Kingston: The State of Qatar participated in the 30th session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Assembly, held in Kingston, the capital of Jamaica, from Jul. 21 to 25. Representing Qatar at the session was Assistant Secretary of the Standing Committee of the Convention on the Law of the Sea, Omar Ali Al Ali.

According to Qatar News Agency, during Qatar's statement under item (8) of the agenda, concerning the annual report of the Secretary-General of the ISA, Al Ali reaffirmed Qatar's support for the Authority in fulfilling its duties under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982, and the 1994 Agreement relating to the implementation of Part XI of the Convention. He emphasized the importance of balancing the mining regime in the area being developed by the Authority with adequate protection of the marine environment.

Al Ali noted the necessity of adhering to a rigorous scientific approach to preserve marine ecological diversity and ensure a healthy marine environment for future generations, aligning with the goals of sustainable development. He welcomed the adoption by the ISA Assembly of the draft resolution to designate a world deep-sea day, to be observed annually on the first day of November.