TRIDENT Helped Launch a New Guide to Sustainable Deep-Sea Research Law
Experts have published a guide to legal rules for deep-sea research with a focus on sustainability. It aims to clearly summarize the law for non-legal audiences. TRIDENT also contributed to its creation.
Understanding the laws and rights involved in deep-sea marine exploration is neither simple nor straightforward. This is especially true for people outside the legal field, such as researchers and scientists, who play a key role in deep-sea exploration projects. For this reason, an article was created with contributions from experts involved in the TRIDENT project. They drew on their experience to compile an overview of the rules governing the management of mineral resources from the seabed beyond national jurisdiction, with a strong focus on protecting the marine environment.
The article is freely available online, and its authors are Kerstin Kröger, Richard Collins, Andrew J. Wheeler, Heidy Dias, and Patrick Colman Collins. They distilled their expertise into ten sections in which they aim to interpret complex legal principles in an accessible way. Readers are introduced to international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, including its history. The authors also explain the role of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), trace the development of the ISA Mining Code, and outline the regulation of activities related to mineral resources.
Regarding environmental issues, the article highlights gaps in the distribution of competencies among international and regional organizations whose authorities often overlap. This instability can lead to conflicts, especially when additional frameworks come into play, such as the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic.
The authors hope that the text will provide a clear understanding and background of the relevant legal principles to other researchers and projects involved in activities related to deep-sea mining, particularly those without legal training.
Have a look at the article below.
