🇷🇺 Russia's position on the protection of the international legal regime of the seabed area ❗️ On April 24, 2025 the U.S. President issued an Executive Order on deep-seabed mining of mineral resources, which addresses issues of exploration and development of seabed mineral resources within the United States outer continental shelf as well as in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This decision caused serious concern over the consequences of such a step for the regime of the international seabed area (the Area) and the activites of the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The international legal regime of the Area has been established by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which proclaimed the Area and its resources as the Common Heritage of Humankind. Taking into account the nearly universal membership of States in the Convention, this regime is therefore observed by the majority of UN Member States. The principle of the common heritage of mankind currently governs all activities in the Area. Unilateral steps toward deep seabed mineral resources development undermine the regime of the Area established by the 1982 Convention, as well as ISA mandate, and also threaten economic and social progress of all States, primarily that of developing countries. Despite not being a State Party to the 1982 Convention, the USA signed the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the Convention, and is therefore obliged to refrain from acts which would defeat the object and purpose of the treaty (in accordance with Article 18 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties). The Executive Order also addresses issues of resources extraction within the US ‘extended’ continental shelf. Russia has not recognised the outer boundaries of the ‘extended’ shelf unilaterally delineated by Washington in 2023, due to this step’s inconsistency with established international practice and non-compliance with relevant procedures. Russia considers any possible unilateral seabed development by the USA within these boundaries inadmissible. 📢 Russia calls upon all States, including the United States, to refrain from unilateral actions and to prevent the creation of parallel mechanisms that could harm the objectives enshrined in the 1982 Convention in the orderly, safe and rational use of the resources of the Area for the benefit of all mankind. 🗓 This position will be reiterated by the Russian side during the Assembly of the 31st Session of the International Seabed Authority which takes place July 27-31, 2026