THIRD SESSION PROVISIONAL SUMMARY RECORD OF THE FIFTY-SIXTH PLENARY MEETING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82S00697R000300120006-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 22, 2002
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: May 12, 1975
• Content Type: SUMMARY

Approved For Release 2002/06/14: CIA-RDP82S00697R000300120006-8
THIRD CONFERENCE
ON THE. _LAW OF THE SEA
Distr.
RESTRICTED
12 May 1975
Original: ENGLISH
PROVISIONAL SUMMARY RECORD OF THE FIFTY-SIXTH PLENARY MEETING
held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva,
,on Friday, 9 May 1975, at 10.25 a.m.
President:
Mr. ANT;RASINGHE Sri Lanka
Ram orteizr=Gencral: Mr...RATTRAY Jamaica
CONVENTS
Report of the Credentials Committee
Time, place and duration of next session
Question of inter-sessional arrangements for informal
consultations and negotiations
Single negotiating texts
Sta'.ement by the President
Closure of the session
N.L, Participants wishing to have corrections to this provisional summary record
incorporated in the final summary record of the meeting are requested to
submit them in writing in quadruplicate, preferably on a copy of the record
itself, to the Official Records Editing Section., room E.4108,
Palais des Nations, Geneva, within five working days of receiving the
provisional record in their working language.
A/CONF. 62/SR. 56Approved For Release 2002/06/14: CIA-RDP82S00697R000300120006-8
GE.75-65443
 Approved For Release 2002/06/14: CIA-RDP82SO0697R000300120006-8
FFPORT OF THE CREDEIJTIALS COI MITTEE (A/CONF.62/44 and Corr.1)
The PRESIDENT invited the Conference to take note of the report of the
&redentials Committee (A1C(uNF.62/dot and Corr.l). Since the suumission of that report,
the credentials of Argentina, Turkey and the Bahamas had been received.
The Conference took note of the report of the Credentials Committee
,~ZCQNF. 6244 and Corr.1).
'IINIE, PLACE AND DURATION OF THE NEXT SESSION
The PRESIDENT said that the General Committee recommended that the fourth
ession of the Conference be held in New York from 29 March - 21 May 1976, and that
decision regarding a fifth session be held over until the fourth session. It also
recommended that the General Assembly be asked to give the highest priority to the
.;ork of the Conference. He suggested that the Conference adopt those recommendations.
Firther, since the Secretariat would require advance notice if it were decided
';o hold a fifth session, he suggested that the General Assembly be asked to authorize
'he Secretary-General to make the necessary arrangements for a further session in 1976
f the Conference found one necessary.
It was so decided.
"; TEST ION OF INTER-SESSIONAL ARRAI?GEMEPITS FOR INFORM L CONSULTATIONS AND NEGOTIATIONS
The PRESIDENT said that antr groups wishing to hold informal consultations
wring the inter-sessional period should notify the Secretariat as soon as possible.
e snarea the view, widely supported in the General Committee, that it would do more
to advance the work 'f the Conference if inter-group consultations, rather than
consultations with- groups, were held. The Secretariat would, however,
-require authority to make the necessary financial provision for such consultations.
i'4r. Hir1,L (Executive Secretary) said that on the basis of the information
!:ceived by the Secretariat concerizinF proposed informal consultations, the estimated
:o,st of providing interpretation facilities for consultations covering the equivalent
a period of eight weeks was approximately 450,000.
The PRES]IENT suggested that the Conference request the Secretary-General
o take the necessary steps, under the relevant rules laid down by the General Assembly,
o secure the allocation of funds to cover the cost of the services in question.
It was so decided.
;OtF.62/SR.56
Approved For Release 2002/06/14: CIA-RDP82SO0697R000300120006-8
 Approved For Release 2002/06/14: CIA-RDP82S00697R000300120006-8
SINGLE NEGOTIATING TEXTS
The PRESIDENT said that the chairmen of the three Committees had each
drafted a single negotiating text (A/CONF.62/WP.8/Parts I, II and III). Those texts
were not intended to be the subject of discussion, but merely to provide a, basis for
negotiation. He thanked the Chairmen for discharging that onerous task, and the
Secretariat for assisting them in. their work.
Mr. ENGO (United Republic of Cameroon), Chairman of the First Committee,
said that, in. the absence of any introduction to the text prepared for his Committee
(A/CONP.62/WP.8/Part I), he had circulated a mimeographed document to delegations
outlining the content of the text and explaining the, reasoning behind his decisions.
Mr. YANXOV (Bulgaria), Chairman of the Third Committee, said that the
single negotiating texts were not an end in themselves, but rather an indication that
the Conference had reached a turning point, and an expression of its will to negotiate.
In preparing the text for his Committee, he had taken full account of all the
proposals before it, and had tried to respect the frequently conflicting views as
fully as possible. That had been no easy matter and he alone was responsible for the
choices which had had to be made. He had also kept very much in mind that the text
was intended only as a basis for negotiation; it had not been his intention to change
the status of delegations' proposals and the text was in no way to be regarded as a
compromise.
Mr. ZEGERS (Chile) said that, since it would be almost a year before the
fourth session of the Conference was held, it would be useful if governments could
know in advance of any comments which other governments might wish to make. He
suggested that the Secretariat might undertake to circulate such comments to
participants in the Conference.
The PRESIDENT pointed out that financial provision would have to be made
for that work.
Mr. STEVENSON (United States of America) said that, while he welcomed the
Chilean representative's suggestion, he feared there might be some risk of
proliferation of amendments. He was concerned that States might tend to suggest
amendments individually rather than jointly, after consultation, which would impede
the negotiations.
Mr. HALL (Executive Secretary) said there was no budgetary provision for a
large volume of translation and reproduction of documents after the end of the current
session and the Secretariat was not in a position to predict the amount of
documentation that would be involved. The cost per 100 pages would be approximately
815 , 000 .
Approved For Release 2002/06/14: CIA-RDP82S00697R000300120006-8
A/CONF.62/SR.56
 Approved For Release 2002/06/14: CIA-RDP82S00697R000300120006-8
I'.3 _ESIDENT su g;ested that delegations should themselves assume
PGn.5ibi l i ty fm ci rcuU tir. ; their commento.
WAS: ar o-r.
said that tho Groun of 71, through its Chairman and the
=~a.i_rme' th ; fri ='.r. ;Sian and Latin Amorican Groups. t r .oLrirt; > ".tc:f;et:t. LJ_'iic;h the sr up of Landlocked and
r=.r~uic".liy Di_ it cl~. ~rrt.:gad State: had ;asked him to communicate to the Conference:
II , , ` e u:.;iiatoral action in the international
~_ Lv :1 iz_