MIL NGO Engine

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

As the International Seabed Authority (ISA) opens its 31st Session today, Greenpeace International urges member states to take firm and swift action if breaches by subsidiaries and subcontractors of The Metals Company (TMC) are established. Evidence compiled and submitted to the ISA’s Secretary General suggests that violations of exploration contracts may have occurred. [1][2] 

Louisa Casson, Campaigner, Greenpeace International said: “In July, governments at the ISA sent a clear message: rogue companies trying to sidestep international law will face consequences. Turning that promise into action at this meeting is far more important than rushing through a Mining Code designed to appease corporate interests rather than protect the common good. As delegations from around the world gather today, they must unite and confront the US and TMC’s neo-colonial resource grab and make clear that deep sea mining is a reckless gamble humanity cannot afford.”

The ISA launched an inquiry at its last Council meeting in July 2025, in response to TMC USA seeking unilateral deep sea mining licences from the Trump administration. If the US administration unilaterally allows mining the international seabed, it would be considered in violation of international law. 

Greenpeace International has compiled and submitted evidence to the ISA Secretary-General, Leticia Carvalho, to support the ongoing inquiry into deep sea mining contractors. This evidence shows that those supporting these unprecedented rogue efforts to start deep sea mining unilaterally via President Trump could be in breach of their obligations with the ISA.  

The analysis focuses on TMC’s subsidiaries — Nauru Ocean Resources Inc (NORI) and Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd (TOML) — as well as Blue Minerals Jamaica (BMJ), a company linked to Dutch-Swiss offshore engineering firm Allseas, one of TMC’s subcontractors and largest shareholders. The information compiled indicates that their activities may violate core contractual obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). [3] If these breaches are confirmed, NORI and TOML’s exploration contracts, which expire in July 2026 and January 2027 respectively, the ISA should take action, including considering not renewing the contract.

Greenpeace International analysis found that: 

 – Following TMC USA’s application to mine the international seabed unilaterally, NORI and TOML have amended their agreements to provide payments to Nauru and Tonga, respectively, if US-authorised commercial mining goes ahead. This sets up their participation in a financial mechanism predicated on mining in contradiction to UNCLOS.

 – NORI and TOML have signed intercompany intellectual property and data-sharing agreements with TMC USA, and the data obtained by NORI and TOML under the ISA exploration contracts has been key to facilitating TMC USA’s application under US national regulations. 

 – Just a few individuals hold key decision-making roles across the TMC and all relevant subsidiaries, making claims of independent management ungrounded. NORI, TOML, and TMC USA, while legally distinct, are managed as an integrated corporate group with a single, coordinated strategy under the direct control and strategic direction of TMC.

Letícia Carvalho has recently publicly advocated for governments to finalise a streamlined deep sea mining code this year and has expressed her own concerns with the calls from 40 governments for a moratorium.[4] At a time when rogue actors are attempting to bypass or weaken the international system, Greenpeace believes that establishing rules and regulations that will allow mining to start is falling into the trap of international bullies. A Mining Code would legitimise and drive investment into a flagging industry, supporting rogue actor companies like TMC and weakening deterrence against unilateral mining outside the ISA framework.

Casson added: “Rushing to finalise a Mining Code serves the interests of multinational corporations, not the principles of multilateralism. With what we know now rules to mine the deep sea cannot coexist with ocean protection. Governments are legally obliged to only authorise deep sea mining if it can demonstrably benefit humanity – and that is non-negotiable. As the long list of scientific, environmental and social concerns with this industry keeps growing, what is needed is a clear political signal that the world will not be intimidated into rushing a mining code by unilateral threats and will instead keep moving towards a moratorium on deep sea mining.” 

