Editing International Seabed Authority (section)

=== Governance and operations ===
Along with a Secretary-General, two principal organs establish the policies and govern the work of the Authority: the Assembly, in which all UNCLOS parties are represented, and a 36-member Council elected by the Assembly.<ref name="UNCLOS - Part XI, Section 4">{{cite web |title=UNCLOS - Part XI, Section 4 |url=https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/part11-4.htm |access-date=2022-04-22 |website=www.un.org |archive-date=2 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302184043/http://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/part11-4.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Secretary-General ====
The Assembly elects a Secretary-General to serve a four-year term as the ISA's chief administrative officer, oversee Authority staff and issue an annual report to the Assembly. The Secretary-General is prohibited from holding a financial interest in any mining operations authorized by the Authority.<ref name="UNCLOS - Part XI, Section 4"/>

There have been four Secretary-Generals since ISA's creation in 1996:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="width: 120px;"|Country 
!Image!! style="width: 120px;" |Name !! style="width: 120px;"|Term
|-
| {{FIJ}} 
| [[File:Satya N. Nandan 2008 (cropped).jpg |70px]]|| [[Satya Nandan]] || 1996–2008
|-
| {{GHA}} 
| [[File:Nii Allotey Odunton (cropped).jpg |70px]]|| [[Nii Allotey Odunton]] || 2008−2016<ref>{{cite web |title=Statement on the passing of former ISA Secretary-General Nii Allotey Odunton {{!}} International Seabed Authority |url=https://www.isa.org.jm/news/statement-passing-former-isa-secretary-general-nii-allotey-odunton |access-date=2022-04-22 |website=www.isa.org.jm |archive-date=22 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220422101353/https://www.isa.org.jm/news/statement-passing-former-isa-secretary-general-nii-allotey-odunton |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| {{GBR}} 
| [[File:Michael Lodge.jpg |70px]] || [[Michael Lodge]] || 2016<ref>{{cite web |date=21 July 2016 |title=Decision of the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority Concerning the Appointment of the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority |url=https://www.isa.org.jm/sites/default/files/files/documents/isba-22a-10_1.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801074737/https://www.isa.org.jm/sites/default/files/files/documents/isba-22a-10_1.pdf |archive-date=1 August 2017 |access-date=1 November 2018 |website=International Seabed Authority }}</ref>–2024
|-
| {{BRA}} 
| [[File:Leticia Reis de Carvalho (cropped).jpg |70px]] || [[Leticia Carvalho]] || 2025–
|}

==== Assembly ====
The Assembly, which consists of all members of the Authority, elects the 36-member Council, as well as the Secretary-General from among candidates the Council recommends. The Assembly also has the power to approve or reject the council's recommendations for the following: rules and regulations governing seabed mining, distribution of financial benefits accrued from authorized mining and the Authority's annual budget.<ref name="UNCLOS - Part XI, Section 4"/>

==== Council ====
The 36-member Council, elected by the Assembly, authorizes contracts with governments and private corporations to explore and mine the international seabed and sets rules and procedures, subject to the Assembly's approval, for ISA governance. The council also nominates a Secretary-General, who then must be elected by the full Assembly to serve a four-year term. The ISA's annual plenary sessions, which usually last two weeks, are held in Kingston.<ref>{{cite web |title=International Seabed Authority {{!}} international organization {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/International-Seabed-Authority |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en |archive-date=19 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419144410/https://www.britannica.com/topic/International-Seabed-Authority |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Advisory bodies ====
Also established is a 30-member Legal and Technical Commission which advises the Council and a 15-member Finance Committee that deals with budgetary and related matters.  All members are experts nominated by governments and elected to serve in their individual capacity.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Legal and Technical Commission {{!}} International Seabed Authority |url=https://www.isa.org.jm/authority/legal-and-technical-commission |access-date=2022-04-22 |website=www.isa.org.jm |archive-date=22 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220422101354/https://www.isa.org.jm/authority/legal-and-technical-commission |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Finance Committee {{!}} International Seabed Authority |url=https://www.isa.org.jm/authority/finance-committee |access-date=2022-04-22 |website=www.isa.org.jm |archive-date=28 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428162944/https://www.isa.org.jm/authority/finance-committee |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Enterprise ====
The convention also established a body called the Enterprise which is to serve as the Authority's own mining operator, potentially generating "hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties" to be shared with developing nations."<ref>{{cite web |title=Nautilus Minerals Propose Joint Venture with the Enterprise {{!}} International Seabed Authority |url=https://www.isa.org.jm/news/nautilus-minerals-propose-joint-venture-enterprise |access-date=2022-04-20 |website=www.isa.org.jm |archive-date=20 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420040827/https://www.isa.org.jm/news/nautilus-minerals-propose-joint-venture-enterprise |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Facebook"/> The environmental organization [[Greenpeace]] has expressed concerns over the ISA's alleged conflict of interest as both regulator and business operator, though the ISA denies the conflict of interest charge.<ref name="Facebook"/>