Pradeep Arjan Singh — International ocean governance expert, Senior Project Manager at the Oceano Azul Foundation, and advisor to the IUCN. Pradeep works at the intersection of environmental law, global equity, and multilateral ocean negotiations.
LinkedIn: Pradeep Arjan Singh - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pradeeparjansingh/
Oceano Azul Foundation -https://oceanoazulfoundation.org
🧭 Episode Overview
In this foundational episode, Pradeep Singh takes us inside the legal architecture of the deep sea. We cover:
How the ISA came to be and what it’s actually supposed to do
Why the two-year rule was created and what it’s triggering has accomplished
The U.S. vs the ISA process
The difficultires of benefit-sharing and compensation mechanisms
What to expect at this year’s council meetings
What kind of research and financial modeling is still missing
Whether you’re policy-curious or professionally involved in seabed governance, this is a must-listen.
⏱️ Chapter Highlights
00:00 – From Malaysia to multilateral negotiations: Pradeep’s legal background
04:00 – The role of Oceano Azul, UNFCCC, CBD, and BBNJ
11:00 – UNCLOS, the ISA, and why deep-sea mining triggered global treaty-making
27:00 – What’s missing from the regulations: enforcement, liability, and monitoring
33:00 – Benefit-sharing and the $95k problem
45:00 – The two-year rule: origin, misuse, and consequences
55:00 – U.S. unilateral mining: legal and environmental risks
1:02:00 – Debunking geopolitics and the myth of metal scarcity
1:10:00 – What we still don’t know: scaling, cumulative impacts, and economic modeling
Theme music: Tamarack by Jesse Matas
🔗 References & Resources
John Mero (1965) on seabed mineral wealth -https://www.sciencedirect.com/bookseries/elsevier-oceanography-series/vol/1
Pradeep’s publication on the history and legal basis for moratorium: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00908320.2024.2439877
Nagoya Protocol (CBD) – model for benefit-sharing
Earth Negotiations Bulletin – daily negotiation coverage https://enb.iisd.org/international-seabed-authority-isa-council-30-2
Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) – minerals
ISA Web TV – live council and assembly sessions
IUCN Briefings – DSM: https://iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/deep-sea-mining
Progress Amidst Challenges: IUCN Reflections on the ISA Council's 30th Session (Part 1) : https://iucn.org/story/202504/progress-amidst-challenges-iucn-reflections-isa-councils-30th-session-part-1#:~:text=IUCN%20remains%20committed%20to%20the,a%20transparent%20and%20inclusive%20manner.
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