June 2024 | INRAE-Cirad-Ifremer-IRD

At the initiative of the CEOs of the institutes

Referral approved on 18 March 2024

————

Deep-sea exploration raises a fundamental question about the stakes for knowledge.

This Guidance stresses the importance of distinguishing between the intrinsic value of knowledge and the consequences of acquiring it, and of encouraging the parties involved in a deep-sea research project to decide together whether or not it is worth continuing.

The Committee has developed the notion of "stakes for knowledge", which are borne by each of the players (research organisations, instrument manufacturers, financial backers, citizens, industry, etc.) involved in or affected by research. The Committee therefore recommends that these stakes should be expressed in a transparent manner, and that a comprehensive list be drawn up before any research programme is initiated and during its life-span.

The Committee strongly underlines the critical need for a robust legal status for the preservation of the deep seabed. The Committee's discussions highlighted the limitations of the "common heritage of mankind" status, which does not generate any binding legal obligations, thus limiting its effectiveness in terms of protection.

_{Illustration: giant tube worm Riftia pachyptila | Credit: Ifremer}