Kingston: participated in the 31st session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Assembly, held in Kingston, Jamaica, from July 27-31.
Representing Qatar at the session was Secretary of the Standing Committee of the Convention on the Law of the Sea Omar Ali Al Ali. During Qatar’s statement under item 9 of the agenda, concerning the annual report of the Secretary-General of the ISA, Al Ali reaffirmed Qatar’s support for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the legal framework it established for managing the international seabed area as the common heritage of humankind.
In this context, he stressed the importance of achieving a balance between the responsible utilisation of marine resources and the protection of the marine environment.
Al Ali noted that the current phase requires enhanced dialogue and cooperation among states parties, contributing to the strengthening of trust and the improvement of decision-making processes. He also emphasised the importance of relying on credible scientific knowledge, comprehensive environmental assessments, and transparency in the Authority’s work. Al Ali called for continued dialogue on the development of non-binding strategic tools that would help assess the scientific, environmental, and institutional readiness of decisions under consideration by the Authority. He stated that such tools would enhance transparency and support more informed decision-making without affecting the existing legal framework or the mandates of the Authority’s organs.
