Monthly Archives: March 2022

On 18 March 2022, the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the Secretary-General of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) signed the Memorandum of understanding between the Indian Ocean Rim Association and the International Seabed Authority which aims to “provide a framework of cooperation and facilitate collaboration […] in the areas of common interest” (para. 1). This follows approval of the MoU by the IORA Member States (16 April 2020) and the Council of the ISA (10 December 2021) (ISBA/26/C/13/Add.1, para. 36). Such arrangements on consultation and cooperation by the ISA with international and non-governmental organizations is initiated by the Secretary-General of the ISA by virtue of the competence found in Article 169(1) of UNCLOS. As per Article 169(2) of UNCLOS, IORA now “may designate representatives to attend meetings of the organs of the Authority as observers” and “procedures shall be established for obtaining the views of [IORA] in appropriate cases”.

Areas of co-operation in the MoU, to implement through supplement arrangements (para. 3), include:

(a) To consult, where appropriate and practical, on matters of mutual interest with a view to promoting or enhancing a better understanding and coordination of their respective activities in respect of such matters;
(b) To develop joint capacity-building programmes related to seabed exploration, legal and policy formulation, and environmental management planning;
(c) To cooperate, where appropriate and practical, for the sharing and managing of information and non-confidential data related to offshore hydrocarbon and seabed mineral deposits;
(d) To promote, where appropriate, exchange of information and sharing of technologies related to seabed exploration and mining;
(e) To promote and encourage marine scientific research.

Memorandum of understanding between the Indian Ocean Rim Association and the International Seabed Authority, para. 2 (ISBA/26/C/16, Annex)

See further the ISA press release.

From 10-11 March 2022 the IMO Council virtually held its 35th Extraordinary Session (C/ES.35), addressing, the impacts on shipping and seafarers of the situation in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The IMO Council made decisions on the situation, including: condemnation of “the Russian Federation’s violation of the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of a United Nations Member State, extending to its territorial waters” as inconsistent with the UN Charter and the purposes of IMO as set forth in Article 1 of the IMO Convention; deploring “attacks of the Russian Federation aimed at commercial vessels” threatening maritime safety and the marine environment; and recalling “Ukraine must be afforded, without delay, all its rights in regard to the implementation of the instruments adopted within the framework of this Organization, as a flag State, port State and coastal State”. Decisions of the IMO Council also included the encouragement of “the establishment, as a provisional and urgent measure, of a blue safe maritime corridor” and the welcoming of a series of proposals to support seafarers, directed at coastal states, port states, transit states and states of nationality.

For more information see here and here.

The United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme adopted on 2 March 2022 a resolution deciding that “the intergovernmental negotiating committee is to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, which could include both binding and voluntary approaches“. The resolution, entitled “End Plastic Pollution: Towards an internationally legally binding instrument”, was adopted with the conclusion of the three-day UNEA-5.2 meeting. More information is available here and here. A draft version of the resolution can be read here.