Ad Hoc Committee on Indian Ocean

450^th Meeting (AM)

INDIAN OCEAN COMMITTEE ADOPTS REPORT TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY, DECIDES TO CONTINUE

INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS ON ‘ZONE OF PEACE’ IMPLEMENTATION

The Ad Hoc Committee on the Indian Ocean this morning adopted its report to the forthcoming fifty-eighth session of the General Assembly, deciding also to continue holding informal consultations on the wording of a resolution recommending that more time be given for consultations on implementing the 1971 Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace.

Committee Chairman Chithambaranathan Mahendran (Sri Lanka) recalled that the Committee’s organizational session had been held in February.  In his statement, he noted the changes that had taken place in the world situation since the Declaration had been adopted and since the Committee had been set up to implement it in 1972.  The end of the super-Power rivalry of the cold war had removed a threat to the Indian Ocean’s littoral and hinterland States.  And while the Committee had faced difficulties in reaching agreement on how to implement the Declaration, its objectives had not changed.

Those, he said, were to preserve the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Indian Ocean region’s States.  The Declaration also sought resolution of political, economic and social problems in the region under conditions of peace and tranquillity.

He said the General Assembly had expressed the conviction that the participation in the Ad Hoc Committee’s work of all permanent Security Council members and of the Ocean’s major maritime users would facilitate mutually beneficial dialogue to develop conditions of peace and security.  Consultations had again been held this year with the three permanent Council members who had not changed their positions on non-participation in the Committee’s work.  France, the United Kingdom and the United States, therefore, were still unable to participate in the Committee’s work.

In view of the complexities and difficulties in implementing the Declaration, and since its objectives remained unchanged, he said the Committee could consider recommending that more time be given for consultations, before practical measures for ensuring regional peace and stability in accordance with the Declaration were considered.

Committee Rapporteur Modeste Randrianarivony (Madagascar) introduced the report.  He noted the conclusions the Ad Hoc Committee had reached in earlier sessions on the need to foster consensual, step-by-step approaches to implementing the Declaration, particularly since a propitious international climate was conducive to pursuing the Committee’s goals.  He also noted that the Committee’s report reiterated its conviction that the participation of all relevant parties was important.

Speaking at this morning’s meeting, Indonesia’s representative called for continued dialogue through the Committee to ensure that the Indian Ocean was made into a region of peace, security and stability.  He noted that the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) had recently issued a declaration emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive plan for regional peace.

Australia’s representative said the opportunity for substantive work in the Committee remained limited.  However, he remained committed to bringing about the conditions that would give the Committee substantive work.  Pakistan’s representative said the current global atmosphere made it more imperative that the Committee’s work be strengthened for making the Indian Ocean a zone of peace.

In addition, this morning, Filipe Chidumo (Mozambique) was elected Vice-Chairman by acclamation.  Other Vice-Chairmen are Paul Stephens (Australia) and Yuri Thamrin (Indonesia).

The 43 members of the Ad Hoc Committee are Australia, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  Ad Hoc Committee observers are Nepal, South Africa and Sweden.

The Ad Hoc Committee will meet again at a time to be announced in the Journal.

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