ISA Mining Code

The ISA Mining Code is the body of rules, regulations, and procedures the International Seabed Authority issues to govern mineral activity in the Area, the seabed beyond national jurisdiction, under UNCLOS Part XI and the 1994 Implementation Agreement. Exploration regulations are in force for polymetallic nodules (2000, revised 2013, ISBA/19/C/17), polymetallic sulphides (2010), and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts (2012). The exploitation regulations, which would license commercial recovery, are still in draft; the ISA Council is negotiating them, and no exploitation contract has been granted. The 2021 Nauru two-year-rule notification raised pressure to finalize the standards.