SATYA N. NANDAN OF FIJI ELECTED FIRST SECRETARY-GENERAL OF INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY
Press Release
BIO/3011*
SEA/1513
SATYA N. NANDAN OF FIJI ELECTED FIRST SECRETARY-GENERAL OF INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY
19960402 Biographical Note Satya N. Nandan, a former Special Representative of the Secretary- General for the Law of the Sea, was elected first Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority by the Assembly of the Authority on 21 March 1996. He assumed his new functions on 1 April.The Authority is the organization through which States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea shall organize and control activities in the international seabed area, beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, particularly with a view to administering the resources of the deep seabed.
Mr. Nandan, a national of Fiji who served as Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Law of the Sea from 1985 to 1992, most recently served as Chairman of the United Nations Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (1993-1995). He is the current President of the Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
During the nine years of work of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, and the Seabed Committee that preceded it, Mr. Nandan played a prominent role. He led Fiji's delegation to the Conference from 1973 to 1982 and was Chairman of the "Group of 77" developing countries of the Conference from 1978 to 1979. He was Rapporteur of the Second Committee of the Conference dealing with traditional law of the sea matters, Chairman of the negotiating group appointed by the Conference to deal with matters pertaining to access to the living resources of the exclusive economic zones of coastal States by land-locked and geographically disadvantaged States, and Chairman of the informal group on mineral production policy for the deep seabed.
As Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative for the Law of the Sea, Mr. Nandan initiated in 1990, on behalf of the Secretary-General, an informal dialogue to resolve outstanding issues relating to the deep seabed
__________ * This release supersedes Press Release BIO/2771 of 19 April 1993.
- 2 - Press Release BIO/3011 SEA/1513 2 April 1996
mining provisions contained in Part XI of the Convention. Later, as representative of Fiji, he chaired an informal group -- known as the "Boat Paper Group" -- that drafted the Agreement relating to the implementation of Part XI of the Convention, which was adopted by the General Assembly in July 1994. The Agreement is widely credited with ensuring universal participation in the Convention.
Mr. Nandan was Ambassador of Fiji to the European Union and several European countries from 1976 to 1980. He was Counsellor and later Ambassador of Fiji to the United Nations and to the United States and Canada from 1970 to 1976. He also served as Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Fiji and represented his country at various international meetings and conferences.
Mr. Nandan studied Political Science and Economics at Wellington University, New Zealand, before obtaining a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of London in 1965. He is a Barrister-at-Law of Lincoln's Inn, London, England. He was awarded an LL.D honoris causa by the Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, in 1995.
Mr. Nandan was born in Suva, Fiji, on 10 July 1936. He is married and has one son.
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