SEABED AUTHORITY'S ASSEMBLY APPEALS FOR PAYMENT OF 1998 CONTRIBUTIONS
Press Release
SEA/1595
SEABED AUTHORITY'S ASSEMBLY APPEALS FOR PAYMENT OF 1998 CONTRIBUTIONS
19980821 KINGSTON, 20 August (International Seabed Authority) -- The Assembly of the International Seabed Authority this morning expressed its concern about the Authority's precarious financial situation and appealed for payment of contributions owed by members for this year's budget. The resolution was approved without a vote.As of 19 August, only 59 of the 138 members had paid their assessed contributions to the Authority, for a total of $2,856,300. The unpaid amount is $1,847,600, two thirds of which is owed by the United States.
Reflecting the tight budget situation and the uncertainty about continued membership of the Authority's provisional members next year, Secretary-General Satya N. Nandan informed the Assembly that the Finance Committee is expected to recommend a change in the Authority's meeting schedule next year, for a saving of $240,000. Instead of holding two sessions -- two weeks in March and two weeks in August -- the change, if approved, would provide for a single three-week session next year.
The Assembly concluded its discussion of the Secretary-General's annual report, hearing comments of Brazil, Germany and Ghana. A statement also was made by the observer for the Permanent Commission of the South Pacific.
Text of Appeal
The resolution appealing for contributions reads as follows:
"The Assembly of the International Seabed Authority, concerned by the precarious financial situation of the Authority,
"1. Appeals to members of the Authority to pay their contributions to the budget of the Authority for 1998 as soon as possible; and
"2. Requests the Secretary-General to notify the members of the Authority of this appeal."
The decision came against the background of what was described as a critical financial situation. The President of the Assembly, Tadeusz
Bachleda-Curus (Poland), had made a similar appeal for payment of dues at the opening meeting of the Assembly on 17 August.
Comments on Report of Secretary-General
Brazil's representative noted that the process leading towards ratification of the 1994 Agreement Relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea was well under way in his country. Noting that a number of other member countries were also very close to ratifying the Agreement, the representative suggested that the report be amended to reflect this positive trend.
On training, Brazil endorsed calls made yesterday by other delegations for an early circulation of reports on training to include details on the nationalities of trainees, fields of interests and the costs involved. The representative of Germany stated that his Government had made significant contributions towards training for developing countries, citing programmes conducted in 1996 and 1997. The representative of Ghana echoed the call for thorough reporting on training programmes and asked that workshops should be carried out in all regions. Secretary-General Nandan assured the Assembly that every effort was being made to collate all information related to training, but that there were some difficulties in obtaining details of earlier training activities which took place under the Preparatory Commission. On the issue of the status of pioneer investors, which was the subject of discussion at yesterday's meeting, Germany agreed with the reference in the Secretary-General's report to the "unclear" legal position of the investors, which can receive Authority contracts only upon completion of the mining code, now under consideration by the Council. He stressed the need for deliberations on the mining code to be given "absolute priority". Speaking about the possible change from two two-week sessions to one three-week session next year as a budget-cutting measure, the Secretary-General encouraged members to discuss the matter within the various groups. The Council and Assembly will take up the question next week. On other matters, the Assembly also heard a statement by the Permanent Commission of the South Pacific, whose members are Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile. The organization was addressing the Assembly for the first time, having been granted observer status during the March meetings. The Commission representative recalled the Commission's early work in advancing the idea of the 200-mile economic zone, which was later incorporated in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Commission representative said its four member countries are major producers of minerals and want to ensure that the seabed mining regime does not adversely affect their economies. They also are concerned about possible environmental effect of seabed mining. * *** *