World Ocean Day: Slovenia supports moratorium on deep-sea mining
Slovenia firmly supports the moratorium on deep-sea mining in keeping with its commitment to environmental sustainability and international legal obligations. In order to ensure the protection of marine ecosystems and the preservation of the common heritage of humankind, all decisions relating to the exploitation of deep-sea resources must be based on the precautionary principle.
Premature commencement of commercial exploitation of deep-sea resources may cause irreparable ecological damage and undermine efforts to achieve sustainable ocean governance and preserve endangered species' habitats. Slovenia calls for continued scientific research into the long-term effects of deep-sea mining to ensure informed decision-making which will prioritise environmental integrity and responsible resource governance.