ENDS

Photos are available in the Greenpeace Media Library 

Notes:

[1] The 31st Session of the International Seabed Authority https://isa.org.jm/sessions/31st-session-2026

[2] Greenpeace briefing (March 2026). Inquiry On Potential Breaches By ISA Contractors https://www.greenpeace.org/static/planet4-international-stateless/2026/03/40094db7-isa_contractors_greenpeace_international.pdf

[3] The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/unclos_e.pdf 

[4] Deep Sea Conservation Coalition: countries against deep sea mining https://deep-sea-conservation.org/solutions/no-deep-sea-mining/momentum-for-a-moratorium/

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

PERTH, Monday 9 March 2026 —  In response to reports that the West Australian government is preparing to build new gas-fired power stations in WA, the following lines can be attributed to Geoff Bice, WA Lead at Greenpeace Australia Pacific:

“Adding new gas-fired power stations is a bizarre and backwards suggestion – there is no need for more fossil fuels in the WA energy system. WA desperately needs to reduce its emissions, so it makes no sense to undermine the good work of shutting down one fossil fuel source just to open up another. Recent modelling by Greenpeace clearly demonstrates that WA does not need more gas, and entrenching it is a risk to our economic development as a renewable energy powerhouse.

“Adding new gas is simply too risky for WA. Becoming more gas reliant only exposes WA households and businesses to the price volatility we are currently seeing in global oil and gas markets due to the war in the Middle East. Given the global backlog in production of gas-fired generators, access to a new facility could be years away, well after coal has already exited the system.

“New gas is not the solution for WA when we have such an abundance of infinite, cheap renewable energy and an ambitious battery investment plan. Gas is a costly and risky option for WA taxpayers that would lock in pollution for decades to come. 

“The Minister must keep her courage in the face of gas industry lobbying. The build-out of batteries and renewable energy has been gathering pace, and WA cannot afford to take a backward step at this crucial stage.”

-ENDS-

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

SYDNEY/FIJI, Monday 9 March 2026 — As the International Seabed Authority (ISA) opens its 31st Session today, Greenpeace International is calling on member states to take firm and swift action if breaches by subsidiaries and subcontractors of The Metals Company (TMC) are established. Evidence compiled and submitted to the ISA’s Secretary General suggests that violations of exploration contracts may have occurred.

Louisa Casson, Campaigner, Greenpeace International, said: “In July, governments at the ISA sent a clear message: rogue companies trying to sidestep international law will face consequences. Turning that promise into action at this meeting is far more important than rushing through a Mining Code designed to appease corporate interests rather than protect the common good. As delegations from around the world gather today, they must unite and confront the US and TMC’s neo-colonial resource grab and make clear that deep sea mining is a reckless gamble humanity cannot afford.”

The ISA launched an inquiry at its last Council meeting in July 2025, in response to TMC USA seeking unilateral deep sea mining licences from the Trump administration. If the US administration unilaterally allows mining of the international seabed, it would be considered in violation of international law. 

Greenpeace International has compiled and submitted evidence to the ISA Secretary-General, Leticia Carvalho, to support the ongoing inquiry into deep sea mining contractors. This evidence shows that those supporting these unprecedented rogue efforts to start deep sea mining unilaterally via President Trump could be in breach of their obligations with the ISA.  

The analysis focuses on TMC’s subsidiaries — Nauru Ocean Resources Inc (NORI) and Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd (TOML) — as well as Blue Minerals Jamaica (BMJ), a company linked to Dutch-Swiss offshore engineering firm Allseas, one of TMC’s subcontractors and largest shareholders. The information compiled indicates that their activities may violate core contractual obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). If these breaches are confirmed, NORI and TOML’s exploration contracts, which expire in July 2026 and January 2027 respectively, the ISA should take action, including considering not renewing the contract.

Letícia Carvalho has recently publicly advocated for governments to finalise a streamlined deep sea mining code this year and has expressed her own concerns with the calls from 40 governments for a moratorium. At a time when rogue actors are attempting to bypass or weaken the international system, establishing rules and regulations that will allow mining to start could mean falling into the trap of international bullies. A Mining Code would legitimise and drive investment into a flagging industry, supporting rogue actor companies like TMC and weakening deterrence against unilateral mining outside the ISA framework.

Casson added: “Rushing to finalise a Mining Code serves the interests of multinational corporations, not the principles of multilateralism. With what we know now, rules to mine the deep sea cannot coexist with ocean protection. Governments are legally obliged to only authorise deep sea mining if it can demonstrably benefit humanity – and that is non-negotiable. As the long list of scientific, environmental and social concerns with this industry keeps growing, what is needed is a clear political signal that the world will not be intimidated into rushing a mining code by unilateral threats and will instead keep moving towards a moratorium on deep sea mining.” 

