International Seabed Authority – 30th session of the Assembly

Agenda item 8- Report of the Secretary General

Statement of the delegation of Sri Lanka

 

Thank you Mr President.

As this is the first time i am taking the floor in this Assembly session, I extend Sri Lanka's congratulations to the Secretary General on her election and commend her for taking this heavy mantle of responsibility of leadership of the ISA during a crucial period. Sri Lanka assures of our fullest support in carrying out your duties during your tenure.

We also congratulate the President of the Assembly on your election, and thank you for your able stewardship of the proceedings during this session. 

I also take this opportunity to convey the congratulations of the government of Sri Lanka to the International Seabed Authority on its thirtieth anniversary, and look forward to a transformative actions going forward into a new decade. 

I thank the government of Jamaica and her people for their warm hospitality and facilitation of delegates to this Assembly, and for three decades of supporting the institution. 

Mr President, 

As an island nation, Sri Lanka is deeply committed to the sustainable use of its resources, responsible ocean governance, and the protection of marine biodiversity as part of the common heritage of humanity. 

This ethos was evident from Sri Lanka's engagement and contribution from the inception of the UN's exercise in codifying ocean related issues, including the breadth of the territorial seas and  the freedom of the high seas. This process culminated in the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea – chaired by Ambassador Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe of Sri Lanka. In fact, the Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe Fellowship on the Law of the Sea was established by the UN General Assembly in 1981 in recognition of his contribution to the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, as its first President from 1973 to 1980.

Sri Lanka is also at present the Chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), championing a regional approach to ocean governance. 

Mr. President, 

Sri Lanka reaffirms its commitment to the principles of 1982 Convention on the Loaw of the Sea (UNCLOS), and recognize its primacy in the legal regime relating to this area.

We thank the Secretary General for the well-structured report presented to the Assembly under article 166 of the Convention, which gave an insight into the wide mandate of the Authority. 

We are currently engaged in the process of delineation of its continental shelf. Sri Lanka also wishes to proceed with accreditation of a Permanent Representative to the Authority in the near future. 

We extend our appreciation for the capacity building work undertaken by the ISA particularly among youth and women. The See her Exceed mentoring programme is of specific mention. 

Mr. President, 

I quote Sri Lanka's head of delegation speaking at the 3rd UN Ocean Conference, in stating that,

"The governance of seabed mining poses a growing challenge as interest in deep sea resources accelerates. Without strong safeguards, commercial exploitation and extraction risks irreversible harm to fragile marine ecosystems."

In this light, Sri Lanka calls for a robust, science-based regulatory framework to govern exploitation of the deep seabed, which ensures the effective protection of the marine environment.

As elaborated in the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice delivered yesterday, 

"the duty to prevent significant harm to the environment is an obligation to act with due diligence" and that "standard of due diligence" is "stringent".

The limited scientific understanding of deep sea ecosystems demands that we take a precautionary approach in this exercise. 

Sri Lanka is a signatory to the BBNJ, and is now in the process of harmonizing domestic legislation to ensure concrete action leading to ratification. Sri Lanka strongly believes in the mutually complementary nature of the BBNJ and the work of the ISA, and re-iterate the importance of ensuring fair access to marine genetic resources (MGR), and support the transfer of technology to ensure shared prosperity arising from a common heritage.

Mr. President, 

Sri Lanka joins in celebrating the adoption of the decision of this Assembly to designate 1st November as the International Day of the Deep Seabed. 

Raising awareness of the deep seabed, its resources and benefits, are first steps in ensuring equitable access to ocean resources, protection of marine biodiversity, and the sharing of benefits. Sri Lanka believes that this Day will also contribute to strengthening the transparency and integrity of multilateral processes involved in the exercise, and building trust - which is of particular importance in the face of unilateral actions. 

Mr. President, in conclusion, Sri Lanka re-iterates its appreciation of the work of the ISA, and assure our continued support to the institution in carrying out its mandate effectively in a manner that leaves no one behind.

Thank you.