A/RES/74/19 Oceans and the law of the sea 63. Reiterates the importance of the ongoing elaboration and standardization by the Authority, pursuant to article 145 of the Convention, of rules, regulations and procedures to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment, for, inter alia, the protection and conservation of the natural resources of the Area and for the prevention of damage to the flora and fauna of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from activities in the Area; 64. Notes that, as at 31 July 2019, the Authority had entered into 15-year contracts with 17 contractors for exploration for polymetallic nodules, 7 contractors for exploration for polymetallic sulphides and 5 contractors for exploration for cobalt rich ferromanganese crusts, 35 and had approved the thirtieth plan of work, for exploration for polymetallic nodules, during the twenty-fifth session of the Authority; 36 65. Welcomes the progress of the work of the Authority on draft regulations for exploitation of mineral resources in the Area, takes note of the invitation to submit additional written comments on the draft regulations, including specific drafting suggestions, and encourages the Authority to continue its work on the draft regulations as a matter of priority and to provide sufficient opportunities and time for substantive consideration and discussion of the draft regulations, and emphasizes the ongoing need for openness and transparency; 66. Recalls the relevance of the advisory opinion on the responsibilities and obligations of States sponsoring persons and entities with respect to activities in the Area, issued by the Seabed Disputes Chamber of the Tribunal on 1 February 2011; 37 67. Takes note of the public consultations organized in 2018 by two sponsoring States with regard to the environmental impact assessments submitted to the Authority, ahead of technical tests to be held in 2019 in the respective contract areas of their sponsored contractors in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone; 68. Recognizes the importance of the responsibilities entrusted to the Authority by articles 143 and 145 of the Convention, which refer to marine scientific research and protection of the marine environment in the Area, respectively; 69. Welcomes the adoption by the Assembly, at the twenty-fifth session of the Authority, of the high-level action plan and performance indicators developed for each priority against each of the strategic directions in the strategic plan of the Authority for the period 2019–2023, which provides a uniform basis for the strengthening of existing working practices of the Authority; 38 70. Also welcomes the public launch of the Authority database (DeepData), which aims to serve as the principal repository of all data and information relating to activities in the Area; 71. Notes the endorsement by the Assembly, at the twenty-fifth session of the Authority, of the memorandum of understanding between the Authority and the Ministry of Natural Resources of China on the establishment of a joint training and research centre, 39 which aims to promote and encourage the conduct of marine scientific research in the Area, as well as international cooperation for the development of technological knowledge and research, including by creating training and capacity-building opportunities, in particular for developing countries; 40 __________________ 35 36 37 38 39 40 16/57 See ISBA/25/C/9. See ISBA/25/C/33. See ISBA/17/A/9. See ISBA/25/A/15 and ISBA/25/A/15/Corr.1. See ISBA/25/A/17. ISBA/25/A/4. 19-21313