Bangladesh elected president of International Seabed Authority Council
Rear Admiral (retd) Md Khurshed Alam, secretary (maritime affairs unit) of the foreign ministry, took over charge.
Bangladesh has been elected president of the 26th session of the council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
The election was held at the 26th annual session of the assembly in Kingston, Jamaica on 1 October, 2020, reads a press release.
Rear Admiral (retd) Md Khurshed Alam, secretary (maritime affairs unit) of the foreign ministry, took over charge for a period until the next election is held for the 27th session.
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The foreign ministry on Sunday said this election is a remarkable achievement and a matter of pride for Bangladesh. Furthermore, it's indeed a diplomatic success for the Foreign Office.
The ISA council consists of 36 members elected by the ISA Assembly for a four-year period.
Md Khurshed Alam also served as President of the ISA Assembly in 2016 which was the first time that Bangladesh was elected to such a position.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the members of the ISA have endorsed a proposal to take decisions of a procedural nature during the 26th session of the assembly, including its opening, through a silence procedure.
The ISA was established in 1994, pursuant to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea-1982, and is aimed at administering the mineral resources of the deep seabed beyond areas of national jurisdiction.
ISA is the organisation through which states that are parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) organise and control all mineral-resources-related activities in the area for the benefit of mankind as a whole.
The ISA has the mandate to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from deep-seabed related activities.
Bangladesh has active participation in ISA activities as a member state as well as a member of the council. Bangladesh has been a council member for three consecutive 4-year terms; 2009-12, 2013-16 and 2017-2020.
Bangladesh has also floated its candidature for the membership of the ISA Council for the 2021-24 periods. The elections for this will be held in the upcoming assembly of the ISA.
