Please join the Guarini Institute for Global Legal Studies and Institute for International Law and Justice at NYU School of Law for a panel discussion bringing together legal scholars and practitioners to explore the environmental, economic, scientific, and legal uncertainties surrounding the growing push for deep seabed mining.
Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Time:
Refreshments: 6:15 pm
Panel discussion: 6:45–8:15 pm
Followed by a reception kindly sponsored by Freshfields LLP
Venue: Snow Dining Room, Vanderbilt Hall, NYU School of Law, 40 Washington Square South, New York
About the Event
Geopolitical tensions, national security concerns, expected economic gains, and the growth of AI technologies have accelerated the push towards deep seabed mining. Commercial actors seeking to extract mineral resources from the ocean floor are pressing for a transition from exploration to extraction. Meanwhile, the International Seabed Authority continues negotiating a Mining Code, and more than 40 countries support a moratorium, precautionary pause, or ban on deep seabed mining.
These developments are unfolding amid considerable uncertainty. Scientific knowledge of deep seabed ecosystems remains limited, the economic potential of extraction is contested, and its environmental and socioeconomic impacts are not yet fully understood.
Against this backdrop, the discussion will explore how international legal regimes and institutions should respond to these multidimensional uncertainties. Should deep seabed mining proceed, and if so, with what safeguards? How can legal frameworks reconcile environmental protection with economic and security considerations? What disputes might arise, and how might existing institutions respond?
Speakers
Joshua Kelly – Partner, International Arbitration Group, Freshfields LLP
Erik van de Stouwe – Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Professor Annie Brett – University of Florida Levin College of Law
Professor Cymie Payne – Rutgers Law School
Toby Fisher – Barrister, Matrix Chambers
Moderated by Professor Angelina Fisher – NYU Law
Registration: Please RSVP here
