JAKARTA – The Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia Coalition is calling on the Indonesian government to formally support a moratorium or a complete rejection of deep-sea mining (DSM) activities during the upcoming 31st session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
The global forum, operating under the United Nations, is scheduled to convene in Kingston, Jamaica, from July 29 to 31, 2026. The coalition’s demands were formally submitted via official correspondence to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries on June 19, 2026.
Indonesia’s current position as a member of the ISA Council for the 2023-2026 term places the nation in a primary role in steering negotiations regarding the regulations for international seabed mineral exploitation. A central component of the upcoming agenda is the “Mining Code,” the regulatory framework that will determine the legality and parameters of commercial seabed mineral extraction under the International Seabed Authority’s rules.
Ecological and Climate Risks
Aryanto Nugroho, National Coordinator of PWYP Indonesia, warned in a written statement on June 20, 2026, that the commercial exploitation of deep-sea minerals could lead to “significant and irreparable environmental catastrophe.”
“We are conveying our demands and proposed stance as part of a community that foresees the potential threats of massive ecological damage if deep-sea mining is commercially approved during the UN meeting,” Nugroho stated, urging Jakarta to adopt a precautionary approach before binding decisions are taken at the ISA.
The coalition’s concerns are supported by policy briefs from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which have highlighted links between DSM and risks to human rights and a healthy environment. Nugroho cited several critical environmental threats associated with DSM:
- Carbon Sink Disruption: The disturbance of fragile seabed sediment layers, which function as vital natural carbon sinks, could release substantial volumes of stored carbon into the water column and atmosphere, undermining global climate-mitigation efforts.
- Biodiversity Loss: Mining operations risk devastating marine biodiversity in unexplored deep-ocean ecosystems, where species are often endemic and recovery times can span centuries.
- Food Security: The potential for heavy metal pollution and sediment plumes to accumulate within regional fishery resources, threatening the health and livelihoods of coastal communities that rely on wild catch as a primary protein source.
Domestic Supply Chain Implications
The coalition argues that the debate over deep-sea mining has direct economic and environmental implications for Indonesia, not only in international waters but along its own coasts and industrial corridors. PWYP and associated civil society organizations allege that the global mining firm The Metals Company (TMC) and its affiliates intend to utilize Indonesian smelter capacity and supply chains to process polymetallic nodules harvested from international waters.
Nugroho warned that this strategy effectively targets Indonesia to serve as a global processing hub for deep-sea ores, a role he claims carries the risk of “severe waste accumulation in coastal ecosystems” and additional pressure on domestic waste-management and tailings-regulation regimes.
He added that any decision made at the ISA could lock Indonesia into long-term commercial arrangements, potentially outpacing the country’s environmental safeguards, transparency standards, and consultation processes with affected communities.
Proposed Government Action
To prevent the domestic refining supply chain from being used for DSM commodities, the coalition has forwarded copies of its demands to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Minister of Environment and Forestry, in addition to the foreign and maritime affairs ministries already notified.
The PWYP Indonesia Coalition has submitted two primary recommendations to the government:
- Formal Moratorium: Indonesia should declare support for a precautionary pause or moratorium on DSM exploitation at the ISA, which would mark the first time an Asian nation has joined the growing international bloc of states calling for a halt to commercial deep-sea mining until its environmental and social impacts are clearly understood.
- High-Level Representation: The government must ensure senior political representation at the 2026 ISA Council and Assembly sessions to prevent the Mining Code from being rushed into ratification and to safeguard Indonesia’s long-term strategic and environmental interests.
The coalition also urges Jakarta to align its stance at the ISA with existing national commitments on climate action, marine conservation and the sustainable management of mineral resources, so that positions taken in Kingston are consistent with policies at home.
“In the midst of an escalating climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution, enacting a moratorium on deep-sea mining will be a visionary leadership legacy for future generations,” Nugroho concluded.
The International Seabed Authority will meet in Kingston, Jamaica, from July 29 to 31, 2026, to determine the status of the Mining Code, a decision that will shape how countries and companies access mineral resources in areas designated as the common heritage of humankind under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
