SEABED ASSEMBLY ENDS 2000 SESSION BY APPROVING MINING CODE; ADOPTS 2001-2002 BUDGET, ELECTS 20 MEMBERS TO COUNCIL
Press Release
SEA/1693
SEABED ASSEMBLY ENDS 2000 SESSION BY APPROVING MINING CODE; ADOPTS 2001-2002 BUDGET, ELECTS 20 MEMBERS TO COUNCIL
20000714(Received from International Seabed Authority)
KINGSTON, 14 July -- The Assembly of the International Seabed Authority concluded the sixth session of the Authority this afternoon - one day early - after giving its formal approval to the Regulations on Prospecting and Exploration for Polymetallic Nodules in the deep seabed, which the Council of the Authority adopted earlier this afternoon.
Before adjourning, the Assembly adopted a $10,506,400 budget of the Authority for 2001-2002, as proposed by the Secretary-General and recommended earlier today by the Council (see Press Release SEA/1691).
Also, in an uncontested election, the Assembly renewed half of the membership of the Authoritys 36-member Council, for a four-year term from 2001 through 2004.
The Assembly decided to hold its next session for two weeks from 2 to 13 July 2001.
All actions today, as throughout the session, were taken without objection.
In todays election for the Council, the Assembly elected 20 members, as two more than the usual number of vacancies had to be filled due to earlier agreements that some States would relinquish their seats to others before their four years were up.
Newly elected were Algeria, Czech Republic, Guyana, India, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, South Africa and Spain; Guyana, however, will relinquish its seat during 2001 in order to satisfy rotating geographical requirements. Re-elected were Argentina, Brazil, China, Gabon, Japan, Malta, Namibia, Poland, Senegal, Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago and the United Kingdom.
Remaining on the Council through 2002 are 17 States: Australia, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, Fiji, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia.
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Seven States will leave the Council at the end of 2000: Belgium, Costa Rica, France, Oman, Kenya, Philippines and Ukraine.
Asked to outline the topics for next years agenda, Secretary- General Satya N. Nandan mentioned reports on the signing of contracts with seabed contractors and on his proposal for international cooperation on the marine environment in relation to the deep seabed, his annual report on the work of the Authority and approval of a logo for the Authority. Elections for the Legal and Technical Commission and the Finance Committee would also be held, and the Commission would continue its work on recommendations for environmental guidelines and begin formulating regulations to govern exploration for mineral resources other than polymetallic nodules.
Chile mentioned another item to be added to the 2001 agenda, on the number of members that would serve on the Commission and the geographical composition of that body for the next five-year term.
In a statement on the adoption of the exploration regulations - also known as the mining code -- Mexico observed that all States would be bound by the newly approved regulations, because of the powers accorded to the Authority by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It is clear, he said, that the Authority now has legislative functions.
The Assembly approved the report of its Credential Committee (document ISBA/6/A/16), which had accepted the credentials of representatives to the session. Committee Chairman Winifred M. Broadbelt (Netherlands) informed the Assembly that 63 members had submitted credentials, formal or otherwise. Assembly President Liesbeth Lijnzaad (Netherlands) announced that credentials had since been received from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Nauru.
In other action, the Assembly, at the Presidents suggestion, agreed that member States should be advised to submit candidacies, along with biographical information, two months in advance of the next election to the Finance Committee, which the Assembly will hold in 2001. The Council took a similar action earlier this afternoon in regard to the upcoming election to the Legal and Technical Commission.
Election to Council
The Council of the Authority, to which the Assembly elected new members this afternoon (draft decision in document ISBA/6/A/L.3), consists of 36 Authority members from five groups of States. Four of these have special interests in aspects of seabed mining and the fifth is a group chosen to ensure equitable geographical balance in the Council as a whole. The election affected half of the seats. Members were elected to a four-year term (2001-2004), but the Assembly recorded
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understandings reached in interest and regional groups that, in some cases, States will relinquish their seats to others before their four years are up. The approved candidates were nominated by their regional groups today.
The results of todays election follow. (Information in parentheses identifies States remaining on the Council, those leaving it at the end of this year and agreements reached in prior years.)
Group A (Four States from among the largest consumers or net importers of minerals to be derived from seabed mining): Japan and the United Kingdom were re-elected, the latter on the understanding that it may relinquish its seat after two years to France if requested. (Italy and the Russian Federation will remain through 2002, except that Italy was elected last August on the understanding that it will relinquish its seat if the United States joins the Authority by acceding to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.)
Group B (Four States from those with the largest investment in seabed mining): India was elected, as agreed in 1996, and China was re- elected. (Germany and the Netherlands will remain through 2002. France will leave the Council.)
Group C (Four States that are major land-based net exporters of minerals found on the deep seabed): Portugal and South Africa were elected, with the latter to relinquish its seat to Zambia in 2003 and Gabon in 2004, after which the seat would be open to any Group C State. (Australia is to remain through 2002, with the proviso that Group C members will consult further if Canada joins the Authority. Chile, Gabon and Poland will switch to Group E, with Indonesia replacing Chile in Group C through 2002.)
Group D (Six developing States representing special interests, including those with large populations, the land-locked or geographically-disadvantaged islands, major mineral importers or potential producers, and the least developed): Papua New Guinea was elected, and Brazil and Sudan were re-elected. It was agreed today that Egypt, elected in 1998 on the understanding that it would relinquish its seat at the end of 2000, would keep its seat through 2002. (Fiji and Jamaica will also remain through 2002. Oman will leave the Council.)
Group E (18 States reflecting the principle of geographical distribution, as well as a balance between developed and developing States): Algeria, Czech Republic, Guyana and Spain were elected, and Argentina, Gabon (switched from Group C), Malta, Namibia, Poland (switched from Group C), Senegal, and Trinidad and Tobago were re- elected. It was decided today that Gabon would serve in Group E through 2003, after which it will switch to Group C. (Cameroon, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia and
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Tunisia will remain through 2002. Chile will switch from Group E, replacing Costa Rica, in accordance with a 1998 agreement, while Indonesia will switch to Group C. In addition to Costa Rica, Belgium, Kenya, Philippines and Ukraine will leave the Council.)
The Assembly also renewed the geographical allocation of Council seats that it had agreed to at the first election in 1996: 10 to the African Group, nine to the Asian Group, eight to the Western European and Others Group, seven to the Latin American and Caribbean Group, and three to the Eastern European Group. As this comes to 37 seats, or one more than the total membership, it was agreed that all but the Eastern European Group would relinquish one seat in successive years: Guyana (Latin American and Caribbean) in 2001, Malta (Western European and Others) in 2002, Algeria (African) in 2003 and an Asian Group member in 2004.
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