On 2 and 3 July 2026, Professor Philippe Sands KC, Remi Reichhold and Lucy Jones represented the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in the first ever contentious cases brought under Part XI of UNCLOS. The hearings took place before the Seabed Disputes Chamber (SDC) to determine requests for the prescription of provisional measures in two cases: Nauru Ocean Resources Inc v. International Seabed Authority and Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd v. International Seabed Authority.
The Applicants’ requests for provisional measures seek to suspend an ISA inquiry, and refrain the ISA from taking, authorising or permitting any steps in connection with it. The ISA resisted and opposed all of the requests. The SDC also invited the Republic of Nauru to participate in the proceedings.
