On July 17, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave a general statement during the Second Part of the Twenty-fourth Session of the Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) taking place in Kingston, Jamaica.

In his statement, Archbishop Auza, the Head of the Holy See’s Delegation to the Session, said that the uncertainties and risks associated with deep seabed mining require thorough study and debate to minimize, mitigate and eliminate negative consequences. With regard to Draft Regulation proposed by ISA, he called attention to regulatory, financial, technological, social and environment issues.  He emphasized that human life and care of our oceans should be at the center of ISA’s considerations and cautioned that financial interests do not trump best practices and environmental protection. He also encouraged the formation of Regional Environmental Management Plans.

His remarks can be found here.