International Seabed Authority

International Seabed AuthorityThe International Seabed Authority (ISA) is the United Nations body invested by the U.N. Convention on the of the Sea (UNCLOS) with broad powers to establish conditions under which UNCLOS Member States can explore and exploit the mineral resources found on the seafloor of international waters (the Area).  The ultimate authority of the ISA is it’s Assembly, which elects members of the ISA Council, an executive body that considers agenda items for final disposition by the Assembly.  Many of the matters under consideration by the council come as reports and recommendations by the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC), the ISA’s expert advisory body.  Finally, a Finance Committee oversees the financing and financial management of the ISA.  All four bodies convene during the ISA annual meeting each summer at the organization’s headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica.  Day-today activities of the authority are managed by the ISA Secretary-General.