485 



More than two-thirds of the planet Earth is at stake, and the theme 

 is to explore and exploit its resources for the benefit of all mankind. 



The basic attitude is sound and desirable. How to implement it to 

 the satisfaction of all nations is, however, a complex issue of legal, 

 technical, economic, and political problems. 



In October 1965, before the U.N. Economic and Financial Commit- 

 tee, Ambassador James Roosevelt urged cooperation for undersea ex- 

 ploration. "It is not too early for this Committee," said Ambassador 

 Roosevelt, "to start dreaming and thinking exciting thoughts about 

 the role the U.N. can take. In saying this, I am not unaware that this 

 organization has already demonstrated a sensitivity to the fact that 

 no one nation can hope to attack the many problems posed by the 

 ocean and that a large enough attack can be launched only if all the 

 nations cooperate." 



In 1066, President Johnson said : 



Under no circumstances, we believe, must we ever allow the prospect of rich 

 harvest and mineral wealth to create a new form of colonial competition among 

 the maritime nations. We must be careful to avoid a race to grab and to hold 

 the lands under the high seas. We must insure that the deep seas and the ocean 

 bottoms are, and remain, the legacy of all human beings.' 3 



Senator Frank Church carried this reasoning further in 1967 by 

 urging an international agreement to confer title on the United Na- 

 tions to mineral resources on the ocean floor beyond the continental 

 shelf. The agreement he envisioned would regulate the development 

 of these resources and "might not only remove a coming cause of inter- 

 national friction, but also endow the United Nations with a source for 

 substantial revenue in the future." 74 



The World Peace Through Law Conference, held on July 13, 1967, 

 by 2,500 lawyers from 100 countries, adopted a resolution urging a 

 proclamation declaring that the resources of the high seas beyond the 

 continental shelf appertain to the United Nations. The Conference 

 had two broad objectives : The efficient exploitation of the sea for the 

 benefit of all, including private entrepreneurs, and improvement of 

 the lot of mankind as a whole. 



The United Nations, however, had already become involved in 

 ocean affairs, although the main impetus toward internationaliza- 

 tion of the seabed began in earnest in 1967, following a proposal by 

 the Malta delegation (discussed under a separate heading) to reserve 

 the seabed for peaceful uses and use its resources for the benefit of all 

 mankind. 



Organizations for Marine Activities 



International bodies and mechanisms for promoting and coordi- 

 nating marine activities among the participating nations are divided 

 into two major groups: Non-governmental and intergovernmental. 

 In 1968, the United Nations Economic and Social Council submitted 

 a report, to the Secretary General which contained a detailed survey 

 of existing mechanisms for the promotion and coordination of marine 



73 Speech given at the commissioning of the research ship Oceanographer, at the Wash- 

 ington Navy Yard on July 13, 1966. 



74 U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Foreign Relations. "The United Nations at 

 Twenty-one." Report by Senator Frank Church, 90th Congress, 1st session. (Washington, 

 Government Printing Office, February 1967), page 25. 



