Chapter II 



INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES 



An essential element in the evolution of a strong federal ocean 

 program during the 1960's was the strengthening of cooperation 

 between nations engaged in maritime activities. However, inter- 

 national cooperation was insufficient to surmount the problems of 

 the seventies arising from the accelerating competition for resources 

 and increasingly serious ocean pollution. International recognition 

 of these factors has stimulated a new emphasis toward the develop- 

 ment of a more orderly regime for governing international ocean 

 activities. The United States has been a leader in this effort and in 

 the effort to improve international cooperation through existing 

 organizations and by the negotiation of new bilateral and 

 multilateral agreements. These efforts are the subjects of this 

 chapter. Some of the scientific and technical aspects of inter- 

 national programs will be discussed elsewhere in the report. 



Preparations for the Law of the Sea Conference 



During the past year, the United States continued its involvement 

 in the preparatory work for the forthcoming Law of the Sea 

 Conference. In December 1972, the 27th United Nations General 

 Assembly adopted a resolution calling for an opening organiza- 

 tional session of the Conference to be held at New York, N.Y., during 

 a 2-week period in November and December 1973, to be followed by 

 an 8-week substantive session at Santiago, Chile, beginning in April 

 1974. The 28th General Assembly, which convenes in the fall of 1973, 

 will review the progress of the preparatory work for the Conference 

 and, if necessary, adopt measures to facilitate the completion of the 

 substantive work of the Conference. 



Preparations for the Law of the Sea Conference are being under- 

 taken by the 91 members of the U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses 

 of the Seabed and Ocean Floor Beyond the Limits of National 

 Jurisdiction (Seabed Committee). The activities of the Seabed 



Manganese nodules, rich in copper, nickel, and cobalt, cover large areas of the 

 ocean floor beyond national jurisdiction. Commercial development of these 

 resources is linked to current international efforts to establish a legal regime 

 for the seabed. 



