Distinguished Mr. Secretary-General,
Distinguished Minister of State Alando Terrelonge,
Mr. President,
The Chinese delegation congratulates you on your election as President of this session of the Assembly. We will, as always, support the work of the President and the Bureau, and we are confident that under your leadership the meeting will be a full success. We thank the government and people of Jamaica for the strong support they have always given to the work of the International Seabed Authority.
Mr. President,
The Chinese delegation thanks the Secretary-General for his annual report, which comprehensively reviews the Authority’s work over the past year. Over the past year, working in unity and collaboration, we have made positive progress in drafting the regulations on the exploitation of international seabed mineral resources, managing exploration contracts and implementing the 2019-2023 strategic plan. China congratulates the Authority on this.
International seabed affairs are currently in transition from exploration to exploitation, and drafting the exploitation regulations is a priority of the Authority’s work. China believes the adoption of the regulations will provide clear norms and guidance for deep-sea exploitation activities, and will be of great significance for realizing the principle of the common heritage of mankind, ensuring the sustainable use of international seabed resources and promoting effective protection of the deep-sea environment. Formulating the rules, regulations and procedures related to exploitation is both a right conferred on the Authority’s members by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and an obligation that all members should fulfill.
At the Council meeting that has just concluded, the parties held in-depth discussions on the facilitators’ texts and the President’s text of the exploitation regulations and made some progress, but many issues still require further study and consultation. China welcomes the new roadmap reached by the Council, which makes clear arrangements for the next stage of our negotiations and provides new momentum. China will continue to participate constructively in the drafting of the regulations and work with all parties to press for the early adoption of deep-sea exploitation regulations that balance the interests of individual countries, the overall interests of the international community and the common interests of all humanity, that match rights with responsibilities, and that are fair and reasonable.
At the same time, through the joint efforts of all parties, the Council also reached a decision on the understanding and application of paragraph 15 of Section 1 of the Annex to the Implementing Agreement, deciding to continue considering possible Council action in respect of a potential application for a plan of work for exploitation in the absence of regulations, and, upon receipt of an application for a plan of work for exploitation, to consider as a matter of priority reaching a common understanding on the interpretation and application of paragraph 15 as soon as possible. China calls on all parties, while actively advancing the negotiation of the regulations, to continue making full use of the Council as a platform to discuss and handle the legal issues related to exploitation applications in the absence of regulations.
Mr. President,
China appreciates the extensive work done by the Authority in implementing the 2019-2023 strategic plan. By advancing the measures under each strategic direction of the plan, the Authority has effectively enhanced its performance of its functions, playing a positive role in implementing the principle of the common heritage of mankind and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
China supports the adoption of the 2024-2028 strategic plan, supports giving greater attention to benefit sharing in the strategic plan, and endorses the measures in the plan for advancing the drafting of the regulations. At the same time, China believes the Authority’s secretariat should further strengthen its support for the drafting of the exploitation regulations.
Mr. President,
China has noted that the OSPAR Commission under the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic adopted a decision to extend the scope of one of its marine protected areas to the seabed. China stresses that international bodies should respect one another in the performance of their functions, refrain from undermining one another, and enhance consistency and coordination. On the question of area-based management tools, institutions should strengthen cooperation and consultation from the moment proposals are drawn up. Where a proposed measure falls within the mandate of another body, recommendations may be made to the relevant body; measures should not be taken rashly. China reiterates that the Authority, as the international organization established under the Convention to organize and control activities in the Area, performs important functions in managing activities in the Area, including preserving the seabed environment. These functions derive from the legal mandate of the Convention and its 1994 Implementing Agreement and are widely recognized by the international community. China wishes to emphasize the following legal positions and puts forward suggestions for the secretariat’s work.
First, China is concerned about the possible implications of the relevant OSPAR decision for the Authority’s mandate. Second, under international law, the relevant OSPAR decision is not binding on non-parties to OSPAR. Third, all 169 members of the Authority have an obligation to support the Authority in performing its functions in accordance with the law, and Authority members that are also OSPAR members should fulfill their responsibility to safeguard the Authority’s mandate in relevant OSPAR work. Fourth, China requests the Secretary-General to prepare a report detailing the secretariat’s communications with OSPAR concerning the relevant decision, assessing the decision’s possible implications for the Authority’s mandate, and making concrete recommendations on how to safeguard the Authority’s mandate and strengthen cooperation and coordination with relevant bodies, for timely discussion of the relevant issues by the Council.
Mr. President,
As a major developing country, China, while participating in international seabed affairs itself, does what it can to help other developing countries strengthen their capacity for deep-sea activities. China has for many years contributed to the Authority’s Voluntary Trust Fund and the Endowment Fund for Marine Scientific Research, and this year has again donated 40,000 US dollars to support members from developing countries in attending meetings of the Legal and Technical Commission and the Finance Committee, and to support the participation of developing-country personnel in seabed scientific research.
In addition, China continues to vigorously promote the development of the China-ISA Joint Training and Research Centre. In May 2022 the Centre successfully held its first international online training course on deep-sea resource exploration and development, providing training to 55 participants from more than 20 developing countries. This year the Centre will hold a second course, offering 30 places for in-person training. The secretariat has opened the registration window, and developing countries, especially the least developed countries and small island states, are welcome to nominate trainees to the secretariat by August 31. China stands ready to continue strengthening engagement, deepening cooperation and building synergies with the Authority to jointly promote sustainable ocean development.
Mr. President,
The ocean is the shared space for humanity’s survival and development. China is ready to work with all parties, upholding the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind and practicing true multilateralism, to continue advancing the deep-sea endeavour and make greater contributions to the common well-being of all humanity.
Thank you, Mr. President.
(Source: Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the International Seabed Authority)
