Deep Sea Resources Development Co., Ltd. (DORD; Chuo-ku, Tokyo), in collaboration with the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security and the International Seabed Authority, held the workshop on the development of a regional environmental management plan for the Area of the Northwest Pacific from February 19 to 23, 2024.
It is hoped that the content of the discussions at the workshop and the proposed environmental management methods for the northwest Pacific will be utilized in the creation of rules regarding the development of mineral resources in the international seabed area (the Area).
DORD collaborated with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) to organize the five-day event, titled “Workshop on the Development of a Regional Environmental Management Plan (REMP) for the Area of the Northwest Pacific." It took place in Tokyo from February 19 to 23, 2024.
Photo at the opening ceremony
Currently, ISA is considering a plan for environmental management and biodiversity conservation not only within the exploration area but also the entire area, including the surrounding area. This is REMP.
In addition to the areas covered by this workshop, the development of the REMPs of other areas are undertaking the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) (completed), the north Mid-Atlantic Ridge (nMAR), and the Mid-Indian Ridge and Basin. It is important for a REMP to be a plan that takes into account regional characteristics, and in this workshop, we considered cumulative impact assessment methods and the location and size of marine protected areas, taking into consideration the environmental characteristics of the northwest Pacific.
This workshop focused on the Area in the Northwest Pacific. In the Area, five contractors from four countries, Japan, China, South Korea, and Russia, are conducting exclusive exploration activities for cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts and polymetallic nodules based on exploration contracts with ISA.
This workshop is the third workshop to develop a REMP for the Northwest Pacific, following the workshop held in Qingdao, China in 2019 and South Korea in 2021 (held online meeting due to COVID-19).
Approximately 40 experts from 15 countries, including Japan, participated in the conference, including experts in fields such as environment, marine science, geology, and international law. In addition to these experts, A total of about 70 participants include the ISA Secretariat, ISA contractor and co-sponsor JOGMEC/DORD, related ministries and agencies (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs), domestic research institutions (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology and so on, attended the opening session.
Experts from various countries and regions, including Japan, met together to share scientific information for the development of REMP, and held various discussions from a scientific perspective regarding candidates for conservation areas in the Northwest Pacific.
In his opening remarks, ISA Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Michael W. Lodge, underscored the continued efforts of ISA to ensure decision-making processes are informed by the best available science, including by leveraging the collective expertise of the global community to ensure the responsible exploration and use of the resources in the Area. He addressed “Today, we stand on the precipice of a new era in environmental stewardship of our ocean’s most remote frontiers. Developing a REMP for the Northwest Pacific underscores our unwavering commitment to the principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It exemplifies ISA’s dedication to deploying the most effective tools and collaborative approaches to safeguard the marine environment for the benefit of all humankind".
H.E. Mr. Michael W Lodge, Secretary-General, ISA
Mr. Hiromasa Oba, President of DORD further stressed the significant importance of the workshop for anchoring further the work of ISA in support of the protection of the marine environment and the conservation of marine biodiversity. He said "We believe that discussions of the workshop will progress toward preserving the marine environment in the Area of the NW Pacific. As one of the ISA exploration contractors, we stand firm in our commitment to cooperate and contribute to the development of the REMP.
Mr. Hiromasa Oba, President, DORD
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 (1994 Agreement).
ISA is the organization through which States Parties to UNCLOS organize and control all mineral-resources-related activities in the Area for the benefit of humankind as a whole. In so doing, ISA has the mandate to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from deep-seabed-related activities.
ISA, which has its headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica, came into existence on 16 November 1994, upon the entry into force of UNCLOS. It became fully operational as an autonomous international organization in June 1996, when it took over the premises and facilities in Kingston, Jamaica, previously used by the United Nations Kingston Office for the Law of the Sea.
In accordance with UNCLOS, Article 156(2), 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.
The Area and its resources are the common heritage of humankind. The Area covers around 54 per cent of the total area of the world’s oceans.
Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) was established on February 29, 2004 pursuant to the Law Concerning the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, which was promulgated on July 26, 2002. JOGMEC integrates the functions of the former Japan National Oil Corporation, which was in charge of securing a stable supply of oil and natural gas, and the former Metal Mining Agency of Japan, which was in charge of ensuring a stable supply of nonferrous metal and mineral resources and implementing mine pollution control measures.
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