International Seabed Authority (ISA)

• The ISA was established in 1982 by UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the ‘Law of the Sea’) and is an autonomous intergovernmental body with 167 members.
• ISA is the institution through which Parties to UNCLOS design and control all the mineral-related resources activities in the area.
• ISA became operational as an autonomous international institution in June 1996 and has 168 members, including the European Union.
• Activities of ISA:
  • The main activity of ISA is to regulate the exploration of poly-metallic nodules.
  • The ISA considers applications for exploration and exploitation of deepsea resources from contractors, assesses environmental impact assessments and supervises mining activities in the ‘Area’.

India and ISA

India actively participates in the work of the International Seabed Authority. India was re-elected as a member of ISA in 2020.