Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Jayantha Jayasuriya, presented his Letters of Credence to Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), Leticia Carvalho, at a ceremony held in New York on Friday, 7 November 2025.
Presenting his credentials, Ambassador Jayasuriya expressed his honor in establishing the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the International Seabed Authority. The Ambassador added that Sri Lanka attaches great importance to the work of the Authority and recognizes its crucial role in ensuring the sustainable use and protection of marine resources and the deep seabed.
Secretary-General Carvalho warmly welcomed the elevation of Sri Lanka’s relationship with the Authority, and expressed appreciation for the recognition of the importance of effective multilateralism in building a robust and sustainable global ocean economy.
Secretary-General Carvalho recalled Sri Lanka’s significant contributions to the development of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and commended Sri Lanka for taking forward this legacy of engagement. The Secretary General also appreciated Sri Lanka’s ratification of the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), which complements the work of the ISA. She invited Sri Lanka to participate in the upcoming sessions of the ISA, where member states will finalise the Mining Code to regulate prospecting, exploration and exploitation of marine minerals.
The appointment of Sri Lanka’s first Permanent Representative to the ISA signifies the importance that the Government of Sri Lanka places on strengthening its engagement in the area of the seabed, ocean floor and the subsoil beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. It is a re-affirmation of the country's longstanding commitment to the sustainable use and protection of ocean resources.
As an island nation, it is vital that Sri Lanka joins in multilateral efforts to uphold the principle that the area of the seabed and ocean floor and the subsoil thereof, beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, as well as its resources, are the common heritage of mankind, and benefit all nations equitably.
Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka
New York
11 November 2025
