On 18 August 2022, a Belgian candidate, Ms Ellen Pape (UGent), was nominated as a member of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) within the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The present service concerns Belgium's representation at the LTC. The LTC is a body of the Council of the ISA and will consist of 41 members for the period from 2023 to 2027. These are elected by the Council for a period of five years from among candidates nominated by Member States. The LTC is vested with various functions concerning activities in the Area (i.e. the sea and ocean floor and its subsoil beyond the limits of national jurisdiction), including, inter alia, the evaluation of work plan applications, the monitoring of exploration and/or exploitation of mining activities (including the evaluation of annual reports submitted by contractors), the development of environmental management plans, the formulation and updating of rules concerning activities in the Area, and the making of recommendations to the Council on all matters relating to the exploration and exploitation of non-living marine resources

Ellen Pape will participate in LTC meetings as follows:

• Actively participate in the meetings of the LTC. These meetings take place twice a year, for a fortnight on location in Jamaica (Kingston);
• Participate in preparatory meetings, workshops, seminars, etc., depending on their relevance to the work within the LTC and the mission budget of the Marine Environment Department;
• Thoroughly prepare the aforementioned LTC sessions, where procedurally possible (in particular in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) in consultation with colleagues from the Marine Environment Department and the other delegation members involved in the Belgian position formation. Both before and after the LTC session, a written report is made of the prepared positions and the decisions taken by LTC, respectively (without compromising the conditions of confidentiality linked to this position);
• Between sessions, carry out the work arising from LTC membership, where procedurally possible with a focus on Belgian policy emphases.