Latest news with #ConventionontheLawoftheSea
Hans India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
UN chief calls for efforts to address root causes of maritime insecurity
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed the need to intensify efforts to address the root causes of maritime insecurity. "Threats to maritime security cannot be addressed without also addressing issues like poverty, a lack of alternative livelihoods, insecurity, and weak governance structures," he told a Security Council open debate. "Across the United Nations family, we're working with impoverished coastal communities to develop new opportunities for decent and sustainable work. Collectively, we must do more to reduce the likelihood that desperate people will turn to crime and other activities that threaten maritime security and degrade our ocean environment," said Guterres. He also highlighted the need to help developing countries build their capacity to deal with these threats through technology, training, capacity-building, judicial reforms, and modernised naval forces, marine police units, maritime surveillance and port security. Guterres said respect for international law is the anchor of maritime security, Xinhua news agency reported. The international legal regime for maritime security, with the UN Charter and the Convention on the Law of the Sea at its core, strikes a careful balance between states' sovereign rights, jurisdictions and freedoms, and their duties and obligations. And it provides a strong cooperative framework for addressing crimes at sea and ensuring accountability, he said. But the UN chief warned that this framework is only as strong as states' commitment to full and effective implementation. "All states must live up to their obligations. And they must resolve any differences in relation to maritime security in accordance with the UN Charter," he said. Guterres called for partnerships to enhance maritime security. "We must involve everyone with a stake in maritime spaces," he said. "As threats to maritime security are becoming more complex and interconnected, enhanced coordination and stronger maritime governance are essential." Without maritime security, there can be no global security. But maritime spaces are increasingly under strain from both traditional threats and emerging dangers: from challenges around contested boundaries, to the depletion of natural resources at sea, to escalating geopolitical tensions fanning the flames of competition, conflict and crime, he said. No region is spared. And the problem is getting worse. After a modest global decrease in reported piracy and armed robbery incidents in 2024, the first quarter of 2025 saw a sharp upward reversal, warned Guterres. Reported incidents rose by nearly half (47.5 per cent) compared with the same period in 2024, he said, citing figures from the International Maritime Organisation. Incidents in Asia nearly doubled, especially in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. In the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, attacks by the Houthis in Yemen on commercial vessels have disrupted global trade and increased tensions in an already volatile region, he noted. The Gulf of Aden and the Mediterranean remain treacherously active routes for migrant smuggling and the trafficking of weapons and human beings. The Gulf of Guinea continues to grapple with piracy, kidnappings, armed robbery at sea, oil theft, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and the illicit trafficking of drugs, weapons, and people. Heroin from Afghanistan continues to reach East Africa through the Indian Ocean. Cocaine moves through the coasts of the Western Hemisphere and across the Atlantic to West Africa and European ports. Cyber-attacks are a fast-emerging security threat for ports and shipping companies, he said. Over the years, the Security Council has sought to address a range of threats that undermine maritime security and global peace, including piracy, armed robbery, trafficking and organised crime as well as terrorism in the maritime domain, said the UN chief. The UN system stands ready to continue to support the Security Council and all UN member states in ensuring peaceful, secure and prosperous maritime spaces for generations to come, he said. "Let's take action to support and secure maritime spaces, and the communities and people counting on them."
