LAW OF THE SEA COUNTRY STUDY THAILAND

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-01054A000100060001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 26
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 21, 2002
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 1, 1974
• Content Type: STUDY

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Secret
Law of the Sea Country Study
Thailand
State Dept. review completed
Secret
BGI LOS 74-6
April 1974
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FOREWORD
The Law of the Sea Country Studies are prepared to support
the NSC Interagency Task Force on the Law of the Sea. The
countries to be included in the series are selected on the
basis of priorities suggested by the chairman of the Task
Force.
Each study has two parts. Part I is an analysis of the
primary geographic, economic, and political factors that
might influence the country's law of the sea policy, the
public and private expressions of that policy,
'Part II provides
basic data and information bearing on law of the sea matters.
This study was prepared by the Office of Basic and
Geographic Intelligence, support was provided by
the Central Reference Service. The study was coordinated
within the Directorate of Intelligence and with the Depart-
ment of State. Comments and questions may be directed to the
LOS Country Studies Working Group,
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CONTENTS
Part I - Law of the Sea Analysis
Summary
1
Factors Influencing Policy
2
Law of the Sea Policy
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Part II - Background Information
Basic Data
15
Conventions
16
Present Ocean Claims
17
Action on Significant UN Resolutions
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Membership in Organizations related to LOS Interests
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ANNEX
Draft articles submitted by Thailand to the Seabed Committee
Maps: Regional map
Theoretical Division of the World Seabed
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THAILAND
Part I - Law of the Sea Analysis
A. SUMMARY
Thailand, a largely shelf-locked developing
coastal state with distant-water fishing and
maritime interests, views negotiation at the
Third Law of the Sea Conference as the preferred
course to achieve timely solutions to law of the
sea problems.
It will have difficulty, however, reconciling
its support for the rights of fellow developing
coastal states, including neighboring straits
states, with its economic and national security concerns. Of primary
concern to the Thai are freedom of fisheries and navigation beyond
the territorial sea and adequate protection of unimpeded transit
through and over international straits. Thailand supports a narrow
territorial sea (i.e., 12 n. miles wide) and a coincident exclusive
fisheries zone. With tin resources and encouraging prospects of
commercial quantities of petroleum on its continental shelf, Thailand
favors coastal state jurisdiction over a broad economic zone but has
not committed itself on the outer limit. Concerned about distant-
water fishing restrictions, Thailand takes the position that coastal
state jurisdiction in an economic zone should be limited to the
exploration and exploitation of seabed mineral resources. Additionally,
as a potentially zone-locked state, Thailand is likely to oppose any
zone regime capable of affecting freedom of navigation such as
coastal state control of vessel-source pollution.
Thailand supports the concept of an international regime to control
the exploration and exploitation of deep seabed resources. Its regime
views include revenue sharing, with special consideration given to
developing states; protection of coastal state mineral resource rights;
promotion of scientific and technical training for underdeveloped
country personnel; and, in addition to granting mining licenses to
state and private contractors, provision for the international
authority itself to conduct mining operations in the international
zone.
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B. FACTORS INFLUENCING LOS POLICY
Special Geographic Features
Thailand is shelf-locked except for a narrow band off its west
coast in the Andaman Sea and the northern part of the Strait of
Malacca. Here, the edge of its continental shelf lies 25 to 75 n.
miles offshore at a depth of 200 meters, and the continental
margin extends as much as 170 n. miles off the Thai mainland to a
depth of about 2,500 meters at the theoretical median boundary
with India. Off the remainder of the west coast the Thai shelf
abuts on the Indonesian shelf in the northern part of the Strait of
Malacca. Everywhere off the Thai mainland the strait is more than
150 n. miles wide. In the Gulf of Thailand, which is less than 200
meters deep throughout, Thailand is shelf-locked by the Khmer
Republic (Cambodia), South Vietnam, and Malaysia.
Uses of the Sea
Mineral Resources -- Thailand is one of the world's largest tin
producers, ranking behind Malaysia, Bolivia, and possibly the USSR.
