Thirty-Third Meeting of States Parties to United Nations Convention on Law of Sea to Be Held at Headquarters, 12-16 June
The thirty-third Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea will convene at United Nations Headquarters from 12 to 16 June.
The thirty-third Meeting of States Parties will receive reports from the representatives of the three bodies established by the Convention, namely, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (www.itlos.org), the International Seabed Authority (www.isa.org.jm) and the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (www.un.org/depts/los/clcs_new/clcs_home.htm) on their annual activities.
The thirty-third Meeting will also consider administrative and budgetary matters of the Tribunal, including draft supplementary budget proposals of the Tribunal for the financial period 2023–2024. It will further address the conditions of service of the members of the Commission.
Among the important items on the agenda of the Meeting is the election of seven members of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The list of candidates has been made available in document SPLOS/33/5. The curricula vitae of the candidates are contained in document SPLOS/33/6. The election procedures to be followed by the Meeting are set out in documents SPLOS/33/7 and SPLOS/33/8. The term of office of the members of the Tribunal who will be elected by the forthcoming Meeting will commence on 1 October 2023 and end on 30 September 2032.
In addition, the Meeting will consider the reports of the Secretary-General on oceans and the law of the sea that were submitted to States parties pursuant to article 319 of the Convention (see documents A/77/331 and A/78/67).
The provisional agenda of the thirty-second Meeting of States Parties is contained in document SPLOS/33/L.1/Rev.1.
For further information on the Meeting of States Parties, including its documents, please see the website of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs: https://www.un.org/depts/los/meeting_states_parties/thirtythirdmeetingstatesparties.htm.
The Convention was opened for signature on 10 December 1982. It entered into force on 16 November 1994. The Convention, comprising 320 articles and 9 annexes, is often referred to as the “constitution for the oceans”, as it sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas, from navigational rights, maritime limits and marine scientific research to resource management, marine environment protection and dispute settlement, must be carried out and is of strategic importance as the basis for national, regional and global action and cooperation in the marine sector.
Over the years, the Convention has made, together with its implementing agreements, a pre-eminent contribution to the strengthening of peace, security, cooperation and friendly relations among all nations in conformity with the principles of justice and equal rights and to the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples of the world. This contribution is in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations as set forth in the Charter of the United Nations, as well as to the sustainable development of the oceans and seas.