—ENDS—

Key findings from the full briefing:

• Following TMC USA’s application to mine the international seabed unilaterally, NORI and TOML have amended their agreements to provide payments to Nauru and Tonga, respectively, if US-authorised commercial mining goes ahead. This sets up their participation in a financial mechanism predicated on mining in contradiction to UNCLOS.
• NORI and TOML have signed intercompany intellectual property and data-sharing agreements with TMC USA, and the data obtained by NORI and TOML under the ISA exploration contracts has been key to facilitating TMC USA’s application under US national regulations.
• Just a few individuals hold key decision-making roles across the TMC and all relevant subsidiaries, making claims of independent management ungrounded. NORI, TOML, and TMC USA, while legally distinct, are managed as an integrated corporate group with a single, coordinated strategy under the direct control and strategic direction of TMC.

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Some people who know me might not readily understand why I join environmental protests and actions. Maybe they thought it’s simply part of our work.

I could have just worked or stayed at home during the 40th Anniversary of People Power. Yet I decided to be on the streets and be with our communities.

It’s not just about work. It’s not about being out there for nothing. There’s a sincere call to take part, whenever I can, in my own humble way. There’s a genuine enthusiasm to show up — as a woman, as a mom, as a wife, as a daughter, as His child.

I guess that’s the nature of women. It’s innate for many to care while that courage is in play. That means hope when women’s care and courage weave together. And courage and care could vary in meaning for women.

It takes care to love oneself and it takes courage to be empowered. It takes care to focus on what truly matters and it takes courage to know when to speak up and do something.

It takes care to appreciate someone and it takes courage to tell them when they’re not right. It takes care to have time for our loved-ones and it takes courage to be truthful.

It takes care to look after and help provide for the family and it takes courage to do that while wearing other hats. It takes care to celebrate how far we have already come and it takes courage to reflect how far we still have to go.

It takes care to listen to what a community needs and it takes courage to stand up with them. It takes care to see and appreciate the beauty of nature and it takes courage to act for our climate and our mother earth.

Regardless of how courage and care look to us women, one thing is certain. It spells HOPE. Hope that acts.

With everything that’s happening, hope remains for our community and the environment. This hope is woven together with care and courage by the hands of women, alongside diverse people who also act. Women nurture. Women challenge. The earth heals and humanity thrives when women support and lead.

The International Women’s Day or Women’s Month is not about exclusion; it’s a reminder that when we center the leadership of and respect for women, the entire tapestry becomes stronger for everyone. As we recognize women, let’s look for the passionate weavers in our own lives.

---

Diah Abida-Cruz is a Senior HR Coordinator at Greenpeace Southeast Asia and the mother to a curious daughter that inspires her everyday. Just like Diah, you can show courage by speaking up against injustice in any way you can and supporting communities in the fight for survival and a better future for all.

Source: Amnesty International –

The new Criminal Regulation recently endorsed by the Taliban leader will further entrench violence and discrimination against women, Amnesty International said in a new legal analysis documenting its wide-ranging and regressive impact on human rights.

The “Criminal Procedure Regulation of the Courts”, which lays out punishments and sentencing for a range of vague and overly broad offences, criminalizes domestic violence only in cases where a woman has suffered a broken bone or visible injuries. The decree also prescribes a three-month prison sentence for any woman who regularly visits family members without her husband’s permission and who refuses a court order to return home.

The regulation also prescribes harsh punishments for religious non-compliance, more severe punishments for people of lower social status and recognizes slavery. Other provisions authorize the destruction of property as a form of punishment, institutionalize torture and other ill-treatment through corporal punishment, and sanction the death penalty for a greater number of offences.

“The regulation makes an already repressive legal system even more draconian. Women and girls are, of course, among the most affected, with provisions that normalize domestic violence and place even greater restrictions on their movement and autonomy,” said Smriti Singh, Amnesty International’s South Asia Director.

The regulation makes an already repressive legal system even more draconian

Smriti Singh, Amnesty International’s South Asia Director

“Provisions on strict religious observance and the scaling of punishment depending on social class will entrench discrimination and target the country’s most marginalized and economically disadvantaged people.”

