Resumed Thirty-Fourth Meeting of States Parties to United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea to Be Held on 27 November
NEW YORK, 26 November (Office of Legal Affairs) — The thirty-fourth Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea will be resumed at Headquarters on Wednesday, 27 November, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Conference Room 1, for the purpose of filling a seat in the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf allocated to a member of the Commission from the African Group of States.
The thirty-fourth Meeting of States Parties was originally convened from 10 to 14 June.
The election procedure and the list of candidates nominated for election are set out in two notes by the Secretary-General (documents SPLOS/33/14 and SPLOS/34/13, respectively). The complete curriculum vitae of the candidate, in English only, is available in document SPLOS/34/CRP.2.
The timely attendance of all States Parties is of utmost importance. For the election to proceed, a minimum of two thirds of States Parties must be in attendance. In the practice of the Meeting, elections, even with a single candidate, have been conducted by secret ballot.
For further information on the Meeting, the statement of qualifications of the candidate that was nominated, the submission of credentials, as well as the modalities of the Meeting and the election, please see the website of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs at www.un.org/depts/los/meeting_states_parties/resumedthirtyfourthmeetingstateparties.htm.
Background on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
The Convention, which entered into force on 16 November 1994, governs all aspects of ocean space and maritime issues, from navigational rights, maritime limits and marine scientific research to resource management, marine environment protection and dispute settlement. The Convention was opened for signature on 10 December 1982. It entered into force on 16 November 1994. The Convention, comprising 320 articles and nine 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 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, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations as set forth in the Charter of the United Nations, promotes the sustainable development of the oceans and seas.