Zakia Khattabi served as Belgium’s federal Minister of Climate, Environment, Sustainable Development and the Green Deal from October 2020 to February 2025. During her tenure she became the cabinet voice most closely associated with a precautionary approach to deep-sea mining, while Belgium continued as the sponsoring state of Global Sea Mineral Resources, an International Seabed Authority exploration contractor.

Educated in social work at Université libre de Bruxelles and active in the Ecolo party, Khattabi entered national politics after service in the Brussels and French Community parliaments. She co-led Ecolo from 2015 to 2019 and then joined the federal cabinet in 2020. As minister she linked ocean governance to climate, biodiversity, and just transition policy, launching nationwide dialogues on a just transition and advancing federal measures on plastics, chemicals, and marine protection.

On deep-sea mining, Khattabi consistently argued for a precautionary path. Under her watch Belgium’s official statements at the International Seabed Authority called for delaying exploitation until strict conditions are met, including a robust Mining Code, stronger environmental standards, more independent science, and progress toward protecting 30 percent of the ocean by 2030. At the national level the government advanced a draft legal framework for potential Belgian commercial activity, while emphasizing that sponsorship for exploitation would require science-based safeguards and full regulatory clarity.

Khattabi’s stance reflected Belgium’s dual role. As the sponsoring state of GSR, Belgium supported technology testing and scientific monitoring in the Clarion–Clipperton Zone. At the same time, Khattabi pressed for high environmental thresholds and greater transparency in assessments and public participation. This combination positioned Belgium as both an industrial participant and a proponent of strong global rules.

By pairing climate and biodiversity priorities with conditions for any future seabed extraction, Zakia Khattabi helped frame Belgium’s contribution to international rulemaking.