25th Session of ISA Underway in Accra

By Jonathan Donkor

A two-day workshop is underway in Accra to build the capacity of African delegates who will participate in the 25th session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in February.

This is to enable the delegates make meaningful inputs in negotiations on a draft exploration regulation and other legal instruments for seabed mining, at the session to be held in Jamaica.

The ISA is a global body established under the 1982 United Nations Convention (UN) on the Law of the Sea and other agreements with its mandate including development of appropriate legal framework on maritime resource.

It is made up of 168 member states out of which 47 belong to the African group including Ghana, Algeria, The Gambia, Nigeria, Angola, Sao Tome and Principe, Benin, Guinea, Senegal, Botswana, Guinea-Bissau and Seychelles.

Opening the "African Group Deep Sea Mining Policy Workshop" in Accra on Wednesday, Mrs Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration said the workshop was key to developing a comprehensive legal framework in the area.

She said the protection of oceans had become pertinent due to threats posed to them particularly pollution of water bodies, which according to her had become a daunting task.

She underscored the need for the African continent to position itself to benefit from international protocols and regimes that governments subscribed to, through treaties, conventions and agreements.

Mrs Botchway urged the African group to show commitment to issues to be discussed at the session to ensure that the document would help effectively manage marine resources to protect the marine space and livelihood.

"It is only by making informed choices that we can make real progress in the sustenance of our oceans for ourselves and for generations unborn", she stated.

Mrs Martha Ama Pobewe, Ghana's Representative to the UN and Mr Youssef Delileche, Ambassador of Algeria to Ghana, took turns to underscore the need for safe seabed mining and urged participants to put their best feet forward in the deliberations.

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