PROPOSAL FOR THREE-WEEK SESSION NEXT YEAR DISCUSSED BY COUNCIL OF SEABED AUTHORITY
Press Release
SEA/1599
PROPOSAL FOR THREE-WEEK SESSION NEXT YEAR DISCUSSED BY COUNCIL OF SEABED AUTHORITY
19980825 (Reissued as received.)KINGSTON, 24 August (International Seabed Authority) -- The Council of the International Seabed Authority this morning discussed the proposal of the Finance Committee that the Authority should hold only one three-week session next year (instead of two two-week sessions) in order to save $240,000, because of the "exceptional situation resulting from termination of provisional membership".
The 11 provisional members of the Authority together account for one third of the Authority's assessed contributions payable for the 1998 budget. They will no longer be members of the Authority after 16 November 1998 unless they ratify the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The $5,011,700 budget for 1999 proposed by the Finance Committee provides for a single three-week session and other cuts.
The President of the Council, Joachim Koch (Germany), seeking a consensus decision regarding the proposed three-week session, said at the close of the meeting that he would meet with heads of regional groups later today.
In this morning's discussion, several groups and delegations stressed that their acceptance of a three-week session next year must be viewed as a one-time-only measure. The Latin American and Caribbean group stated its preference for holding two two-week sessions, which it considered better suited to the Council's ongoing work on the mining code (draft regulations on prospecting and exploration for polymetallic nodules in the international seabed area). Later in the discussion, the Latin American and Caribbean group's spokesman said the group could accept a three-week session under certain conditions relating to the organization of the Authority's work on the seabed mining code.
The United States, one of the 11 provisional members (assessed for 25 per cent of the 1998 budget) said its policy regarding budgets of international organizations calls for reduction below current levels. In most cases, the United States therefore supports zero-growth budgeting, and accepts minor growth in only a few cases. It can support the reduced budget proposed by the Finance
Committee, which provides for a three-week session. The United States added that the budget still reflects a 6.5 per cent increase over the 1998 figure.
Views on Three-Week Session
Speaking for the African Group, Nigeria said it would accept the single session for 1999 as "an exceptional concession and not a precedent". The feeling of the group was that "expediency was taking the place of principle".
The Netherlands, speaking on behalf of the Western European and Other States group, favoured the three-week session and said it might even be found appropriate again in the future. It said the $5,011,700 budget proposal was the maximum that could be accepted.
The view of the Eastern European group, expressed by Poland, was that a three-week session would be acceptable, but the session should be organized so that it would not be necessary for all delegates to be present for the entire three weeks. He suggested that the plenary sessions be held only in the second and third week.
Indonesia said the Asian group accepted the three-week proposal for next year, but this should not be deemed a precedent.
The Latin American and Caribbean group's view, stated by Chile, was that a single session would not be suited to consultation with Governments and final adoption of provisions of the mining code. Two sessions permitted time for review between sessions, and for the momentum to be kept up. His group would accept a three-week session only on certain conditions -- such as that the mining code would have priority, the Council would be able to hold its informal deliberations throughout the session, there would be no reduction in interpretation services, and provision would be made for consideration of written texts and comments on proposals.
The Council President said that organizational details would have to be decided when the Council meets in 1999.
Jamaica's representative emphasized that acceptance of a three-week session for next year should be without prejudice to future years, and a Council recommendation on the matter should include a statement that this was an ad hoc arrangement for 1999. He cited the Finance Committee report's statement that the proposed budget was presented "in consideration of the prevailing exceptional situation and should not be considered as a base for future requirements of the Authority".
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