President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Development Initiative in the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, calling for accelerating the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and pursuing more robust, greener and sound global development.

This is a new initiative proposed by China following the Belt and Road initiative and the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, which once again offers Chinese proposal to promote world development.

Since the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the establishment of the International Seabed Authority, international seabed affairs have flourished under the leadership and organisation of the International Seabed Authority and with the joint efforts of its members. The concept of deep sea mineral resources exploration and exploitation have been constantly updated with technological advancement, and measures for deep-sea environmental protection and biodiversity conservation have been increasingly improved.

The Global Development Initiative emphasises development as a priority, advocates innovation-driven and development cooperation, and is committed to contributing to the promotion of global common sustainable development, which is not only conducive to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, but also to the implementation of the ISA Strategic Plan 2019-2023.

At present, international seabed affairs are in an important transitional period, and the exploration regulations and the exploitation regulations which are under development have made important contributions to the practice and development of the law of the sea. In its strategic plan, the ISA has set out to ensure the orderly and efficient development of exploitation by improving the regulatory framework in the Area, promoting marine scientific research and capacity-building of developing countries. As COVID-19 continues to rage across the globe, the international seabed affairs has faced serious challenges. The ISA worked with its members to overcome the difficulties brought by the epidemic, continue promoting the development of regulations and capacity-building for developing countries, and facilitating a stable transition from exploration to exploitation.

Since China became a member of the International Seabed Authority 25 years ago, it has been playing an important role as a witness, participant and contributor to the international seabed affairs, and actively contributed its strength and wisdom, focused on deep sea development cooperation, and made positive contributions to jointly building a maritime community with a shared future, achieving green and inclusive global development, and promoting the common interest of mankind as a whole.

China has always advocated and practised green and low-carbon exploration and exploitation of mineral resources in the Area, and promoted the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”; initiated the establishment of a global development partnership, strengthen the representation of developing countries, and pool the great strengths of multilateral cooperation processes to strive for translating global consensus into pragmatic cooperation, so that an open and interconnected global development environment can be created.

China has contributed to the ISA’s Voluntary Trust Fund continuously, established ISA-China joint Training and Research Centre, and shared our experience and technology in deep-sea exploration with other developing countries to strengthen capacity building and promote equitable benefit sharing. China hopes that the Global Development Initiative, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the ISA Strategic Plan 2019-2023 will dovetail and synergize with each other to inject new impetus to global sustainable development and the development of the international seabed affairs.

JAMAICA HAS PROVIDED DEDICATED SERVICES AND SAFEGUARDS

Jamaica, as the host country of the ISA, has for more than two decades continued to provide dedicated services and safeguards to the Secretariat and and national delegations for joint consultation on the deep sea. As strategic partners, China and Jamaica have always treated each other following the principle of mutual respect and equality, maintaining healthy and smooth development of bilateral relations amidst the evolving international landscape.

As developing countries, both China and Jamaica firmly uphold the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law, firmly support multilateralism and safeguard the common interests of developing countries. China is pleased to see that Blue Minerals Jamaica Ltd. has signed an polymetallic nodules exploration contract with the ISA and is actively participating in the exploration and exploitation of deep-sea mineral resources.

China has always attached great importance to establishing friendly and cooperative relations with developing countries in the international seabed affairs, and is willing to take the opportunity of the Global Development Initiative to overcome the challenges of the epidemic together with Jamaica, seize new opportunities brought by the exploitation of deep sea mineral resources, and continue to develop the Belt and Road Initiative with high quality, promote practical cooperation in the international seabed affairs such as talent training, capacity building and experience exchanging. We wish to build a China-Jamaica Blue Partnership, and make positive contributions to accelerating the discussion of exploitation regulations, implement the 2030 Agenda and achieve sustainable development of the seabed.　

The Global Development Initiative demonstrates China’s adherence to true multilateralism and its willingness to share the fruits of development and new opportunities with the world, reflecting the idea of peace, harmony and concord inherited and pursued by the Chinese nation.

This is also in line with the principle of “common heritage of mankind”, which is conducive to the exploitation and utilisation of seabed mineral resources and the sharing of benefits. Standing at a new historical starting point, China welcomes the ISA and its members to support and participate in the Global Development Initiative, and is ready to work together with the ISA and other members to implement the Global Development Initiative and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to play the role of the United Nations and the Authority in coordinating manner, to achieve more robust, greener and sound global development, to develop the Belt and Road Initiative with high quality, and to make greater contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and a maritime community with a shared future, and to enhancing the common interests of mankind as a whole.

• Tian Qi is ambassador to Jamaica and the permanent representative of the People’s Republic of China to the International Seabed Authority