International Cooperation 



trench, an atoll, or a group of table mounts, to serve as ecological baselines 

 and as areas for scientific research. The United States also supported a less 

 extensive declaration of principles submitted by a number of delegations/' 



In setting forth our position, the United States called for action looking 

 toward international agreement that there is, and will remain, an area of 

 the seabed and deep ocean floor beyond national jurisdiction. Taking into 

 account the Geneva Convention of 1958 on the Continental Shelf, there 

 should be established, as soon as practicable, an internationally agreed pre- 

 cise boundary delineating the area beyond national jurisdiction. Exploitation 

 and use of the natural resources of the seabed and ocean floor prior to the 

 establishment of a boundary should not prejudice the location of that 

 boundary. 



With regard to the regime for the area beyond national jurisdiction, the 

 United States also took the position that no State should claim or exercise 

 sovereignty or sovereign rights over any part of the area, and the area should 

 not be subject to national appropriation by claims of sovereignty, by use or 

 occupation, or by any other means. There should be no discrimination in the 

 availability of the area for exploration, scientific research, and use by all 

 States and their nationals. The U.S. position also asserts that internationally 

 agreed arrangements governing the exploitation of resources of the area 

 should be established as soon as practicable. Such arrangements should 

 include provision for the orderly development of resources; conditions condu- 

 cive to making of investments; preserving the integrity of investments in 

 the area made prior to agreement on such arrangements; the dedication as 

 feasible and practicable of a portion of the value of the resources recovered 

 from the deep ocean floor to world and regional community purposes; and 

 accommodation among the commercial and other uses of the deep ocean 

 floor and marine environment. 



Finally, the United States expressed the view that the seabed and deep 

 ocean floor beyond national jurisdiction should be used exclusively for 

 peaceful purposes in accordance with the U.N. Charter. Since this does not 

 preclude military activities generally, specific limitations on designated 

 military activities will require the negotiation of a detailed arms control 

 agreement. Military' activities not precluded by such an agreement would 

 continue to be conducted in accordance with freedom of the seas and 

 exclusively for peaceful purposes. 



The development of these principles and further evolution of policy re- 

 garding jurisdiction over the deep seabed involve a number of considerations 

 of national interest — security, economic growth, incentive for private invest- 

 ment, balance of payments, scientific research, aid to developing nations, and 

 others. These diverse interests find their advocacy in different departments 



' The draft Resolutions and the less extensive declaration of principles arc included 

 in Appendix C-2. 



53 



