On July 24, the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the UN gave a statement during the Twenty-fourth Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) taking place in Kingston, Jamaica.

In its statement, the Holy See praised the progress made by the ISA in developing a regulatory framework for deep seabed mining and a five-year Strategic Plan. It emphasized three things: the importance of keeping people at the center of decisions and actions and actively involving those who would be directly impacted; the commercial reality of deep seabed mining beyond national jurisdiction and the need for relevant economic, environmental and social tools; and the necessity of identifying, understanding, minimizing and avoiding the risks associated with activities in the deep ocean. The Holy See stressed that every action should be framed not just within the context of rights but a “responsibilities-based” approach that protects the environment and shares the benefits with those people whose lives and livelihoods are most directly impacted.

Its statement can be found here.