SEA/1523

ASSEMBLY CONTINUES DISCUSSIONS ON PROPOSED FUNCTIONS OF INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY

A structure should be established to receive exploitation applications from prospective investors in seabed mining operations, the representative of Jamaica said. A monitoring system should be established in order to ensure that prospectors comply with their obligations. The Authority must acquire all available information about seabed mining and be fully aware of developments. It would be abdicating its responsibilities if it did not, the representative added.

Other speakers stressed the importance of efficient management of resources. The representative of Kenya said the Authority should be imaginative while stressing cost effectiveness. It represented a new model of cooperation between North and South and hopefully the whole world would benefit as a result, the representative of Sudan noted.

Some sections of the reports had real financial implications and discussion should be deferred until the Finance Committee had been elected, according to the representative of the Russian Federation. He would reserve his position and his right to return to the discussion. In the meantime, the Authority should proceed with its work -- namely the election of the Finance Committee, the President of the Council and its draft the rules of procedure, as well as the election of the Technical and Legal Commission.

The representative of Bangladesh said there was a danger that the Finance Committee could come to resemble the Security Council where some members were more equal than others. Member States on the Committee which were the largest contributors could assume the status of the five permanent members of the Council.

- 2 - Press Release SEA/1523 8 August 1996

The Convention on the Law of the Sea set up the Authority to administer the resources of the deep seabed beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. The Assembly, the supreme organ of the Authority, consists of all parties to the Convention, as well as all those States who have agreed to the provisional application of the 1994 Agreement on the implementation of the deep seabed mining provisions of the Convention. The other main organ is the Council, which consists of 36 members elected by the Assembly.

The draft on the functions of the Authority outlines the proposed activities of the secretariat of the Authority during the initial start-up period of the Authority's work. It is a background document to the draft budget, which will also be considered by the Council and the Finance Committee before the Assembly gives its final approval. That draft budget envisions a secretariat comprised of four organizations units: the office of the Secretary-General; the office of legal services and implementation affairs; the office of resources and environmental monitoring; and the office of administration and management.

The basic functions of the secretariat as envisioned in the draft documents follow closely the outline set in the 1994 Agreement. The Agreement assigns the Authority a number of specific functions to be carried out during the period between the entry into force of the Convention and the approval of the first plan of work for the exploitation of deep seabed minerals. These functions include processing of applications for exploration of deep seabed areas, monitoring of compliance with approved plans of work, monitoring and review of trends and developments relating to deep seabed mining activities, adoption of rules for the protection of the marine environment, and the promotion and encouragement of the conduct of prime scientific research with respect to activities in the deep seabed area.

To carry out the functions assigned to the Authority the proposed budget calls for a secretariat comprised of 54 staff and a total allocation of $5.4 million to cover established posts, temporary assistance, conference servicing and other expenses of the Authority.

The representatives of China, Samoa (on behalf of member States of the South Pacific Forum), Canada, Argentina, and Japan also made statements this afternoon.

The Assembly will meet again at a time and date to be announced.

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