APPENDIX 



[United Nations General Assembly, Doc. A/6695, 18 August 1967, Twenty- 

 second session] 



Request for the Inclusion of a Supplementary Item in the 

 Agenda of the Twenty- second Session 



Declaration and Treaty Concerning the Reservation Exclusively for 

 Peaceful Purposes of the Sea-Bed and of the Ocean Floor^ Under- 

 lying the Seas Beyond the Limits of Present National Jurisdiction^ 

 and the use of Their Resources in the Interests of Mankind 



Note verhale dated 17 August 19G7 from the Permanent Mission of 

 Malta to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General 



The Permanent Mission of Malta to the United Nations presents 

 its compliments to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and 

 has the honour to propose under rule 14 of the rules of procedure of 

 the General Assembly the inclusion of the following item in the agenda 

 of the twenty-second session of the General Assembly : "Declaration 

 and treaty concerning the reservation exclusively for peaceful purposes 

 of the sea-bed and of the ocean floor, underlying the seas beyond the 

 limits of present national jurisdiction, and the use of their resources 

 in the interests of mankind". 



An explanatory memorandum is attached in accordance with rule 

 20 of the rules of procedure. 



Memorandum 



1. The sea-bed and the ocean floor are estimated to constitute ap- 

 proximately five-sevenths of the world's area. The sea-bed and ocean 

 floor, underlying the seas outside present territorial waters and/or 

 the continental shelves, are the only areas of our planet which have 

 not yet been appropriated for national use, because they have been 

 relatively inaccessible and their use for defense purposes or the eco- 

 nomic exploitation of their resources was not technologically feasible. 



2. In view of rapid progress in the development of new techniques by 

 technologically advanced countries, it is feared that the situation will 

 change and that the sea-bed and the ocean floor, underlying the seas 

 beyond present national jurisdiction, will become progressively and 

 competitively subject to national appropriation and use. This is likely 

 to result in the militarization of the accessible ocean floor through the 

 establishment of fixed military installations and in the exploitation 

 and depletion of resources of immense potential benefit to tlie vrorld, 

 for the national advantage of technologically developed countries. 



(7R) 