To strengthen its position, Thailand has been moving out onto its
continental shelf with large dredges as the more accessible land
deposits show signs of depletion. The transition to large offshore
mining projects off peninsular Thailand--the main onshore producing
area--has been supported by foreign capital and is expected to gain
momentum in the next few years. The application of higher technology
in Thailand's tin industry began about 1971, when the first cutter-
suction dredge was put into operation near the northern end of the
Strait of Malacca by the Thailand Exploration and Mining Co. (TEMCO),
a joint venture with Union Carbide, a U.S. enterprise. Other U.S.
interests include Alcoa and Bethlehem Steel, which have joined with
U.K. investors in Associated Mines, a new venture that has leased
offshore tin properties and was expected to have two large bucket
dredges in operation by late 1973. Although production could
decrease during the transition to further offshore mining,
exploration has been thorough and the long-term prospects are
that Thailand will continue to strengthen its position as a leading
tin producer.
Tenneco and Union Carbide have found traces of oil and gas in the
Gulf of Thailand about 375 miles south of Bangkok but well within
the shelf area claimed by Thailand. Commercially exploitable
deposits, however, have yet to be confirmed.
In June 1972, Thailand reportedly had under consideration amend-
ment of its oil exploration and exploitation regulations contained
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in the Petroleum Act of 1971 to include concession of offshore areas
to the 1,000-meter isobath. As of December 1972, ten firms held
concessions to 23 offshore exploratory blocks--19 in the Gulf of
Thailand and 4 in the Andaman Sea. Two blocks seaward of the
200-meter line in the Andaman Sea had not been offered for
concession.
Living Resources -- Thailand is the leading Southeast Asian
fishing nation in the size of the domestic catch. Fishing plays an
important role in the economy and is the source of a large portion
of animal protein in the Thai diet. The annual catch rose from 0.25
to 1.59 million tons between 1960 and 1971, and the share of marine
fish in the total catch rose rom 70% in 1962 to 93% in 1971, largely
due to the increased use of motorized trawlers.
Almost 80% of the marine catch comes from the coastal waters of
the Gulf of Thailand, including those off neighboring states. Indi-
cations are that the gulf is overfished, however, and the Thai
fishing fleet,1 which has been significantly increased in the last
decade, has expanded its distant-water operations into the Andaman
and South China Seas. Major fishing ports include Phuket and Ranong
on the Strait of Malacca- Andaman Sea coast, as well as Bangkok and
other ports on the Gulf of Thailand.
Disputes with its neighbors have also increased as the Thai search
or new fishing grounds. Frequently, they have been apprehended in
waters claimed by Burma, the Khmer Republic, Malaysia, Indonesia, and
South Vietnam. The most heated disputes have been with Burma and the
Khmer Republic. While the controversy with Malaysia has been largely
resolved, the dispute with Indonesia has intensified since the latter's
extension of its exclusive fisheries zone to 50 n. miles in late 1972.
Marine Transportation -- International trade is vital to the Thai
economy; its major trading partners are Japan and the United States.
In 1972 the combined value of imports and exports amounted to $2.5
billion, equivalent to more than one-third of GDP. Virtually all of
the imports and about 80% of the exports passed through the port of
Bangkok.
Thailand relies heavily on foreign vessels to haul its maritime
trade despite its dependence on marine transportation. In 1970, the
Thai merchant fleet2 carried less than 3% of the nation's total
seaborne trade of 16.6 million tons. Thailand pays almost $300
1-More than 35,000 small craft, including over 5,000 motorized
units, and three oceangoing trawlers.
2- oceangoing fleet of 26 ships of 1,000 gross register tons or
over, including nine tankers, plus at least 25 smaller ships used
primarily in the coastal trade.
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million annually in freight costs to foreign carriers. The government
is now advocating a larger and more modern merchant fleet to lessen
this dependence on foreign shipping and to conserve foreign exchange.
Thailand's port facilities are inadequate for the thriving economy.
Only three ports, all on the Gulf of Thailand, have facilities for
oceangoing vessels; one, Si Racha, is an offshore pipeline facility
for large tankers. The government has proposed development of Phuket
at the north end of the Strait of Malacca into a deepwater port and
naval base.
