TONGA is to host a regional workshop on Law and Contract Negotiations for Deep Sea Minerals in Nuku'alofa on behalf of the SPC-EU Pacific Deep Sea Minerals Project from March 11 to 15.
According to a statement, the Pacific Deep Sea Minerals Project is funded by the European Union and managed by SOPAC, the Applied Geoscience & Technology Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.
Hannah Lily, the project's legal adviser, said the main objective of the Tonga workshop was to provide government officials with the knowledge, skills and confidence to negotiate effectively with well-resourced deep sea mining companies. She said the project stressed the importance for countries to put in place robust law and regulatory mechanisms for the national management of deep sea minerals before any negotiations take place.