The Independent
29-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Canadian company turns to Trump for permission to mine international waters, bypassing a UN agency
A Canadian company announced Tuesday that its U.S. subsidiary submitted applications to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to mine the seafloor, sparking outrage by bypassing a U.N. agency that regulates deep international waters. The Metals Company said it was seeking two exploration licenses and a commercial recovery permit, marking the first time a company applies to commercially mine the seabed. The filing is expected to spark a complex legal battle since the Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority, a U.N. agency that regulates international deep-sea waters, has the power to authorize exploitation permits. 'Any commercial exploitation outside of national jurisdiction carried out without the authorization of ISA would constitute a violation of international law,' the authority said in late March after The Metals Company announced its intention to seek permission from the U.S. government to start deep-sea mining in international waters. There are currently no regulations in place to oversee such mining as scientists warn that extracting minerals from vital ecosystems that help regulate climate change could cause permanent damage. Filing follows Trump directive The filing comes less than a week after U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order that directs the Secretary of Commerce to expedite the review and issuance of exploration and commercial recovery permits, among other things. 'With these applications, we are offering the United States a shovel-ready path to new and abundant supplies of nickel, copper, cobalt, and manganese — critical metals for energy, infrastructure and defense,' Gerard Barron, chairman and CEO of The Metals Company, said in a statement. Environmentalists and activists decried the move, saying that ISA has the sole power to authorize exploitation permits. 'This unilateral American effort to carve up the Pacific Ocean already faces fierce international opposition,' said Ruth Ramos, Greenpeace's international senior campaigner. 'Governments around the world must now step up to defend international rules and cooperation against rogue deep-sea mining.' For years, members of the authority's council have debated how and if to allow deep-sea mining. So far, the authority has only issued exploration licenses, with most of the current exploratory activity concentrated in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, which covers 1.7 million square miles (4.5 million square kilometers) between Hawaii and Mexico. At least 17 of 31 licenses have been issued for this zone, with exploration occurring at depths ranging from 13,000 to 19,000 feet (4,000 to 6,000 meters). UN convention ratified by dozens of countries but not US The International Seabed Authority was created in 1994 by the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is ratified by more than 165 nations — but not the United States. The Metals Company has argued that the U.S. seabed mining code would allow it to start operations in international waters, since it's not a member of the authority and therefore not bound by its rules. 'After continuous delay at the international level, the United States now has a clear opportunity to reclaim its leadership role in the deep sea and set a global standard for responsible, science-based deep-seabed resource development,' Barron said. U.S. mining code is no guarantee of a mining permit But Emily Jeffers, senior attorney for the U.S.-based nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity, said it's not a foregone conclusion that the company will be given permission to mine under the U.S. seabed mining code, which requires a full environmental analysis. 'This statute has been on the books for 45 years, and there's a reason why no other companies have used it to extract minerals from the seafloor,' she said in a phone interview. 'The science is clear that companies cannot satisfy the standard demanded by the statute. There's no way to do deep-sea mining without having a significant and catastrophic effect on the environment.' Jeffers said that if the Trump administration approves the permit, it would face legal challenges from environmental organizations. 'Not an experiment we should be conducting' In late March, the Vancouver-based company announced that it would seek permission from the U.S. to start deep-sea mining in international waters to extract minerals used in electric car batteries and other green technology. The announcement was made just hours before the council of the ISA met on the last day of a two-week conference focused on how and whether to allow such mining. Scientists have said that a rush to collect minerals that take millions of years to form could unleash noise, light and smothering dust storms deep in the Earth's oceans. 'Deep-sea mining has the potential to impact not just the seabed environment, but all of the life in between,' said Jeff Watters, external affairs vice president for the U.S.-based nonprofit Ocean Conservancy. 'There are so many mysteries about this part of the ocean where we've just been able to scratch the surface.' He said deep-sea mining is 'not an experiment that we should be conducting.' Watters said in a phone interview that the area The Metals Company is seeking to explore is larger than the size of South Dakota and the extraction area larger than the size of Vermont. 'The size and scale is just huge,' he said. Companies say mining seafloor is cheaper, safer than land Mining companies have said that harvesting minerals from the seafloor instead of from land is cheaper and has less of an environmental impact. A spokesperson for the authority didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The authority has said that it has the sole legal mandate to regulate mineral-related activities in the international seabed. It noted that the international legal regime established by the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea applies to all states, regardless of whether they are members or not.
