International Seabed Organization fails to reach agreement on deep-sea mining regulations

A two-week meeting held by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in Kingston, Jamaica ended without agreement on deep-sea mining regulations. According to related reports, the long-delayed deep-sea mining regulations are still incomplete and deep differences of opinion exist.

During the meeting, several countries pointed out gaps in the draft regulations' fundamental scientific, environmental and governance aspects. ISA Secretary-General Leticia Carvalho has previously said she hopes to finalize mining regulations within the year, but has not provided a new timetable since the meeting.

Why this is important

Deep-sea mining is attracting attention as a potential resource source for securing rare minerals such as manganese, cobalt, and nickel, which are essential for electric vehicle batteries and advanced electronic devices. However, there is great concern that allowing commercial mining could cause irreversible environmental damage when the impact on the deep-sea ecosystem has not been sufficiently studied.

Currently, 40 member countries support a moratorium on deep-sea mining, so the international community's cautious stance prevails. However, the ramifications of the failure of this negotiation are significant in that the foundation of international ocean governance could be shaken if some countries pursue mining alone without a regulatory framework.

Historical context of deep sea resource development

International discussions on deep-sea mining began in earnest with the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982. This convention defines the deep seabed as a 'common heritage of humanity' and requires it to be managed through the International Seabed Organization.

In the 2010s, interest in deep-sea minerals increased rapidly along with the expansion of the electric vehicle market, and several countries and companies obtained exploration permits. Negotiations accelerated in 2021 when the Pacific island nation of Nauru urged ISA to prepare regulations within two years, but progress was slow due to opposition from environmental groups and the scientific community.

In 2023-2024, the outlook for industrialization has become uncertain due to the withdrawal of deep-sea mining investments by large companies and the increasing number of countries supporting the moratorium. However, after the inauguration of the Trump administration in 2025, the situation is changing rapidly due to the United States' independent actions.

America’s independent line and conflict with international order

U.S. federal regulators recently announced that approximately 70 million acres (283,000 square kilometers) of waters near the Northern Mariana Islands have been designated as areas for mineral leasing. This is almost twice the size of the initial review area announced last fall.

The problem is that the United States is trying to independently approve mining outside the ISA process without ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. An international law expert at Duke University warned, "The Trump administration's attempt to unilaterally exploit deep-sea resources in the international commons will seriously undermine the rules-based international order that the United States has built and of which it has been the greatest beneficiary."

Future outlook [AI analysis]

It seems unlikely that the gap between the international community and the United States will be narrowed for the time being. The longer the agreement at the ISA level is delayed, the more likely it is that the United States will accelerate its independent actions.

In the short term, international pressure is expected to intensify as more countries support the deep-sea mining moratorium. However, as demand for core minerals increases in the mid- to long-term, the possibility that some countries will change their positions for economic benefits cannot be ruled out.

This issue shows where the two values ​​of clean energy conversion to respond to climate change and marine ecosystem conservation collide. In the future, finding a balance between the effectiveness of international ocean governance and sustainable resource development is expected to be a key task.