The Republic of Naoero has reaffirmed its call for fair, transparent and workable seabed governance after the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Council approved a five-year extension of Nauru Ocean Resources Inc.’s (NORI) deep-sea exploration contract.
Naoero participated in the second part of the 31st session of the ISA Council in Kingston, led by Ambassador David Aingimea.
During the meeting, Ambassador Aingimea addressed ongoing legal matters before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), saying Naoero’s priority is to protect its role as a sponsoring State while ensuring seabed governance remains fair, transparent and workable for all countries, particularly small island developing States.
The government said Ambassador Aingimea welcomed the recommendation by the ISA’s Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) to extend NORI’s exploration contract.
Following deliberations, the ISA Council approved the recommendation and granted NORI a five-year extension to its deep-sea exploration contract on 20 July 2026.
The government also highlighted a ruling by the Seabed Disputes Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on 18 July 2026.
It said the Chamber issued a unanimous decision in favour of NORI in proceedings against the ISA concerning compliance inquiries related to the extension of NORI’s exploration contract.
According to the government, the case concerned NORI’s claim that the ISA’s compliance inquiries violated its rights to due process and fair treatment under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Naoero supported NORI in its capacity as the sponsoring State, with Vice President Lionel Rouwen Aingimea appearing before the Tribunal to deliver oral statements on the country’s behalf.