Washington Post
29-04-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Canadian company turns to Trump for permission to mine international waters, bypassing a UN agency
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A Canadian company announced Tuesday that its U.S. subsidiary submitted applications to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to mine the seafloor , sparking outrage by bypassing a U.N. agency that regulates deep international waters. The Metals Company said that it was seeking two exploration licenses and a commercial recovery permit, marking the first time a company applies to commercially mine the seabed. The filing is expected to spark a complex legal battle since the Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority, a U.N. agency that regulates international deep-sea waters, has the power to authorize exploitation permits. 'Any commercial exploitation outside of national jurisdiction carried out without the authorization of ISA would constitute a violation of international law,' the authority said in late March after The Metals Company announced its intention to seek permission from the U.S. government to start deep-sea mining in international waters. There are currently no regulations in place to oversee such mining as scientists warn that extracting minerals from vital ecosystems that help regulate climate change could cause permanent damage. The filing comes less than a week after U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order that directs the Secretary of Commerce to expedite the review and issuance of exploration and commercial recovery permits, among other things. 'With these applications, we are offering the United States a shovel-ready path to new and abundant supplies of nickel, copper, cobalt, and manganese — critical metals for energy, infrastructure and defense,' Gerard Barron, chairman and CEO of The Metals Company, said in a statement. Environmentalists and activists decried the move, saying that ISA has the sole power to authorize exploitation permits. 'This unilateral American effort to carve up the Pacific Ocean already faces fierce international opposition,' said Ruth Ramos, Greenpeace's international senior campaigner. 'Governments around the world must now step up to defend international rules and cooperation against rogue deep-sea mining.' For years, members of the authority's council have debated how and if to allow deep-sea mining. So far, the authority has only issued exploration licenses, with most of the current exploratory activity concentrated in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, which covers 1.7 million square miles (4.5 million square kilometers) between Hawaii and Mexico. At least 17 of 31 licenses have been issued for this zone, with exploration occurring at depths ranging from 13,000 to 19,000 feet (4,000 to 6,000 meters). The International Seabed Authority was created in 1994 by the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is ratified by more than 165 nations — but not the United States. The Metals Company has argued that the U.S. seabed mining code would allow it to start operations in international waters, since it's not a member of the authority and therefore not bound by its rules. 'After continuous delay at the international level, the United States now has a clear opportunity to reclaim its leadership role in the deep sea and set a global standard for responsible, science-based deep-seabed resource development,' Barron said. In late March, the Vancouver-based company announced that it would seek permission from the U.S. to start deep-sea mining in international waters to extract minerals used in electric car batteries and other green technology. The announcement was made just hours before the council of the ISA met on the last day of a two-week conference focused on how and whether to allow such mining. Scientists have said that a rush to collect minerals that take millions of years to form could unleash noise, light and smothering dust storms deep in the Earth's oceans. Mining companies have said that harvesting minerals from the seafloor instead of from land is cheaper and has less of an environmental impact. A spokesperson for the authority didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The authority has said that it has the sole legal mandate to regulate mineral-related activities in the international seabed. It noted that the international legal regime established by the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea applies to all states, regardless of whether they are members or not.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Canadian company turns to Trump for permission to mine international waters, bypassing a UN agency
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A Canadian company announced Tuesday that its U.S. subsidiary submitted applications to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to mine the seafloor, sparking outrage by bypassing a U.N. agency that regulates deep international waters. The Metals Company said that it was seeking two exploration licenses and a commercial recovery permit, marking the first time a company applies to commercially mine the seabed. The filing is expected to spark a complex legal battle since the Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority, a U.N. agency that regulates international deep-sea waters, has the power to authorize exploitation permits. 'Any commercial exploitation outside of national jurisdiction carried out without the authorization of ISA would constitute a violation of international law,' the authority said in late March after The Metals Company announced its intention to seek permission from the U.S. government to start deep-sea mining in international waters. There are currently no regulations in place to oversee such mining as scientists warn that extracting minerals from vital ecosystems that help regulate climate change could cause permanent damage. The filing comes less than a week after U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order that directs the Secretary of Commerce to expedite the review and issuance of exploration and commercial recovery permits, among other things. 'With these applications, we are offering the United States a shovel-ready path to new and abundant supplies of nickel, copper, cobalt, and manganese — critical metals for energy, infrastructure and defense,' Gerard Barron, chairman and CEO of The Metals Company, said in a statement. Environmentalists and activists decried the move, saying that ISA has the sole power to authorize exploitation permits. 'This unilateral American effort to carve up the Pacific Ocean already faces fierce international opposition,' said Ruth Ramos, Greenpeace's international senior campaigner. 'Governments around the world must now step up to defend international rules and cooperation against rogue deep-sea mining.' For years, members of the authority's council have debated how and if to allow deep-sea mining. So far, the authority has only issued exploration licenses, with most of the current exploratory activity concentrated in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, which covers 1.7 million square miles (4.5 million square kilometers) between Hawaii and Mexico. At least 17 of 31 licenses have been issued for this zone, with exploration occurring at depths ranging from 13,000 to 19,000 feet (4,000 to 6,000 meters). The International Seabed Authority was created in 1994 by the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is ratified by more than 165 nations — but not the United States. The Metals Company has argued that the U.S. seabed mining code would allow it to start operations in international waters, since it's not a member of the authority and therefore not bound by its rules. 'After continuous delay at the international level, the United States now has a clear opportunity to reclaim its leadership role in the deep sea and set a global standard for responsible, science-based deep-seabed resource development,' Barron said. In late March, the Vancouver-based company announced that it would seek permission from the U.S. to start deep-sea mining in international waters to extract minerals used in electric car batteries and other green technology. The announcement was made just hours before the council of the ISA met on the last day of a two-week conference focused on how and whether to allow such mining. Scientists have said that a rush to collect minerals that take millions of years to form could unleash noise, light and smothering dust storms deep in the Earth's oceans. Mining companies have said that harvesting minerals from the seafloor instead of from land is cheaper and has less of an environmental impact. A spokesperson for the authority didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The authority has said that it has the sole legal mandate to regulate mineral-related activities in the international seabed. It noted that the international legal regime established by the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea applies to all states, regardless of whether they are members or not.
