Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ucsd!ucbvax!husc6!cmcl2!phri!ccnysci!unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org From: unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) Newsgroups: misc.headlines.unitex Subject: <2/2> SPECIAL COMMISSION ON SEA-LAW TRIBUNAL Message-ID: <2912@ccnysci.UUCP> Date: 3 Sep 89 16:57:02 GMT Sender: patth@ccnysci.UUCP Lines: 87 Approved: patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu The Chairman said a possible conclusion from the Commission's examination of the question could be to recommend to the meeting of States parties to the Convention (provided for in the Convention of the Law of the Sea) that it authorized the Tribunal to conclude relationship agreements with those bodies. One task of the Special Commission could be to identify the most important subject matters that would have to be regulated by each of those three agreements and those to be covered. On the basis of the list of subjects, the Secretariat could be asked to prepare drafts of such relationship agreements which could be attached as annexes to the recommendations to be submitted to the meeting of States parties. The Secretary then introduced the document which among others, states that the essential relationship agreements that the Tribunal might enter into with other international organizations, particularly the United Nations and its agencies, would be with those that had competences in aspects of the Law of the Sea and related ocean affairs. It also states that exchange of information was central to relationship agreements and that there should be co-operation with the Security Council of the United Nations. The representative of Tanzania asked whether the Chairman, in his statement, was drawing a line between relationship agreements with the United Nations, the Tribunal and the International Court of Justice on one hand, and with specialized agencies, such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), on the other. The Chairman said there had to be a differentiation of the two categories. There were provisions in the Convention for such agreements. There were provisions also on the functions of the Secretary-General with regard to the depository of agreements. There was the question of the use of United Nations laissez-passer by Tribunal officials. A study of the Secretariat paper showed the appropriateness of having relationship agreements with specialized agencies as well. It should not be mandatory for the Tribunal to do so, he said. Responding to the question of the representative of Tanzania, the Chairman said the issue could be taken up after the examination of the document. The representative of the Philippines said his delegation favoured a study of the subject, adding that the Secretariat could be requested to provide a paper on issues involved in relationship agreements. The Chairman requested the Secretariat to prepare an indicative list of such issues. The representative of the Federal Republic of Germany suggested that the issue should be taken up in a pragmatic way, starting with the relationship agreement with the United Nations. The representative of Brazil said the Commission should consider the relationship of the Tribunal with other international organizations. The Chairman said the Tribunal would need the co-operation of the United Nations from its inception, and it would be necessary to have a draft relationship agreement with the United Nations as well as the International Sea-Bed Authority. The representative of Yugoslavia said he would like a preliminary opinion as to whether it was necessary to have different agreements with different agencies or with the United Nations in general. He also asked whether it was better to conclude bilateral agreements with specialized agencies or a multilateral agreement to cover all interested bodies. The Chairman said the questions raised by the representative of Yugoslavia could be answered in due course. A representative of the United Nations Legal Office said the issues were difficult. He said that, generally speaking, relationship agreements between the United Nations and international bodies, such as the Organization of African Unity (OAU), were concluded after authorization by the General Assembly. He said the Commission should first identify the issues and then decide how best to approach them. The representative of the Sudan said it was only after the main issues had been identified that the Commission would be in a position to indicate to States parties what form the agreements should take. The Chairman proposed that the Commission should take up the question of the indicative list of issues at its next meeting. * Origin: UNITEX --> Toward a United Species (1:107/501) --- Patt Haring | UNITEX : United Nations patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu | Information patth@ccnysci.BITNET | Transfer Exchange -=- Every child smiles in the same language. -=-