General Assembly to declare the title of the international community and to 

 establish appropriate administrative arrangements." 



In 1961, the U.N. General Assembly, at the suggestion of President Kennedy, 

 took some important steps in this direction in regard to outer space. It declared 

 that "international law, including the charter of the United Nations, applies to 

 outer space and celestial bodies," and that "outer space and celestial bodies are 

 free for exploration and use by all states in conformity with international law and 

 are not subject to national appropriation." 



In 1963, the General Assembly further called upon all states "to refrain from 

 placing in orbit around the earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other 

 kinds of weapons of mass destruction, installing such weapons on celestial bodies, 

 or stationing such weapons in outer space in any other manner. ..." It also adopted 

 a declaration of legal principles for exploration of outer space. 



These steps point the way to possible parallel action by the U.N. regarding the 

 sea. 



There are compelling reasons for the U.N.'s taking such steps, some of which 

 apply with equal force to the control of man's adventures in outer space. With 

 the population of the world increasing at an explosive rate and with the rapid 

 advance in industrialization, the food supplies and the mineral resources of the 

 sea will be eagerly sought. The majority of nations do not have the technological 

 capability to launch satellites or to gather minerals on the deep sea floor, and 

 many of them cannot compete effectively for the fisheries of the high seas. How- 

 ever, the less advanced should be able to share in these resources as the common 

 property of the world community. 



In the absence of clear rights and boundaries, nations will unilaterally attempt 

 to appropriate these areas for their own use. Such claims will reduce the area held 

 in common by the world community and frequently lead to conflicts between 

 nations— as witness the growing number of controversies over fishing rights, and 

 disagreements that have accompanied the appropriation of the atmosphere and 

 the sea for nuclear testing. 



Resources such as fish, minerals on the ocean floor and the surface of the ocean, 

 as well as the radio spectrum in outer space can be exploited simultaneously by 

 more than one firm or nation. But imder these conditions, exploitation tends to 

 be accompanied by rapid depletion, economic waste, and conflict. 



Since the United Nations is not a full-fledged world govei-nment how can it 

 persuade nations to accept the proposed regime for the sea? 



A sanction may be found where self-interest and the common good coincide. 

 There are, for example, some fishery resources now so depleted that it would be 

 to the self-interest of the few nations involved to agree to international control; 

 and in the Antarctic, depletion of at least one species of whale has threatened that 

 species with extinction. As for the untapped mineral resources of the deep sea, 

 nations might prefer a U.N. regime to an anarchy under which they could not be 

 certain of access. 



Through cooperation, nations may actually be able to expand resources of 

 the sea as they could not do themselves. Contrary to popular belief, as Christy 

 £'nd Brooks have said, there are regions of the ocean that are virtual deserts, 

 ". . . regions where the plant n\itrients have settled out below the euphotic 

 zone. In such areas, it may be possible to establish artificial upwellings or to 

 improve fertility by other means." Under such circumstances, it would be possible 

 to "herd" fish — the kinds of fish that men prefer to eat. Obviously, no one nation 

 is going to undertake such an effort, but it could be undertaken through the U.N. 



The mineral resources of the sea are relatively imknown compared to fishery 

 resources. But the potential wealth in the nodules referred to earlier is well 

 known. At least one boat is being fitted out in the United States to experiment 

 with mining them. Other countries also are interested. However, nations may be 

 reluctant to exploit such mineral resources if the.y are unsure of title. Further, 

 uncontrolled efforts to extract these resources ma}^ disturb conditions in which 

 fish thrive; and might interfere with the Atlantic cables. All are reasons for 

 international ownership and control. 



United Nations control also could reduce the danger of pollution. As popu- 

 lation grows, man is more and more responsible for, as well as the victim of, the 

 pollution of the atmosphere and water. Unregulated use of the air and the sea 

 will increase the danger of contamination. There is also danger of contamination 

 of the sea by radioactive material, pesticides, and other poisons on land. Con- 

 tamination of the shared envelope of atmosphere is a matter of concern to all 

 peoples. 



