from the Republic of Korea in informal consultations
On Wednesday, 18 July, the Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) continued discussing the draft exploitation regulations, part by part, as well as focusing on matters requiring the Council’s direction that were identified by the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC). Discussions focused on:
the overall balance of contractors’ rights and obligations;
the balance between certainty and flexibility;
the balance of authority among ISA organs;
protection of the marine environment; and
confidentiality of information.
For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital web coverage and daily reports in English and French from ISA-24. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, will publish a summary and analysis report from ISA-24 on Sunday, 29 July 2018.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera

Delegates during Wednesday’s proceedings

Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group

Duncan Currie, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition

Mahe ‘Uli’uli Sandhurst Tupouniua, Tonga

Philomène Verlaan, Sargasso Sea Commission

Sergio Hernàndez Núñez, Chile

Alexey Orel, Russian Federation

Carlos Alberto Michaelsen den Hartog, Brazil

David Yardley, Australia

Graham Evans, International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC)

Ma Xinmin, China

Conn Nugent, Pew Charitable Trusts

Kamila Mianowicz, Poland

Jihyun Lee, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

Didier Ortolland, France

Kathy Ann Brown, Jamaica

Sellé Mbengue, Senegal

Luke Tang, Singapore

Ingo Narberhaus, Germany

Kate Neilson, New Zealand

Graham Leung, Nauru

Matthew Gianni, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition

Kate Neilson and Jonathan Muliaga, New Zealand

Amy Gartman, US Geological Survey, and Carsten Rühlemann, Germany

Delegates share a laugh before the morning session

Conn Nugent, Pew Charitable Trusts, consults with Olav Myklebust, Council President for the 24th Session

Tommo Monthe, Cameroon, and Tidiani Couma, Monaco

Jean-Christophe Vandevelde, ENB, and Duncan Currie, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition

The Chinese delegation at ISA-24
Around the Venue