Political and Other Factors
Thailand is an active member of the United Nations and a leader
in the promotion of regional cooperation in Southeast Asia. For
more than two decades it has adhered to a strong pro-Western policy
and has had close ties with the United States, including a mutual
security commitment through the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
(SEATO), a bilateral Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations, and
agreements on military assistance and economic and technical
cooperation. The two countries have cooperated over a wide range
of Asian and world problems.
In recent years, however, Thailand has taken a more independent
stance and broadened its contacts with its neighbors and other
countries, including several Communist nations, among them the
People's Republic of China. Thailand views its SEATO membership
chiefly in terms of the defense commitments of the United States,
thus, Thailand exerts greater efforts to promote the goals of other
regional organizations it regards as being more truly Southeast
Asian. Thailand is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN), which also includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore,
and the Philippines. In June 1973, it attended ASEAN's seventh
meeting that focused on a possible 10-nation "zone of peace,
freedom and neutrality." The zone, suggested by Malaysia in 1971,
would include the five ASEAN nations plus North and South Vietnam,
Laos, the Khmer Republic, and Burma.
Thailand's relations with Laos, Malaysia, and Singapore are
generally good, although problems do exist with Laos. Relations
with other neighboring states are correct but cool.
C. LAW OF THE SEA POLICY
Territorial Sea
Because of its distant-water fishing interests and its concern
for free access of U.S. naval ships to Thai waters, Thailand supports
12 n. miles as the maximum outer limit of the territorial sea. The
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Thai are unlikely to agree with those Latin American countries that
envision a plurality of "territorial sea" regimes out to 200 n.
miles in which innocent passage would apply to the first zone out
to 12 n. miles, and freedom of navigation, overflight, and laying
of submarine cables and pipelines--but not freedom of fisheries--would
apply to the 12- to 200-n. mile zone. Thailand signed and ratified the
1958 Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone, and in
1966 it extended its territorial sea to 12 n. miles from a previous
6-n. mile limit.
Straits
Thailand supports free passage through and over international
straits that would be overlapped by a 12-n. mile territorial sea
extension by one or more nations. Indonesia and Malaysia have
actively sought Thai support of their straits position since
announcing in November 1971 that the Malacca-Singapore Straits were
not international straits and that transit of the passageway was
limited to innocent passage. They also have attempted to involve
Thailand in certain straits-related activities, such as cooperation
in the establishment of a pollution-free zone at the northern end
of the Strait of Malacca. Thailand, however, has indicated that
innocent passage through the straits would be "inadequate" for its
"individual goegraphic circumstances" and would adversely affect its
maritime trade and economic development. The Thai have seriously
considered the construction of a sea-level ship canal or an oil
pipeline across peninsular Thailand as a bypass to part of the
Malacca-Singapore Straits traffic.
Thailand believes its long-range security interests are best
promoted by supporting the U.S. presence until there is real peace
in Southeast Asia. Accordingly, it is concerned about a straits
agreement based on the innocent passage doctrine, which is susceptible
to abuse through subjective interpretation by straits states and
could reduce the mobility of US forces in the area. There probably
will be no sharp change in this view unless Thai leaders perceive a
radically accelerated U.S. disengagement from Southeast Asia. In this
regard, Thailand will be studying carefully the U.S. attitude toward
SEATO.
Archipelagos
Thailand has not taken an official position on the archipelago
issue, which involves the attempts of neighboring Indonesia and some
other archipelagic states to assert sovereignty over the waters
enclosed by baselines connecting the outermost points of the outer-
most islands of the archipelago. Indonesia sees Thailand in
opposition because it is not an archipelagic state and is concerned
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with fishing in waters that otherwise would be denied under the
archipelago concept. However, Indonesia has indicated it may be able
to develop a "common view" with Thailand on this issue.
Continental Shelf
Thailand is a party to the 1958 Convention on the Continental
Shelf. In mid-1973 the Thai Government officially announced its
claim to the shelf in the Gulf of Thailand, a claim that overlaps
parts of the Cambodian and South Vietnamese shelf claims. All three
countries have granted petroleum concession blocks in the Gulf, but
companies holding concessions in the disputed zones are hesitant to
drill or explore until the disputes are resolved.
