UN General Assembly
2018

Tonga has also continued its engagement at the International Seabed Authority in ensuring the appropriate management of the resources of the area. Tonga is grateful to the members of the Authority for its re-election this year to the Council, and we look forward to working together on the development of the important draft exploitation regulations. Tonga also looks forward to hosting the first regional International Seabed Authority workshop, in early 2019, to explore the benefits of seabed mining to the blue economy of Pacific Islands and to progressing development of a regional treaty on deep sea mining. We would like to acknowledge Italy’s ongoing partnership with Tonga through the joint committee in strengthening Tonga’s capacity in the field of the environment and the ocean. We also acknowledge the work of the secretariat of the Pacific Community, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Pew Charitable Trust on the regional treaty.