495 



3. A United Nations subsidiary organ performing functions 

 under treaties such as the bodies concerned with narcotic drugs 

 and the Office of the U.N. Higli Commissioner for Refugees 

 (UNHCR). 



4. An international organization established by treaty, enjoy- 

 ing an independent legal status, such as the United Nations itself 

 and the specialized agencies. 



The Economic and Technical Subcommittee found the report of the 

 Secretary General a useful basis for deliberation, and concluded that 

 of the three functions considered (licensing, registry, and operational 

 agency) the first two had been covered in an overall comprehensive 

 manner. The question of an organization to perform these functions 

 was discussed extensively, but the consensus was that the whole sub- 

 ject of international machinery needed to be considered simultane- 

 ously with the legal regime, and that such problems as definitions of 

 the limits of the area and the authority of the agency should be con- 

 sidered further. 



The General Assembly then passed resolutions for the continuation 

 of the activities of the Seabed Committee, concentrating on three 

 major issues: 



1. Ascertaining member views on convening Law of the Sea 

 Conference to update the Geneva Conventions — resolution 2574A 

 (XXIV); 



2. Requesting the U.N. Seabed Committee to prepare seabed 

 principles and rules for exploitation of seabed resources — reso- 

 lution 2574B (XXIV) ; 



3. Requesting a further study on international machinery — 

 resolution 2574C (XXIV). 



Another resolution was passed (2574D (XXIV)) calling for a 

 moratorium on exploitation of seabed resources pending establish- 

 ment of an international regime. 



VIII. U.S. Participation in International Ocean Activities 



The formulation of ocean policy in the United States is a complex 

 process which involves Federal agencies in the Executive Branch, 

 congressional committees, and other non-Federal and academic orga- 

 nizations. Each one of these bodies contributes a share toward the 

 evolution of U.S. policy, and their individual positions on major 

 issues are not necessarily similar. In order to understand these com- 

 plexities, it is necessary to indentify the organizational structure of the 

 policymaking apparatus and to review the positions taken by the 

 Legislative and Executive Branches of the U.S. Government. " 



U.S. Policy Apparatus for Seabed Issues 



The building of a consensus on marine affairs through studies, ex- 

 pert testimony, and expressions of opinion is a function of several con- 

 gressional committees. This is usually the formative stage in the 

 process of establishing facts and formulating policy guidelines to 

 assist the Executive Branch in its tasks. In the Executive Branch, the 

 policy apparatus includes the National Council on Marine Resources 

 and Engineering Development ; the Commission on Marine Science, 

 Engineering, and Resources; the Committee on International Policy in 

 the Marine Environment; and the existing Interagency Law-of-the- 



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