Pacific civil society leaders have accused organisers of sidelining regional voices from high-level discussions on the future governance of the seabed, after the International Seabed Authority’s (ISA) secretary‑general visited Suva this week. The criticism crystallised into a formal warning to ISA leadership and the Fijian Government that any debate on deep‑sea mining and related regulation will be incomplete without active Pacific participation.
ISA Secretary‑General Leticia Carvalho was given a traditional welcome at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva earlier this week, where Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka publicly acknowledged the ISA’s role in fostering international cooperation and responsible stewardship of seabed resources. The Fijian Government described the visit as a constructive opportunity to discuss ocean management, climate resilience, marine biodiversity and the sustainable use of seabed resources within international law.
But several Pacific non‑governmental organisations say they were shut out of the substantive conversations that followed. Vani Catanasiga, executive director of the Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS), told media the exclusion is a backward step for a region that has spent decades building research and community expertise on ocean issues. “Pacific groups had spent decades building research and expertise on ocean issues and should not be treated as outside observers,” she said, adding that Pacific peoples “are not stakeholders to be consulted with, but participants who should help shape the debate.”
Catanasiga and other civil society representatives argue the agenda in Suva appears to be narrowing toward preparing regulatory frameworks for potential seabed mining, rather than hosting a broader conversation that lifts up environmental, social and community concerns. “What we feel is happening is a narrowing of the conversation. We’re talking about our ocean. It’s a shared resource; it’s a shared identity,” she said, stressing that local research and lived experience should inform any regulatory pathway.
The concerns were formalised last week when a letter was sent to ISA Secretary‑General Carvalho calling for the formalisation of civil society participation in ISA processes. Civil society leaders say the aim is not occasional invitations to events but a standing mechanism that guarantees Pacific representation at ISA deliberations and decision‑making forums. Catanasiga said the letter calls for a clear, permanent channel through which Pacific NGOs and community groups can contribute their analysis before regulatory decisions are advanced.
The dispute in Suva comes against a backdrop of growing regional activity on mining and environmental governance. Fiji has signalled moves to revisit colonial‑era mining laws and, more broadly, Pacific states have been pushing for greater influence in international environmental fora. Civil society leaders warn that if national reforms and international rules proceed without their input, policies may fail to account for local livelihoods, customary marine tenure and biodiversity protections.
Government officials present at the ISA visit framed the meeting as constructive engagement. But civil society organisers say the episode highlights a governance gap: high‑level diplomatic access for international institutions, paired with limited formal avenues for communities and advocates to contribute. FCOSS and allied groups are now seeking commitment from both the ISA and Pacific governments to negotiate and adopt a formal mechanism that guarantees civil society a seat at the table in ongoing seabed governance processes.