International organisation created in 1994 under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to regulate the seabed in international waters "for the benefit of humankind as a whole". Headquartered in Jamaica, it has 169 members. Its secretary-general is Leticia Carvalho, a Brazilian oceanographer. The ISA is considered a model for regulating other global commons, including the Moon.
The ISA currently forbids deep-sea mining but has granted prospecting-only licences to companies exploring the seabed for minerals. Its members failed to agree on a common rule book for exploitation in March 2025. After Donald Trump's executive order of April 24th 2025 authorising American firms to mine in international waters, Ms Carvalho said America had no authority to grant licences outside its own waters. She added that the order had galvanised members into action and assured The Economist that a regulatory framework would be finalised by the end of 2025.
China bankrolls much of the ISA's activities in an effort to present itself as a good global citizen.
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