Assembly calls for universal participation in Law of the Sea Convention.

• Position: UN General Assembly

The General Assembly on 5 December called upon all States that had not yet done so to become parties to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, in order to achieve the goal of universal participation. In resolution 50/23, adopted by a vote of 132 to 1 (Turkey), with 3 abstentions, the Assembly emphasized the importance of making adequate provision for the efficient functioning of the institutions established by the Convention.

In a statement to the Assembly, Satya N. Nandan of Fiji, President of the Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention on the Law of the Sea, underlined the outstanding achievements of the Convention and the universal support it had now secured. The Convention had set out new rules for the use of the oceans and the management of its resources and established a balance between competing interests, he added.

Many other speakers also described the Convention as one of the Organization's greatest achievements; however, some also raised issues regarding ongoing threats to the marine environment and the implementation of the Convention.

During the debate, a number of speakers raised the issue of recent nuclear tests undertaken in the South Pacific region. Razali Ismail of Malaysia said it was the international community's particular responsibility to guarantee that the legal regime that governed the law of the sea was not wrecked by unilateral and arbitrary action by any State. He was also concerned by reports of rusting nuclear warships, with nuclear reactors abandoned carelessly at their bases, and of nuclear submarines lost or scuttled at sea.

Jean-Michel Gaussot of France denied that his country's nuclear tests harmed the environment. The "harmlessness" of those tests had been confirmed by a group of Australian scientists, and the European Commission had recently concluded that they posed no threat to the population, he said.

Secretary-General's report

A 1 November report of the Secretary-General (A/50/713) provides a comprehensive overview of all developments in ocean affairs, with emphasis on those relating to the implementation of the Law of the Sea Convention and the conservation and management of living marine resources. It stated that since the Convention's entry into force in November 1994, 13 more States had deposited their instruments of ratification, accession or succession, bringing the total number of States parties to 81.

Regarding the activities of the International Seabed Authority, the report...