Headline: UN

RIFS Discussion Paper

A “Deadline” Expires at the International Seabed Authority

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has convened in Jamaica for its annual meeting, which will include crunch talks on proposals to allow deep-seabed mining following the expiry of a two-year deadline to finalize regulations governing the removal of minerals from the international seafloor. RIFS researcher Pradeep Singh examines the legal context of this turning point in the history of the ISA in a new discussion paper – “A ‘deadline’ expires: Quo vadis, International Seabed Authority?” – presented to delegates in Kingston.

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Blog Posts

COP28 in Dubai: Greenwashing or Genuine Ambitions?

The agreement reached at the recent COP28 conference has been hailed as the dawn of a new era in the transition to renewable energy. The Guardian newspaper concurred, headlining its story on the final agreement: COP28 landmark deal agreed to ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels. Simultaneously, critical voices from indigenous communities and environmental organizations have dismissed the event as "business as usual." The host country, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), derives its prosperity mainly from fossil fuels and finite resources, and the UAE's presidency added another layer of complexity to the conference.

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A Treaty for the High Seas

For years now the international community has been negotiating an agreement that will cover more than half of the Earth's surface and establish rules for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity. Will they succeed?

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