Agreements on the shelf and deeper seabed boundaries in the
Strait of Malacca and Andaman Sea have been reached with Indonesia
and Malaysia, but the northern part of the boundary with Indonesia
and the boundary with India, both in the Andaman Sea, have yet to
be determined.
Coastal State Jurisdiction Beyond the Territorial Sea
Thailand supports the right of a coastal state to extend its
jurisdiction over a broad area beyond its territorial sea but
maintains the extension should apply only to the exploration and
exploitation of the mineral resources of the seabed. The Thai view
is that the establishment of an economic zone should be without
prejudice to the freedom of fishing, navigation, and overflight
beyond the limit of the territorial sea.
In 1966, Thailand proclaimed a 12-n. mile exclusive fishing zone
coincident with its territorial sea claim. As a distant-water fishing
state, Thailand supports a maximum limit of 12 n. miles for an
exclusive fishery zone; it is opposed to any broad exclusive economic
zone that would restrict its fishing operations off other coastal
states. It also may have strong reservations concerning the species
approach of the U.S. fisheries proposal, having stated that the U.S.
proposal favors the coastal state fisheries to the detriment of
distant-water fishing states.
As to the breadth of the economic zone, Thailand maintains the
right of every coastal state to choose between the depth and the
distance criterion, subject to regional boundary arrangements. It
favors a depth limit of more than 200 meters to compensate for the
loss of rights it now claims under the exploitability criterion of
the 1958 Convention of the Continental Shelf. It has not committed
itself on the precise depth criterion but probably will opt for
at least 1,000 meters. If the LOS Conference adopts a distance
criterion, Thailand would prefer 200 n. miles.
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Deep Seabed
Thailand supports the concept of an international regime responsi-
ble for the development and management of the seabed resources beyond
the limits of national jurisdiction, and endorses the establishment
of international machinery to regulate, coardinate, supervise, and
control the exploration and exploitation of the seabed resources. The
Thai feel that the international organization should be empowered to:
a. grant licenses for all seabed exploration and exploitation
activities in the international zone;
b. undertake exploration and exploitation activities on its own
or through state or private contractors;
c. receive all revenues and other benefits from the extraction
of minerals, and distribute the benefits equitably, with special
consideration given to the interests and needs of the developing
countries;
d. regulate production of resources to minimize price fluctuation
of raw materials in the world market;
e. arrange for the scientific and technical training of personnel
from developing countries;
f. take measures to prevent the degradation of the marine environ-
ment, including pollution control; and
g. ensure the timely dissemination of scientific information on
the seabed to all states, without discrimination.
Marine Pollution
Thailand has stated that all nations have the obligation to protect
and preserve the marine environment, particularly to protect areas
beyond their national jurisdiction from pollution emanating from all
sources, including land-based sources, within their national juris-
diction. However, concerned with pollution standards that could
adversely affect freedom of navigation and impede the utilization
of its seabed mineral resources, Thailand has been cautious on this
issue. Basically, it opposes the concept of a coastal state pollution
jurisdiction regime such as the 200-n. mile pollution zone advocated
by some developing coastal states. If such a zone were adoptea,
Thailand would find itself totally zone-locked.
Thailand favors international environmental standards for conti-
nental shelf activities, such as petroleum exploitation; for mining
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in the deep seabed; and for regulation of vessel-source pollution.
Thailand feels that international standards for shelf activities
should not be so high as to restrict exploitation of mineral
resources. It also feels that the international standards should
be minimum in the sense that coastal states could set higher
standards. On the issue of vessel-source pollution, however,
Thailand is likely to oppose any proposal allowing coastal states
to set higher standards. Because of its acting merchant marine,
Thailand may also oppose port states setting higher vessel-
source pollution standards.