Winnipeg Free Press
29-04-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canadian company turns to Trump for permission to mine international waters, bypassing a UN agency
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A Canadian company announced Tuesday that its U.S. subsidiary submitted applications to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to mine the seafloor, sparking outrage by bypassing a U.N. agency that regulates deep international waters. The Metals Company said that it was seeking two exploration licenses and a commercial recovery permit, marking the first time a company applies to commercially mine the seabed. The filing is expected to spark a complex legal battle since the Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority, a U.N. agency that regulates international deep-sea waters, has the power to authorize exploitation permits. 'Any commercial exploitation outside of national jurisdiction carried out without the authorization of ISA would constitute a violation of international law,' the authority said in late March after The Metals Company announced its intention to seek permission from the U.S. government to start deep-sea mining in international waters. There are currently no regulations in place to oversee such mining as scientists warn that extracting minerals from vital ecosystems that help regulate climate change could cause permanent damage. The filing comes less than a week after U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order that directs the Secretary of Commerce to expedite the review and issuance of exploration and commercial recovery permits, among other things. 'With these applications, we are offering the United States a shovel-ready path to new and abundant supplies of nickel, copper, cobalt, and manganese — critical metals for energy, infrastructure and defense,' Gerard Barron, chairman and CEO of The Metals Company, said in a statement. Environmentalists and activists decried the move, saying that ISA has the sole power to authorize exploitation permits. 'This unilateral American effort to carve up the Pacific Ocean already faces fierce international opposition,' said Ruth Ramos, Greenpeace's international senior campaigner. 'Governments around the world must now step up to defend international rules and cooperation against rogue deep-sea mining.' For years, members of the authority's council have debated how and if to allow deep-sea mining. So far, the authority has only issued exploration licenses, with most of the current exploratory activity concentrated in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, which covers 1.7 million square miles (4.5 million square kilometers) between Hawaii and Mexico. At least 17 of 31 licenses have been issued for this zone, with exploration occurring at depths ranging from 13,000 to 19,000 feet (4,000 to 6,000 meters). The International Seabed Authority was created in 1994 by the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is ratified by more than 165 nations — but not the United States. The Metals Company has argued that the U.S. seabed mining code would allow it to start operations in international waters, since it's not a member of the authority and therefore not bound by its rules. 'After continuous delay at the international level, the United States now has a clear opportunity to reclaim its leadership role in the deep sea and set a global standard for responsible, science-based deep-seabed resource development,' Barron said. In late March, the Vancouver-based company announced that it would seek permission from the U.S. to start deep-sea mining in international waters to extract minerals used in electric car batteries and other green technology. The announcement was made just hours before the council of the ISA met on the last day of a two-week conference focused on how and whether to allow such mining. Scientists have said that a rush to collect minerals that take millions of years to form could unleash noise, light and smothering dust storms deep in the Earth's oceans. Mining companies have said that harvesting minerals from the seafloor instead of from land is cheaper and has less of an environmental impact. A spokesperson for the authority didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The authority has said that it has the sole legal mandate to regulate mineral-related activities in the international seabed. It noted that the international legal regime established by the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea applies to all states, regardless of whether they are members or not.