“We call on the Taliban to immediately revoke or revise this repressive regulation and bring it in conformity with international human rights standards. We also urge the international community to unequivocally condemn the regulation, and pressure the Taliban to end their ongoing widespread and systematic violations of human rights.”

The analysis highlights some of the central draconian provisions of the regulation and the challenges they pose, as well as how they will impact human rights in at least seven areas. The areas, and some of the key issues covered, are highlighted below:

Women’s Rights: How the changes outlined above remove essential safety mechanisms for victims and survivors of gender-based violence.

Freedom of Religion, Belief, Thought, and Expression: The impact on religious minorities of severe new penalties for deviating from the Hanifi School of Sunni Islam that the Taliban claim to adhere to, and the designation of beliefs contrary to the Sunni Branch of Islam as heretical.

Torture and other Ill-treatment: How the regulation provisions prescribe torture and other ill-treatment in the form of flagging or lashing for a wide range of offences.

Death Penalty: The prescription of the death penalty for a broad range of offences including ‘habitual sodomy’ based on a discretionary judgement from an Imam that it is in the ‘public interest’.

International Fair Trial Standards: How vague definitions of offences empower the Taliban judges and authorities to arbitrarily define and implement them, which will further undermine the justice process.

Equality Before the Law: The division of offenders into four categories with a sliding scale of punishments based on social hierarchy.

Slavery: How the wording of some provisions appears to recognize ownership over certain individuals, and expressly recognize slavery

Background

On 5 January, the Taliban leader endorsed the regulation and ordered its publication in the Official Gazette, where laws and other legislative documents are published to ensure public awareness and accessibility. On 8 January, the Taliban’s Supreme Court Secretariat (Dar -al-Insha,), circulated the regulation to the members of the Supreme Court, directorates, and courts for its implementation. Though the regulation is not yet published in the official Gazette, the Taliban stated on 23 January that it would be published soon. Amnesty International contacted the de facto Taliban authorities on 19 February seeking an official copy of the regulation and any accompanying materials for this analysis, and to determine whether the regulation has been effectively enforced, but no response was provided.

On 15 February, a media outlet reported that the implementation of the regulation had led to the prosecution of an individual in Badghis province for insulting the Taliban leader.

Source: Amnesty International –

Responding to Israel’s use of repeated, overly broad evacuation orders across Lebanon over the past four days, including to more than 100 villages and towns in the country’s south and east, as well as the entirety of Beirut’s southern suburbs, displacing hundreds of thousands of people, Kristine Beckerle, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International said today:

“Civilians in Lebanon are once again being ordered to flee en masse by a military that has repeatedly shown its willingness to inflict significant civilian harm through unlawful attacks in previous rounds of fighting. The sweeping evacuation orders have sown panic and terror, displaced hundreds of thousands of people and fuelled yet another humanitarian catastrophe for a population already exhausted and reeling from multiple crises.

“The overly broad warnings covering vast areas of Lebanon do not constitute effective guarantees of protection. They provide no meaningful information about where or when the Israeli military might strike and offer civilians nowhere near the level of guidance needed to make informed decisions about whether, or for how long, to flee. Many civilians, including older people, children, people with disabilities, cannot evacuate, or may have nowhere safe to go.

The sweeping evacuation orders have sown panic and terror, displaced hundreds of thousands of people and fuelled yet another humanitarian catastrophe for a population already exhausted and reeling from multiple crises.

Kristine Beckerle, MENA Deputy Director

“Issuing mass evacuation orders does not grant the Israeli military the right to treat these areas as open-fire zones, nor does it absolve Israel of its obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and to take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians, wherever they are. In the 24 hours since the mass evacuation order for Beirut’s southern suburbs, for example, the Israeli military has carried out repeated air strikes, many without warnings.

“The repeated use of overly broad warnings, paired with the Israeli military’s extensive destruction of civilian property in more than two dozen municipalities along Lebanon’s border both before and after a ceasefire was in place, raises serious concerns that some of these mass evacuation orders are intended to forcibly displace civilians, which is prohibited by international humanitarian law.

