From July 7 to 18, 2025, Michał Nowosielski from the Ministry of Climate and Environment and Dr. Krystian Wójcik from the Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute participated in the 30th Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), held in Kingston, Jamaica.

As official representatives of the Republic of Poland, the delegates advocated for the protection of Poland’s interests during negotiations on the so-called mining code — an international legal framework governing the exploitation of mineral resources from the ocean floor beyond national jurisdiction, known as “the Area.” Before we explain why these issues are particularly important to us as geologists, let us briefly outline why the ISA was established, what its mission is, and why traveling to Jamaica — despite obvious associations — is far from an exotic vacation.

Polish delegation at the 30th Session of the International Seabed Authority in Kingston, Jamaica: Dr. Krystian Wójcik (PGI–NRI; left), Michał Nowosielski (Ministry of Climate and Environment), and Kamila Mianowicz (Interoceanmetal Joint Organization, IOM)

At the outset, it is worth noting that an international treaty that establishes a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities is the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), signed on December 10, 1982, in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The Jamaican Convention defines, among other things, concepts such as internal waters, territorial seas, exclusive economic zones, continental shelves, extended continental shelves, the high seas, and the seabed and ocean floor, including the so-called Area. Under this “constitution of the seas” specialized bodies were established to address specific issues: the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS)—co-chaired by Dr. Michał Tomczak from PGI–NRI, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and the International Seabed Authority (ISA).

The ISA was established on November 16, 1994, with its headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica. The organization comprises 169 countries and the European Union. Its main task is to protect and manage the ocean floor located beyond national jurisdiction, treated as the common heritage of all humankind. The ISA is responsible for granting and administering contracts related to the exploration (and eventually exploitation) of seabed resources, ensuring their rational use and preventing actions that could threaten biodiversity or harm the marine environment.

Approximately 75% of the ISA’s operations are funded by contributions from member states, which in 2025 are expected to total just over USD 10.7 million (Poland’s contribution amounts to USD 118,578.64). The remaining budget comes from contract fees. The ISA responsibilities and working areas are divided among its main organs:

• The Secretariat is one of the three principal organs of the ISA (alongside the Assembly and the Council). It is headed by the Secretary-General, elected by the Assembly for a four-year cadency. The current Secretary-General is Leticia Reis de Carvalho from Brazil.
• The Assembly (169 countries and the EU). The current President of the Assembly, elected for a one-year term, is Dwight Gardiner from Antigua and Barbuda. Poles have held this position three times: Tadeusz Bachleda-Curuś (1998), Ryszard Kotliński (2008), and Mariusz-Orion Jędrysek (2018).
• The Council (36 members elected by the Assembly based on a formula that includes representatives of major economies, mineral exporters, developing countries, and ensures geographic balance; Poland is a member under the geographic key). Its main task is to develop the mining code—international regulations governing the exploitation and protection of seabed mineral resources. These regulations, which have been in development for over a decade, must be approved by the Assembly. The current President of the Council is Duncan Muhumuza Laki from Uganda. Poles have also chaired the Council multiple times: Tadeusz Bachleda-Curuś (2001), Mariusz-Orion Jędrysek (2006 and 2016), Andrzej Przybycin (2011), and Tomasz Abramowski (2022).
• The Legal and Technical Commission (41 members elected by the Council; Poland is represented by Piotr Nowak from the Ministry of Climate and Environment). Its tasks include overseeing exploration and mining activities in areas under ISA jurisdiction.
• The Finance Committee (15 members elected by the Assembly; Poland is not a member) is responsible for the ISA’s budgetary matters.
• The Economic Planning Commission (not yet established; its functions are currently provided by the Legal and Technical Commission).
• The Enterprise is an ISA body intended to conduct future operations in the Area, including transport, processing, and trade of extracted minerals. Its interim tasks are assigned by the Secretariat to the acting Director-General, currently Eden Charles from Trinidad and Tobago.

Organs of the International Seabed Authority (https://www.isa.org.jm/) 
 

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) convenes annually at the organization’s headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica. In 2025, the 30th Session was held in two parts: the spring session (March 3–28), during which the Legal and Technical Commission and the Council met; and the summer session (June 23 – July 25), which included further meetings of the Legal and Technical Commission, the Finance Committee, the Council, and the Assembly. The representatives of the Ministry of Climate and Environment and our Institute participated in the summer Council meeting, which is considered by us to be the most important part of the 30th ISA Session. The two-week deliberations focused on refining, commenting on, and sometimes blocking — article by article — the 107 regulations of the mining code (officially: Draft regulations on exploitation of mineral resources in the Area).

30th Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/isbahq/albums/)

Drafting regulations that can be approved by all members of the Council and subsequently by the Assembly — representing nearly the entire international community — is an extremely complex task, given that these countries often hold radically divergent positions and conflicting interests, ranging from a complete ban on deep-sea resource exploitation to a push for its rapid commencement. Guarding national interests in this context requires considerable diplomatic skill and strategic acumen. Poland maintains a neutral stance on both the moratorium or pause on deep-sea mining proposed by some countries and the push for rapid commencement of exploitation in the Area. By continuing research on the ocean floor under our existing (direct or indirect) exploration contracts, we contribute to a better understanding of the environmental aspects and biodiversity of the seabed, while supporting robust environmental protection regulations.

Sessions of the International Seabed Authority are also attended by so-called Observers — representatives of international environmental and social organizations — who often express their views in various ways. Undoubtedly, deep-sea mining in the Area is a controversial issue due to the potential harm it may cause to the natural environment. However, it is worth noting that on continental shelves — which fall under national jurisdiction and are therefore outside the ISA’s mandate — where biodiversity and ecosystems are far more complex than in the deep ocean, activities such as the construction of drilling platforms, and hydrocarbon exploitation, for some reason, remain largely unnoticed… by those very same organizations…

Currently, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) oversees the activities of 22 entities operating under 31 exploration contracts for polymetallic nodules, polymetallic sulphides, and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts on the seabed of all oceans. The Government of the Republic of Poland holds an independent exploration contract for polymetallic sulphides located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The contract was issued on February 12, 2018, and is valid until February 11, 2033. The concession area covers 10,000 km².

More information on its resource potential and environmental aspects can be found in the monograph The Natural Environment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: A Case Study of the Potential Mining Site, published in 2024 and edited by Teresa Radziejewska (Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Szczecin), Jan Marcin Węsławski (Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences), and Michał Tomczak (PGI–NRI).

Mineral resource exploration sites in the Area: in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, the Indian Ocean, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and the NW Pacific Ocean (https://www.isa.org.jm/)

Exploration contract of the Government of the Republic of Poland for polymetallic sulphides on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (https://www.isa.org.jm/)

Interoceanmetal Joint Organization’s exploration contract for polymetallic nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean; marked in light orange (https://iom.gov.pl/)

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea obliges members of the ISA Council to develop mining regulations within two years of the submission of the first application for exploitation. In 2021, such an application was submitted by Nauru. However, due to the complexity of the mining code and the importance of the regulations, it was not possible to adopt the regulations within the designated timeframe. So far, the ISA has also not approved any commercial exploitation contracts for extracting resources from the Area…

The participation of the PIG-PIB delegate in the 30th Session of the International Seabed Authority was funded by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.

Text and photos: Krystian Wójcik, Michał Nowosielski, ISA/FLICKR