Thailand attended the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative
Organization (IMCO) Marine Pollution Convention, concluded at
London in November 1973, which set forth international standards to
deal with vessel-source pollution but did not settle the problems of
who may set and enforce the standards and where. It is a party to
the 1958 Convention on the High Seas, which provided for all states
to prevent oil pollution from ships, pipelines, and seabed
exploitation activities but did not make any provision for the
discharge of this obligation. Thailand is not a party to any of the
four major oil pollution international conventions (Prevention of
Pollution of the Sea by Oil, Intervention on the High Seas in Cases
of Oil Pollution Casualities, Civil Liability for Oil Pollution
Damage, and Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage).
Thailand's Petroleum Act of 1971, which regulates the exploi-
tation, duration, relinquishment, bidding, royalties, and work
obligations for petroleum exploration and production, contains only
one reference to environmental safety. The reference calls upon
concessionaires conducting petroleum operations to take "appropriate
measures. ..to prevent pollution" and, in the event that pollution
occurs, "the concessionaire shall take immediate action to combat
such pollution." Pollution is not mentioned in the sections of the
Petroleum Act dealing with causes for concession revocation.
Peaceful Uses of the Sea
Thailand has indicated that the deep seabed should be limited
exclusively to peaceful uses, but its position on the issue of
prohibiting the use of the coastal zone seabed for military purposes
is uncertain. In July 1972, Thailand co-sponsored a draft resolution
in Subcommittee III of the UN Seabed Committee calling for cessation
of nuclear weapons tests likely to contribute to the contamination
of the marine environment. In the December 1972 UN General Assembly
voting on the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace, Thailand abstained on
the paragraph calling for the elimination of all military bases from
the area, and abstained from voting on the resolution as a whole.
Within the last year, Thailand has sought the formation of a collective
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action group of Southeast Asian nations. In 1973 it attended the
seventh meeting of the ASEAN, primarily to discuss the possibilities
of a 10-nation "zone of peace, freedom and neutrality" in Southeast
Asia. Although concerned with indications of U.S. disengagement from
Southeast Asia, Thai leaders by and large, however, continue to view
U.S. presence in the area and the SEATO commitment of the United
States as the backbone of Thailand's security. They probably will
support U.S. efforts to prevent prohibition of the military use of
the seabed throughout the continental margin.
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Part II - Background Information
GEOGRAPHY:
World region: Southeast Asia and Pacific
Category: coastal
Bordering states: Burma, Laos, Khmer Republic (Cambodia),
Malaysia
Bordering bodies of water: Gulf of Thailand, Strait of
Malacca, Andaman Sea
Bordering semienclosed sea: Andaman Sea
Bordering straits: Strait of Malacca
Area of continental shelf: 75,100 sq. n. mi., shared with
Indonesia, Khmer Republic, South Vietnam
Area to 200 n. mi. limit: 94,700 sq. n. mi., shared with India,
Indonesia, Khmer Republic, South Vietnam
Area to edge of continental margin: 94,700 sq. n. mi.
Coastline: 2,000 mi.
Land: 198,000 sq. mi.
Population: 38,438,000
INDUSTRY AND TRADE:
GDP: $7.4 billion (1972 est. in current prices); $200 per capita
Major industries: agricultural processing, textiles, wood and
wood products, cement, tin mining; world's third or fourth
largest tin producer (behind Malaysia, Bolivia, and possibly
the U.S.S.R.)
Exports: $1,063 million (f.o.b., 1972); rice, corn, rubber, tin,
cassava, kenaf
Imports: $1,484 million (c.i.f., 1972) excluding U.S. military
imports; machinery and transport equipment, textiles, fuels and
lubricants, base metals, chemicals
Major trade partners: exports - Japan, U.S., Singapore, Hong Kong,
Netherlands, Malaysia; imports - Japan, U.S., West Germany,
U.K.; about 1% or less trade with communist countries
Merchant marine: 26 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 148,700
GRT; 16 cargo, 9 tanker, 1 specialized carrier
MARINE FISHERIES:
Catch: 1.6 million metric tons (93% marine), about 4% of GDP;
exports 32,000 tons, $22 million (1971)
Economic importance: significant national, major local
Ranking: 1 regional
Nature: coastal and distant-water
Other fishing areas: Burma, Indonesia, Khmer Republic, Malaysia,
South Vietnam
Species: mackerel, shrimp and other shellfish
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MARINE FISHERIES (cont'd):
Marine fisheries techniques: primarily artisanal; significant
increase in modern techniques, including use of deep-sea
trawls, purse seines, gill nets
Other countries fishing off coast: Gulf of Thailand fished by
Japan, Khmer Republic, Malaysia, Republic of China, South
Korea, South Vietnam
PETROLEUM RESOURCES:
Petroleum: proved recoverable reserves - 0.5 millions of 42-gal.
