States Parties to United Nations Convention on Law of Sea Will Hold Twenty-Seventh Meeting at Headquarters, 12-16 June

NEW YORK, 8 June (Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea) — The twenty-seventh Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea will be held at Headquarters from 12 to 16 June.

Often referred to as “the constitution for the oceans”, the Convention was opened for signature on 10 December 1982 and entered into force on 16 November 1994.  Its 320 articles and 9 annexes govern all aspects of ocean space and maritime issues, from navigational rights, maritime limits and marine scientific research to resource management, marine environment protection and dispute settlement.

The implementation of the Convention is supported by three bodies established on its basis, namely the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (www.itlos.org), the International Seabed Authority (www.isa.org.jm) and the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (www.un.org/depts/los/clcs_new/clcs_home.htm).

The upcoming annual Meeting of States Parties will consider the report of the Tribunal, budgetary matters of the Tribunal and information reported by the Secretary-General of the Authority and by the Chairman of the Commission.  It will also address the issue of the conditions of service of the members of the Commission.  In addition, the Meeting will consider the report of the Secretary-General (documents A/71/74/Add.1 and A/72/74) under article 319 for the information of States Parties on issues of a general nature, relevant to States Parties, which have arisen with respect to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The meeting will conduct the election of 7 members of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and 21 members of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.  The lists of candidates are contained in documents SPLOS/308 (Tribunal candidates), as well as documents SPLOS/312 and SPLOS/312/Add.1 (Commission candidates).  The curricula vitae of the candidates are contained in documents CLCS/309 (Tribunal candidates) and CLCS/313 (Commission candidates).  The election procedures to be followed by the Meeting are set out in documents SPLOS/307 (Tribunal election) and SPLOS/311 (Commission election).

The provisional agenda of the twenty-seventh Meeting of States Parties is contained in document SPLOS/L.78.

For further information on the Meeting, including its documents, please visit the website of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs, at www.un.org/Depts/los/meeting_states_parties/twentyseventhmeetingstatesparties.htm.