Faced with pressure to start mining on the seabed in international areas, Costa Rica requested an extension to analyze the environmental risks. The national authorities requested during the Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in Jamaica, to consider an advisory opinion to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
Not to breach the mandate
The States Parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea have the mandate to guarantee the protection of the marine environment, its ecosystems and biodiversity, recalled Gina Guillén, permanent representative of Costa Rica in the ISA. “If mining is authorized in 2023, as some propose, this mandate would be breached,” said Guillén.
Costa Rica’s position is shared by Chile, Spain, New Zealand, Micronesia, Fiji, Belgium, the Netherlands and France.