bbl. (0.1 million metric tons) onshore; production - 0.1
millions of 42-gal. bbl. oneshore (1971)
Natural gas: proved recoverable reserves and production - negli-
gible
NAVY:
Ships: 161 including 7 principal combatants, 83 patrol, 18 mine
warfare, 37 amphibious ships and crafts, 16 auxiliary and
service craft
GOVERNMENT LEADERS:
King Phumiphon Adundet; Sanya Thammasak, Prime Minister; Sukit
Nimmanhemin, Deputy Prime Minister; Charunphan Itsarangkun
na Ayuthaya, Minister of Foreign Affairs
MULTILATERAL CONVENTIONS:
Agreement for the Establishment of the Indo-Pacific Fishery
Council, 1948
Geneva Convention on the Continental Shelf, 1958
Geneva Convention on Fishing and Conservation of the Living
Resources of the High Seas, 1958
Geneva Convention on the High Seas, 1958
Geneva Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone, 1958
Convention on the International Hydrographic Organization, 1963
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, 1963
Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand, Delimitation of Continental Shelf
Boundaries in Northern Part of Straits of Malacca, ratified
July 1973
BILATERAL CONVENTIONS:
Indonesia-Thailand, Delimitation of Continental Shelf Boundary in
Northern Part of Strait of Malacca and in Andaman Sea, ratified
April 1973
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PRESENT OCEAN CLAIMS:*
Type
Date
Territorial
1923
Sea
1958
1966
Continental
Shelf
Terms Source/Notes
No specific Thai Navigation Act of
provisions but BE 2456 (1923)
international
law
6 n. mi.
12 n. mi. Royal Proclamation Oct. 6, 1966
Party to Territorial Sea Con-
vention (July 11, 1968); Royal
Gazette Oct. 18, 1966, Vol. 83,
p. 92
Exclusive 1966 12 n. mi.
Fishing
Customs 1926 "Within the
limits of the
Kingdom", i.e.
12 n. mi.
Criminal
Jurisdiction
Civil
Jurisdiction
Straight
Baselines
Party to Continental Shelf Con-
vention (July 11, 1968)
Revised Mineral Act
Customs Law BE 2469
1956 "Within the Criminal Code BE 2499 Section 4-10
limits of the
Kingdom", i . e.
12 n. mi.
1934 "Within the
limits of the
Kingdom", i.e.
12 n. mi.
Civil Procedures Code BE 2477
1959 Historic Bay Announcement
See Limits in the Seas No. 31
1970 Announcement
*Principal source: Limits in the Seas, National Claims to Maritime
Jurisdiction, State Dept./INR, March 1973, and Revisions.
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ACTION ON SIGNIFICANT UN RESOLUTIONS:
Moratorium Resolution
(A/RES/2574 D, XXIV, 12/15/69)
Pending establishment of international regime, States
and persons are bound to refrain from exploiting
resources of or laying claim to any part of the
seabed and ocean floor beyond the limits of
national jurisdiction.
LOS Conference
(A/RES/2750 C, XXV, 12/17/70)
Convene in 1973 a Conference on Law of the Sea to
deal with establishment of international regime for
the seabed and ocean floor, and enlarge Seabed
Committee by 44 members and instruct it to prepare
for the conference draft treaty articles embodying
international regime.
In favor
In favor
LOS Conference, Timing and Site Adopted w/o vote
(A/RES/3029 A, XXVII, 12/18/72)
Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace
(A/RES/2992, XXVII, 12/15/72)
Called upon littoral and hinterland states of
Indian Ocean area, permanent members of the
Security Council and other major maritime users
of Indian Ocean to support concept that Indian
Ocean should be zone of peace.
