ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE TO STATES
General Information
Updated
on 10 December 2004
Article 3 of Annex II to the United Nations Convention
on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 stipulates that the functions of the
Commission shall be:
(a) to consider the data and other material
submitted by coastal States concerning the outer limits of the continental
shelf in areas where those limits extend beyond 200 nautical miles,
and to make recommendations in accordance with article 76 and the
Statement of Understanding adopted on 29 August 1980 by the
Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea;
(b) to provide scientific and technical advice,
if requested by the coastal State concerned during the preparation of the
data referred to in subparagraph (a).
In June 2002, the Commission appointed the following as
members of the Standing Committee on provision of scientific and technical
advice to coastal States: Lawrence Folajimi Awosika, Noel Newton St. Claver
Francis, Mihai Silviu German, Philip Alexander Symonds and Kensaku Tamaki. The
Committee met and elected Mr. Symonds as Chairman, Mr. Tamaki as Vice-Chairman
and Mr. Awosika as Rapporteur. In September 2004 the Committee re-elected Mr.
Symonds as Chairman, and Mr. Awosika and Mr. Tamaki as Vice-Chairmen.
In April - May 2003, the Committee had discussed
various ways to facilitate the role of the Committee. Among other things, the
Committee recommended that a list of Commission members should be compiled,
accompanied by short biographical notes and a brief statement of expertise. The
biographical notes are currently being compiled and will be posted on this web site
soon.
The Commission determined that advice provided by
a member of the Commission does not commit the subcommission and the Commission
when deliberating on the merits of a submission and should not be prejudicial to
such deliberation.
Requests for advice and assistance should be addressed
to the Secretary of the Commission. | 