“The absolute impunity that Israel has enjoyed after previous rounds of fighting has paved the way for these same violations of international law to recur, once again placing civilians at grave risk. We urge parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, to protect civilians and to refrain from unlawful attacks.”

Background

Less than 100 hours after fighting escalated in Lebanon, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council, more than 300,000 people had been displaced across the country. As of 6 March, Lebanon’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, affiliated with the Ministry of Public Health, announced that 217 people had been killed and 798 injured since fighting escalated on 2 March, and that more than 110,000 of those displaced were in collective shelters.

Between 3-6 March the Israeli military issued a series of evacuation orders instructing residents of entire towns and villages in south Lebanon and areas of the Bekaa Valley to evacuate. These included one on 5 March in which Israel’s military ordered the entire population living south of the Litani River to leave “immediately” for their “safety”.

On 5 March, the Israeli military issued another blanket evacuation order, this time to all the residents of Dahieh, the densely populated southern suburbs of Beirut. As residents scrambled to flee, roads were clogged for hours, with fear-gripped residents escaping in cars or on foot carrying whatever they could.

Hezbollah and Israel engaged in cross-border hostilities after the group launched attacks into northern Israel following the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hamas in the occupied Gaza Strip in October 2023. Despite a ceasefire being agreed in 2024, Israel continued carrying out near-daily strikes, primarily in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa region, killing at least 127 civilians while the ceasefire was in place.

On 2 March 2026, Hezbollah launched a series of attacks into Israel in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei following a US-Israeli attack on Iran. Since October 2023, Amnesty International has documented Israel’s unlawful attacks on civilians and civilian objects, use of white phosphorous and its extensive destruction in Lebanon’s border villages, as well as Hezbollah’s repeated firing of unguided rockets into civilian areas in Israel. All must be investigated as war crimes.

Source: Amnesty International –

Governments around the world are rolling back decades of progress on gender equality resulting in increasing attacks on reproductive rights, the silencing of feminist voices, funding cuts for women’s rights organizations, and much more.

Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls is more important than ever, and will be top of the agenda when UN member states convene for the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women from 9 to 19 March.

Here are eight areas in which Amnesty International has been campaigning for gender equality and justice. These wins take different forms – from landmark court rulings and legal reforms to hard-won recognition, accountability and resistance in the face of injustice. As long as we don’t give up, humanity can – and will – win against discrimination, gender-based violence and injustice!

Source: Amnesty International –

Ahead of the first hearing in the trial of Istanbul Mayor and presidential candidate, Ekrem İmamoğlu, and 406 other defendants on charges including bribery and extortion, Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnesty’s Deputy Director for Europe, said: 

“After almost a year behind bars in pretrial detention, Ekrem İmamoğlu will take to the dock to face an absurd array of 142 charges set out in an almost 4,000 page indictment and carrying a ludicrous jail term of more than 2,300 years.

Ekrem İmamoğlu will take to the dock to face an absurd array of 142 charges carrying a ludicrous jail term of more than 2,300 years

“This politically-motivated prosecution, which is based almost entirely on secret witness testimony, is riddled with serious international fair trial and rule of law issues. Hundreds of thousands of pages of evidence have been submitted to this mass trial where defendants’ and their legal representatives’ ability to mount an effective defence is almost impossible. This prosecution bears the hall marks of an attempt to intimidate political opponents of the government and silence wider dissent in the country.

“This mass trial is the most extreme example of the disturbing weaponization of Türkiye’s justice system, whose independence has now been almost entirely hollowed out. Turkish authorities must end this travesty of justice and uphold the rule of law and human rights of everyone in the country.”

Background 

Ekrem İmamoğlu is the elected Mayor of Istanbul and was declared as the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples’ Republican Party (CHP).

He faces allegations including running a criminal organization, bribery, embezzlement, money laundering, extortion and tender rigging. If found guilty he could face up to 2,352 years behind bars. 

Most of the other 406 defendants in the trial worked for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. 105 are currently in pretrial detention, and 170 have been released subject to judicial control orders. 

Ekrem İmamoğlu faces other prosecutions including an espionage investigation the trial for which is set to begin on 11 May and carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years. 

The hearing will take place on 9 March