Landlocked/Shelf-Locked Study Resolution
(A/RES/3029 13, XXVII, 12/18/72)
Called for study of extent and economic signifi-
cance, in terms of resources, of international
area resulting from each proposal of limits of
national jurisdiction presented to Seabed Committee.
Peruvian Coastal State Study Resolution
(A/RES/3029 C, XXVII, 12/18/72)
Called for study of potential economic signifi-
cance for riparian states, in terms of resources,
of each of the proposals on limits of national
jurisdiction presented to Seabed Committee.
Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources
(A/RES/3016 XXVII, 12/18/72)
Reaffirmed right of states to permanent sover-
eignty over all their natural resources, wherever
found.
18
Abstain
Abstain
In favor
Abstain
SECRET
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MEMBERSHIP IN ORGANIZATIONS RELATED TO LOS INTERESTS:
ADB Asian Development Bank
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations
ASPAC Asian and Pacific Council
ECAFE Economic Commission for Asia and the
Far East
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency
ICAO International Civil Aviation
Organization
IDA International Development Association
(IBRD affiliate)
IFC International Finance Corporation
(IBRD affiliate)
IHB International Hydrographic Bureau
ILO International Labor Office
ITU International Telecommunication Union
SEATO Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
UN United Nations
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific,
and Cultural Organization
WHO World Health Organization
WMO World Meteorological Organization
Colombo Plan Colombo Plan for Cooperative Economic
Development in South and Southeast
As
Seabed Committee United Nations Committee on the
Peaceful Uses of the Seabed and
Ocean Floor Beyond the Limits of
National Jurisdiction
19
SECRET
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UNITED NATIONS
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
Distr.
LIMITED
A/AC.138/SC.III/L.22
31 July 1972
Original: ENGLISH
COMMITTEE ON THE PEACENUL USES OF THE
SEA-BED AND THE OCEAN FLOOR BEYOND THE
LIMITS OF NATIONAL JURISDICTION
SUB-COMMITTEE
Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia,
New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand: draft resolution
The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of the Sea-Bed and the Ocean Floor Beyond
the Limits of National Jurisdiction,
Recalling the suggested statement of views submitted to Sub-Committee III at the
8th meeting of that Sub-Committee,
Further recalling the resolution on the subject of nuclear testing adopted by the
United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, as well as Principle 26 of the
Declaration on the Human Environment adopted by the same Conference,
Acting in furtherance of the principles of the partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty,
Having noted the concern of the nations and peoples of the Pacific at, and their
opposition to, the conduct of the nuclear weapon tests in that region,
Bearing in mind its obligation to propose legal norms for the preservation of
the marine environent and the prevention c)f marine pollutior;
1. Declares that no further nuclear weapons tests likely to contribute to the
contamination of the marine environment should be carried out;
2. Requests its Chairman to forward this resolution to the Secretary-General of
the United Nations for referral to the appropriate United Nations bodies,
including the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament.
!/ (A/6421, Annex V)
GE.72-14559
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UNITED NATIONS
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
Distr.
