States Parties to United Nations Convention on Law of Sea Conclude Twenty-Eighth Meeting at Headquarters, 11-12 June

NEW YORK, 18 June (Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea) — The twenty-eighth Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was held at Headquarters from 11 to 12 June, completing its work two days early.  For background, see Press Release SEA/2072.

The Meeting took note of the annual report of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for 2017, as well as of the information reported by the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority and the Chairperson of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on the activities of these bodies since the twenty-seventh Meeting of States Parties in 2017.

The Meeting considered budgetary matters of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.  In this regard, it took note with satisfaction of the report of the Tribunal on budgetary matters for the financial periods 2015‑2016 and 2017‑2018 (document SPLOS/318).  The Meeting also took note of the draft budget proposals of the Tribunal for the financial period 2019-2020 (document SPLOS/2018/WP.1) and approved the budget of the Tribunal for this period, to be reflected in document SPLOS/322.

The Open-Ended Working Group on the Conditions of Service of the Members of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, coordinated by Anastasia Strati (Greece) and James Waweru (Kenya), continued to consider issues of the conditions of service of the members of the Commission, in particular mechanisms to provide medical insurance coverage to the members.  The Meeting endorsed the proposal by the Working Group to continue to consider those issues, in particular that of medical insurance coverage intersessionally with a view to assisting progress on these matters during the seventy-third session of the General Assembly, including by providing specific proposals to the twenty-ninth Meeting of States Parties.

The Meeting also considered the issue of a vacancy in the Commission.  Upon the request of the Group of Eastern European States, the election of one member of the Commission was further postponed, as in 2017, in order to allow for nomination(s).

In addition, the Meeting considered, under article 319 of the Convention, the report of the Secretary-General 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 (documents A/72/70/Add.1 and A/73/68).

The deliberations under this agenda item touched upon a wide range of issues, including the role of the Convention as the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out and the importance of its effective implementation, including for the sustainable use of the oceans and seas and their resources; marine scientific research; protection of the marine environment; migration by sea; maritime security and safety, including piracy and other crimes at sea; issues of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; national and regional initiatives addressing challenges faced in maritime zones; and the need for capacity‑building and cross-sectoral cooperation and coordination.  Appreciation was expressed for the important work of the three bodies established under the Convention.

Delegations also welcomed the upcoming Intergovernmental Conference, under the auspices of the United Nations, to consider the recommendations of the Preparatory Committee established by resolution 69/292 of 19 June 2015 on the elements and to elaborate the text of an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction; the upcoming meeting of the United Nations Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea on "Anthropogenic underwater noise"; and the Regular Process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment, including Socioeconomic Aspects.

The Convention, which entered into force on 16 November 1994, governs 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.

A more detailed account of the proceedings of the twenty-eighth Meeting of States Parties will be included in the report of the Meeting, to be issued in due course as document SPLOS/324.

For further information on the Meeting, including its documents, 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/twentyeighthmeetingstatesparties.htm.