Delegates to the United Nations International Seabed Authority (ISA), which has its headquarters here, are finding it hard to get visas to Jamaica, raising questions about the suitability of holding sessions of the authority in the island.

And spouses of staff members working at the ISA headquarters are also complaining about problems getting work permits.

The difficulties being experienced by the seabed delegates, mostly ambassadors and high-ranking government officials, were disclosed by ISA secretary-general, Satya Nandan in his report to the 12th session of the ISA now underway at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.

Nandan said that his secretariat would be holding talks with the Jamaican government to find ways of resolving the visa problems affecting the delegates.

“I plan to take up this matter with the host country,” Nandan promised the delegates. “I will work with the host country to see how we can ameliorate the situation to make it easier for you to attend meetings of the Authority.”

The current problems over visas and work permits are likely to strengten the hand of those delegates who have, from time to time, campaigned to have the sessions held in New York where the UN headquarters is located, on grounds that it would be cheaper and more convenient.

Efforts to contact the Jamaican foreign ministry yesterday were unsuccessful and cellphone messages left by the Observer were not immediately returned.

Nandan told the assembly that he had received complaints from a number of delegates about difficulties in obtaining visas to travel to Jamaica.

He said that a primary reason was the fact that Jamaica did not have embassies or consulates in a number of countries and the delegates had to seek visas through the British consulate in their countries.

“This is not always practical,” Nandan contended.

Some delegates had indicated that they had to stop off in London to obtain visas to attend the conference.

He admitted, however, that there had been changes to the system of obtaining visas recently because of the (international) security systems introduced to counter alleged terrorism.

On the matter of getting work permits for the spouses of staff members, Nandan said restrictions on the availability of work permits had previously been noted as “an obstacle to the recruitment of qualified staff”.

He said, however, that following consultations with the government, Jamaica had proposed an acceptable procedure to facilitate the issuing of work permits to the spouses of staff members, in order to enable them to accept offers of employment.

Nandan did not give details of the proposal.

Most of the 149 member-countries of ISA are represented at the current session which began on August 7 and will continue to August 18. They are continuing the work to realise Fiji’s Arvid Pardo’s dream of establishing the rich mineral resources of the world’s seas and oceans as the common heritage of mankind.

Kingston has been host to the headquarters of the International Seabed Authority since it was established under the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention, which was signed in Montego Bay in December 1982.

The secretary-general expressed his appreciation to the Jamaican authorities for their efforts to provide the necessary facilities for the Authority’s annual sessions.

Among the issues being discussed is that of the draft regulations on sulphides and crusts, in terms of production sharing and joint venture participation and the differences in the nature of the two mineral deposits for which regulations are being considered.

The council of ISA, on Friday, took note of the report of its legal and technical commission, which covered a number of issues including annual reports of contractors prospecting for minerals in the seabed area, as well as marine environmental issues.

The commission also discussed a proposal to establish a mineral resource/reserve classification system for the international seabed area.

Sainvalati S Navoti, legal counsel at the Fiji permanent mission to the UN in New York and head of the Fijian delegation to the session, is presiding.