LIMITED
A/C. 1/L.63
1 December 1972
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
Twenty-seventh session
FIRST COMMITTEE
Agenda item 36
RESERVATION EXCLUSIVELY FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES OF THE SEA-BED AND
THE OCEAN FLOOR, AND THE SUBSOIL THEREOF, UNDERLYING THE HIGH SEAS
BEYOND THE LIMITS OF PRESENT NATIONAL JURISDICTION AND USE OF
THEIR RESOURCES IN THE INTERESTS OF MANKIND, AND CONVENING OF A
CONFERENCE ON THE LAW OF THE SEA
Australia, Bahrain, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Congo, Denmark, Egypt,
Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, India, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kenya,
Khmer Republic, Kuwait, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan,
Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Swaziland, Uganda,
United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Venezuela,
Yugoslavia, Zaire and Zambia: draft resolution
The General Assembly,
Recallin its resolutions 2467 (XXIII) of 24 December 1968, 2750 (XXV) of
17 December 1970 and 2881 (XXVI) of 21 December 1971,
Having considered the report of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of the
Sea-Bed an& the Ocean Floor beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction (the
Committee) On the work of its sessions in 1972,
Noting with satisfaction the further progress made towards the preparations
for a comprehensive international conference of plenipotentiaries on the law of
the sea including, in particular, acceptance of a list of subjects and issues
relating to the law of the sea,
Reaffirming that the problems of ocean space are closely interrelated and
need to be considered as a whole,
Recalling its decision, in resolution 2750 C (XXV) of 17 December 1970,
to convene a conference on the law of the sea in 1973,
72-24438
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A/C.1/L.634
English
Pac,:e 2
1. Reaffirms the mandate of the Committee set forth in resolutions
2467 (XXIII) and 2750 (XXV), as supplemented by the present resolution;
2. Requests the Committee, in the discharge of its mandate in accordance
with resolution 2750 C (XXX) of 17 December 1970, to hold two further sessions
in 1973, one of five weeks at New"York, beginning in early !,arch, and the other of
eight weeks at Geneva, beginning in early July, with a view to completing its
preparatory work and to submit a report with recommendations to the General
Assembly at its twenty-eighth session and, in the light of the decision taken under
operative paragraph 5 below, to the Conference;
3. Requests the Secretary-General to convene the first session of the
third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (the Conference) at New York
for a Period of approximately two weeks in November/December 1973, for the purpose
of dealing with organizational matters including the election of officers,
adoption of the agenda of the Conference and the rules of procedure, establishment
of subsidiary organs and allocation of work to these subsidiary organs;
I. Decides to convene the second session of the Conference, for the purpose
of dealing with substantive work, at Santiago, Chile, in April/May 1974, for
a period of eight weeks, and such subsequent sessions, if necessary, as may be
decided by the Conference and approved by the General Assembly, bearing in mind
that the Government of Austria.has offered Vienna as site for the Conference for
the succeeding years;
5. Decides further to review at its twenty-eighth session the progress of
the preparatory work of the Committee and, if necessary, to take measures to
facilitate completion of the substantive work for the Conference And any other
action it may deem appropriate;
6. Authorizes the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Chairman of
the Committee, to make such arrangements as may be necessary for the efficient
organization and administration of the Conference and the Committee, utilizing
to the fullest extent possible the resources of staff at his disposal, to render
to the Conference and the Committee all the assistance they may require in
legal, economic, technical and scientific matters and to provide them with all
relevant documentation of the United Nations, the specialized agencies and the
International Atomic Energy Agency;
7- Decides that it will consider any further matters requiring decision
in connexion with the Conference, including the participation of States in the
Conference, as a matter of priority at its twenty-eighth session and that the
provisional agenda of that session shall include an item entitled "Reservation
exclusively for peaceful purposes etc,";
8. Invites the specialized agencies, the International Atomic Energy Agency
and other intergovernmental organizations to co-operate fully with the
Secretary-General in the preparations for the Conference and to send observers to
the Conference;
I.
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A/C.1/L.634
English
Page 3
9. Requests the Secretary-General, subject to approval by the Conference,
to invite interested non-governmental organizations having consultative status
with the Economic and Social Council to send observers to the Conference;
10. Decides that the Conference, its main Committees shall have summary
records of their proceedings.
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THEORETICAL DIVISION
OF THE SEABED
Seabed less than 200 meters
(656 feet) deep
Continental platform deeper
than 200 meters: plateaus,
or slopes steeper than 1;40
Continentai rise, with slopE.,s
I flatter than 1:40 and steeper
than 1;1000 (cutOr edge
proximates ie seawarc
of the corhnentai margin
Are.a beyond 200 utcal
Yre-,LAND
UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
riula seabed
MONGOLIA
CANADA
DENMARK
-34.5 POLAND
FRANCE T0\ DCAKA
SPAIN
,
LJNITED STATES
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PEOPLES REPUBLIC
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PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA
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UNITED KINGDOM
FRANCE
FRANCE
AUSTRALIA
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MICE
NEW ZEALAND
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRA A
NO
^^,
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Secret
Secret
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