SEABED ASSEMBLY ELECTS TWO MEMBERS OF COUNCIL

Press Release
SEA/1629

SEABED ASSEMBLY ELECTS TWO MEMBERS OF COUNCIL

(Received from International Seabed Authority)

KINGSTON, 13 August -- The Assembly of the International Seabed Authority, meeting in Kingston this afternoon, decided to elect Australia and Italy to fill vacancies left by Canada and the United States on the 36-member Council of the Authority.

Canada and the United States had been elected to the Council in March 1998 to a four-year term from January 1999 through 2002 but ceased to be members of the Authority when their status as provisional members lapsed last November. The United States had been a Council member since the first election to that body in 1996.

Italy was elected on the understanding, as agreed today by the Assembly, that it would relinquish its seat if the United States became a member of the Authority. Today's decision also notes that the economic interest group to which Australia belongs is consulting about the implications of its election, "including the possibility of Canada becoming a member" of the Authority.

Provisional membership in the Authority was an interim status accorded to States that had applied for it even though they had not yet become parties to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and which had satisfied the Council that they were "making efforts in good faith" to become parties. However, under the terms of the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI (seabed provisions) of the Convention, all provisional memberships ceased last November, after which only parties to the Convention could be members of the Authority.

The Council is the executive organ of the Authority, with policy-making powers for organizing and controlling activities in the seabed area beyond national jurisdiction. Among its functions are the adoption of rules, regulations and procedures governing all exploration and mining in the area, and the approval of mining contracts with countries, firms and other entities. The Council has been holding informal consultations all this week on regulations for exploration for polymetallic nodules. (The United States has been participating in these consultations as an observer.)

Council members are selected from four groups with special interests in seabed mining and a fifth group elected to ensure geographical balance.

Italy will replace the United States as a member of group A, consisting of four States from among the largest consumers or net importers of minerals to be derived from seabed mining. The other Council members in this group, previously elected, are Japan, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom. A footnote to today's decision states: "This does not prejudice the position of any country with respect to any intervening election to the Council."

Australia will replace Canada in group C, consisting of four States that are major land-based exporters of minerals found on the deep seabed. The other Council members in this group are Chile, Gabon and Poland. A footnote to today's decision states: "Group C is consulting with regard to the further implications of this decision, including the possibility of Canada becoming a member of the International Seabed Authority."

The other Council members are:

Group B (4 States from those with the largest investment in seabed mining): China, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

Group D (6 developing States representing special interests): Brazil, Egypt, Fiji, Jamaica, Oman and the Sudan.

Group E (18 States reflecting the principle of equitable geographical distribution, as well as a balance between developed and developing States): Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia and Ukraine.

In respect of the seat held by Costa Rica, the Assembly President, José Luis Vallarta-Marrón (Mexico), read out an understanding of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States that Chile would replace it with effect from January 2001, in accordance with an understanding reached in March 1998 during the last election to the Council.

The Assembly also elected three members to fill vacancies on the 15-member Finance Committee for a term ending in December 2001: Narinder Singh (India) to replace S. Rama Rao (India), Maria Dragun-Gertner (Poland) to replace Deborah M. Wynes (United States) and Hasjim Djalal (Indonesia) to replace Isaac K. Margulis (Mexico). The first two had resigned. In regard to Ms. Wynes' seat, the President recalled today the understanding reached at the time of the first election to the Committee in 1996 that a seat of the Western European and Others Group would be relinquished after two-and-a-half years in favour of an Eastern European. He also recalled, in respect of Mr. Margulis' seat, the 1996 understanding that the Latin American and Caribbean Group would relinquish one of its seats after 1998 to an Asian candidate.

In another action, the Assembly approved two applications for observer status in the Assembly, from the International Association of Drilling Contractors and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. According to information supplied by the organizations, the first is a trade association representing the interests of contractors who drill oil, natural gas and geothermal wells, both onshore and offshore. The second has been accredited as a non-governmental observer with the International Maritime Organization since 1975.

Finally this afternoon, representatives of regional groups nominated Italy, the Republic of Korea and Senegal as vice-presidents of the Assembly. A nomination is awaited from the Eastern European Group.

All actions today were taken without discussion or objection.

The Assembly is scheduled to meet again at 10 a.m. Tuesday, 17 August, to take up the annual report of the Secretary-General, Satya N. Nandan, on the work of the Authority.

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