BGA/4/15
Sponsored by Becca Sharman, Alma Capone, Thomas Moulin of Franklin High School
The delegates above represented the Delegation of France.
This legislation was filed in the Administrative and Budgetary category
Presented as part of the MUN B 2023 conference
| 1 | Aware that an increased number of countries and companies are turning to international waters |
| 2 | outside of their country’s Exclusive Economic Zone for the mining and collection of rare metals, |
| 3 | including Manganese, Cobalt, and Zinc, due in part to their use in the manufacture of electronics |
| 4 | and other consumer goods, such as the creation of batteries for electric vehicles, renewable |
| 5 | energy capacity, or in the construction of smartphones and laptops, |
| 6 | |
| 7 | Also aware that current estimates suggest that the global demand for materials found through |
| 8 | seabed mining are projected to rise by 400 to 600 percent, |
| 9 | |
| 10 | Mindful that seabed mining, when done in an unregulated manner, has the potential to |
| 11 | detrimentally affect the ocean’s environment through disturbance of marine ecosystems, |
| 12 | |
| 13 | Cognizant that International Seabed Authority (ISA) a United Nations body tasked with developing |
| 14 | mining regulations for waters outside of a country’s Exclusive Economic Zone has not yet |
| 15 | developed regulations, in part due to lack of funding, as their current is 10 million USD over 2 |
| 16 | years, |
| 17 | |
| 18 | Recognizing that we are inevitably headed towards increased levels of seabed mining activity, and |
| 19 | critical action must be taken with haste, |
| 20 | |
| 21 | The General Assembly Hereby: |
| 22 | |
| 23 | Calls upon the United Nations to prepare a budget increase for the International Seabed Authority |
| 24 | for the purposes of investigating sustainable seabed mining, |
| 25 | |
| 26 | Asserts that, given that the current budget for the International Seabed Authority is 10 million |
| 27 | USD over a period of two years, a total budget of no less than 25 million USD over a two-year |
| 28 | period will be provided, but that funding for a budget of up to 100 million USD over two years will |
| 29 | be permissible, as will be determined by the ISA’s administrative body and approved by a two- |
| 30 | thirds majority vote of signatories of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, |
| 31 | |
| 32 | Emphasizes that the purpose of this budget increase will be for as follows, but not limited to: |
| 33 | increased personnel in order to effectively operate and carry out their stated mission, equipment |
| 34 | |
| 35 | index denoting baseline parameters for sustainable seabed mining, said parameters to be defined |
| 36 | by the ISA, |
| 37 | |
| 38 | Requires that a cost breakdown be provided to the General Assembly by the International Seabed |
| 39 | Authority’s administrative body, and approved by a two-thirds majority vote of the signatories of |
| 40 | the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, in order to see where the funding is |
| 41 | being used, and to ascertain the necessity of adjusting the funding being provided, |
| 42 | |
| 43 | Expresses its hope that the further research will allow for sustainable mining and for the |
| 44 | preservation of marine species, |
| 45 | |
| 46 | Proclaims that this resolution will go into effect in May 2024. |
| 47 | |
| 48 | |
| 49 | Urge the United Nations to recognize this growing threat to the people of Romania and |
| 50 | surrounding countries; |
| 51 | |
| 52 | Request $45,850,000 to support the implementation of these projects. |
| 53 | |
| 54 |