Te-Ara Henderson represents the Cook Islands at the 29th Session of the Council
Te-Ara Henderson, Senior Policy and Legal Officer of the Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) attended Part I of the 29th Session of the Council. The Council sessions are hosted three times a year at the headquarters of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in Kingston, Jamaica.
The Cook Islands is a member state and sponsoring state of an Exploration Licence in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
Negotiations of Exploitation Regulations
The key focus of the Council session was to negotiate the adoption of the Exploitation Regulations. The Exploitation Regulations will set out the rules governing how the commercial exploitation of deep seas minerals will be conducted in international waters.
Although the negotiations are ongoing with many complex issues still to be addressed, there is particular interest in making progress in accordance with previous timing commitments. ISA maintains their position to ensure an appropriate and robust legal framework is in place to process any application for an exploitation licence.
The Cook Islands Position
The Cook Islands agrees with many other Members and stakeholders on the need for a strong regulatory framework to be put in place, based on robust scientific evidence, that ensures the effective protection of the marine environment before any exploitation of seabed minerals can occur, in line with the precautionary approach.
The Cook Islands remains committed to working collectively and constructively on progressing the draft exploitation regulations in good faith, to ensure we develop a robust set of rules for international waters.
Greater Pacific dialogue and cooperation on DSM
During the session Henderson delivered a general statement to the Council outlining the Pacific’s ambition to working towards greater regional dialogue and cooperation on Deep Sea Minerals management.
This was agreed to by the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders during the Pacific Islands Forum in Rarotonga in November 2023.
During the Forum, all the Pacific Island Leaders agreed to greater regional dialogue and cooperation on Deep Sea Minerals management and endorsed the convening of a Talanoa Dialogue in 2024 to facilitate open and inclusive discussion on deep sea minerals (Leaders Communique).
“This reflects great leadership by our Pacific Leaders. We as Pacific Islanders have already worked together and hold a strong Pacific voice on many other issues such as sustainable fisheries management and climate change activism for the benefit of our Blue Pacific Continent and globally.” said Henderson.
Concluding remarks
It is important that the Cook Islands continues to engage in the ISA Council sessions to ensure that the Cook Island’s voice is represented and sovereign rights are respected. The Cook Islands looks forward to its ongoing participation at the upcoming ISA Council Sessions to ensure a robust set of rules for seabed minerals are developed for the international seabed Area.