ABSTRACT
The management of goods for joint net benefit requires a particular set of decision-making arrangements which, in combination with goods, act as constraints or opportunities for decision-makers. The cumbersome qualities of a body comprised of 160 sovereign actors can be modified by a set of rules restricting entry and constraining decision-making competence. The Authority will have the power to regulate the extraction of nickel, copper, cobalt, manganese, and perhaps other minerals from the deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction. It will be unique in that it will be the first cooperative international body whose purpose is the development, management, regulation, and production of resources from areas outside national laws. The chapter suggests that several fundamental dimensions that distinguish state perceptions on the appropriateness and acceptability of proposed organizational arrangements for the International Seabed Authority. The International Seabed Authority is a fascinating example of an emerging institution with potentially important implications for global resource redistribution.
