Jakarta – The Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia Coalition is urging the Government of Indonesia to support a moratorium or rejection of deep-sea mining (DSM) during the 31st Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) under the United Nations, which will take place from 29–31 July 2026.
The coalition conveyed this call through official letters addressed to two key ministries—the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries—on Friday (19 June 2026).
“We are submitting these recommendations and demands as members of civil society who recognize the significant environmental risks that could arise if commercial deep-sea mining is approved through the upcoming UN negotiations in July,” said Aryanto Nugroho, National Coordinator of the Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia Coalition.
Indonesia is currently a member of the ISA Council for the 2023–2026 term. In this strategic position, Indonesia is directly involved in ongoing negotiations regarding the global regulatory framework for deep-sea mineral exploitation.
As Aryanto explained, the ISA will hold its annual 31st Session in Kingston, Jamaica, this July. One of the most critical agenda items will be the discussion of the Mining Code, a set of international regulations that will determine whether and how commercial exploitation of minerals through deep-sea mining can be legalized.
According to Aryanto, deep-sea mining is no longer merely a global environmental debate occurring in the abstract; it has become a tangible threat with direct implications for Indonesia. Based on an analysis conducted by PWYP Indonesia and other civil society networks of global corporate financial reports, mining giant The Metals Company (TMC), through its affiliates, is allegedly planning to utilize Indonesia’s smelting overcapacity and supply chains to process polymetallic nodules extracted from international waters.
“This connection demonstrates that the political decisions made by Indonesia’s delegation at the ISA negotiations will have direct consequences for domestic environmental burdens. Indonesia is being targeted as a processing hub for deep-sea minerals, where we would bear the environmental risks associated with massive volumes of tailings and industrial waste in coastal regions. This represents a form of greenwashing within the upstream energy transition commodity chain and could undermine Indonesia’s reputation as a destination for sustainable investment,” Aryanto stated.
Globally, efforts to approve deep-sea mining through the Mining Code have faced significant opposition due to concerns over ecological destruction and human rights risks. Numerous scientists have warned that the impacts of deep-sea mining could be widespread and irreversible.
A policy brief by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), for example, highlights that deep-sea mining poses risks to marine biodiversity and damages seabed sediments, which serve as one of Earth’s major carbon sinks. Disturbing these sediments could release vast amounts of stored carbon, accelerating the global climate crisis.
“Beyond that, this extractive activity threatens the rights to livelihood, health, and food of coastal communities. When mining operations release toxic heavy metals that bioaccumulate in fisheries resources, the human rights and food sovereignty of hundreds of millions of coastal rights-holders are placed at risk. This should be a major concern for Indonesia as an archipelagic nation,” he added.
In its letter, PWYP Indonesia called on the Government to take two key actions:
- Demonstrate political leadership by officially supporting a moratorium or precautionary pause on deep-sea mining (DSM) exploitation and becoming the first country in Asia to join the growing group of progressive nations opposing the commercialization of DSM.
- Ensure high-level political representation at the 2026 ISA Council and Assembly meetings to prevent the Mining Code from being rushed through under pressure from global corporate interests at the expense of the future of ocean ecosystems.
As part of a broader governance oversight strategy, PWYP Indonesia also copied the letter to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia. This step aims to prevent deep-sea mining commodities from entering Indonesia’s domestic downstream processing and industrial supply chains without adequate safeguards.
“At a time when the world is facing interconnected planetary crises—climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution—and scientific understanding of the deep ocean remains limited, a moratorium on deep-sea mining would be a visionary act of leadership for future generations. We therefore urge the Government of Indonesia, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, to adopt the position we have recommended in the interest of ecological justice,” Aryanto concluded.
About PWYP Indonesia
PWYP Indonesia is a civil society coalition that promotes democratic, inclusive, and accountable governance of the energy and natural resources sectors to advance social and ecological justice.
Contact Person
Aryansyah (Iyan)
Email: Aryansyah@pwypindonesia.org