Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York Ambassador Rabab Fatima has said the vast and unexplored resource frontiers of the seabed have the potential to bring transformative changes in the lives and livelihoods of billions of people, including those of Bangladesh. “As such, we need enhanced cooperation from the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in the field of marine scientific research, capacity building and access to marine technology to reap the full benefit of seabed resources,” she said while speaking at the Assembly of the 26th Annual Session of ISA in Kingston, Jamaica on Tuesday. READ:  Visa’s Fintech Initiative for Bangladesh: New Opportunities for Start-ups? Referring to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s vision to transform Bangladesh into a developed country by 2041, Ambassador Rabab Fatima stressed the need to ensure equitable share of the financial benefit of seabed resources from ISA and facilitate public-private sector investment of Bangladesh in this area to fast-pace our development journey. The Permanent Representative underscored the importance of the protection of the marine environment while exploring minerals from the seabed.

International Seabed Authority (ISA) Secretary-General Michael W. Lodge has commended Rear Admiral (Retd) Md. Khurshed Alam, President of the council for the 26th session, for his “wisdom, patience and determined leadership. Secretary-General Lodge said Khurshed Alam's leadership enabled ISA to “overcome numerous challenges” to keep the essential business of the council going by using the silence procedure. He noted “the overwhelming support to the timely resumption of in-person meetings given by the Council members” and welcomed all members and observers back to the ISA headquarters at Kingston, Jamaica. The 26th Session of the Council, ISA concluded on Friday under the Presidentship of Khurshed Alam, Secretary (Maritime Affairs Unit), Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All 36 Member States of the Council attended the session either in-person or virtually. Among them, 25 Member States attended the session in-person. The Council meeting will be followed by the meeting of the Assembly from December 13-15. Khurshed Alam will make a statement at the Assembly meeting as the President of Council on its work. In 26th session, the Council approved applications for extensions of contracts in accordance with the procedures and criteria for the extension of an approved plan of work for exploration. The Council also approved report of the Finance Committee on the issue of the equitable sharing of benefits and report of the Special Representative for the Enterprise. It approved a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and International Seabed Authority (ISA). The report of the Secretary General on the status of national legislation related to seabed mining and related matters were also approved by the Council. READ: China lauds Bangladesh’s progress in socio-economic development, democracy Roadmap for drafting regulations for exploitation of mineral resources in the Area was much discussed in the session, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Bangladesh has been elected member of the Council of the International Seabed Authority for a four-year term from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2024.

Secretary (Maritime Affairs Unit) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rear Admiral (Retd) Md Khurshed Alam has been elected President of the 26th Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Council.