51 



The General Assembly endorsed Kesolution 1112 (XL) in a new 

 resolution [2172 (XXI) : Resources of the sea. Dec. 6, 1966], and fur- 

 ther requested the Secretary General — 



1. To undertake, in addition to the survey requested by the 

 Economic and Social Council, a comprehensive survey of activi- 

 ties in marine science and technology, including that relating to 

 mineral resources development, undertaken by members of the 

 United Nations family of organizations, various Member States 

 and intergovernmental organizations concerned, and by universi- 

 ties, scientific and technological institutions and other interested 

 organizations; 



2. * * * in the light of the above-mentioned survey, to formulate 

 proposals for — 



(a) Ensuring the most effective arrangements for an ex- 

 panded programme of international co-operation to assist in 

 a better understanding of the marine environment through 

 science and in the exploitation and development of marine 

 resources, M^th due regard to the conservation of fish stocks ; 



(b) Initiating and strengthening marine education and 

 training programmes, bearing in mind the close interrelation- 

 ship between marine and other sciences ; 



3. To set up a small group of experts to be selected, as far 

 as possible, from the specialized agencies and intergovernmental 

 organizations concerned, to assist him in the preparation of the 

 comprehensive survey called for in paragraph [1] above and in 

 the formulation of the proposals referred to in paragraph [2] 

 alx)ve. 



The survey and proposals were to be submitted to the Advisory Com- 

 mittee on the Application of Science and Technology to Development 

 for its comments, and then, tooether with the comments, to the General 

 Assembly at its twenty-third session (1968), through the Economic 

 and Social Council. 



Emergence of the Malta Proposal 



While those two reports were being prepared, the Permanent Mis- 

 sion of Malta to the United Nations submitted a note verhale, dated 

 August 17, 1967, to the Secretary General, proposing the inclusion in 

 the agenda of the twenty -second session (1967) of the General Assem- 

 bly an item entitled "Declaration and treaty concerning the reserva- 

 tion exclusively for peaceful purposes of the sea-bed and of the ocean 

 floor, underlying the seas beyond the limits of present national juris- 

 diction, and the use of their resources in the interest of mankind." ^® 



In the memorandum which accompanied the note verbale, the Malta 

 proposal pointed out that the seabed and oc«an floor beyond the ter- 

 ritorial waters and the continental shelves had not yet been appro- 

 priated for national use because of their inaccessibility, and because 

 their use for defense purposes or economic development had not been 

 technologically feasible. However, the memorandum recognized the 

 rapid progress in technological developments, particularly by the ad- 

 vanced countries. This progress, it was felt, would cause the seabed to 



™ "MaUa : request for the Inclusion of a supplementary item In the agenda of the 

 twenty-second session." (New York, United Nations, August 18, 1967). (U.N. Document 

 A/6695.) 



