69 



UNITED NATIONS 



Distr. 

 LIMITED 



THIRD CONFERENCE , h /ctm : &n..to 



ON THE LAW OF THE SEA 16 A P vii wai 



ORIGINAL: ENGLISH 



Tenth session 



New York, 9 March to 2k April 1981 



REPORT TO THE PLENARY ON THE NEGOTIATIONS IN THE FIRST 

 COMMITTEE BY I AUL BAMELA ENGO (tJKITED REPUBLIC OF 

 CAMEROON), CHAIRMAN OF THE FIRST COfMITTEE 



1. At the end of the resumed ninth session I reported that there had been what 

 I consider to be a break-through in our negotiations on the outstanding hard-core 

 issuer before the First Committee. It was clear from the reactions of all 

 delegations , in the Firiit Committee and in the Plenary, that the proposals which 

 were .later incorporated in the Draft Convention enjoyed a eonsensxis. The report 

 ] submitted therefore outlined only a few issues which required attention before 

 the First Committee could terminate its mandate. 



?. IL is common knowledge that the United States delegation announced. at the 

 commencement of this session their decision to review the Draft Convention and 

 insisted that the Conference must await the end of such a review before any 

 fruitful negotiations could take place with a view to formalizing the Draft. The 

 Group of 77 expressed the opinion that no useful negotiations therefore could be 

 undertaken to resolve the issue of preliminary investment protection. Consequently, 

 the work of the First Committee at this session proceeded with an unhappy cloud 

 hovering over. My consultations left me in no doubt however that it was the will 

 of the delegates to proceed with the negotiating effort on all outstanding issues 

 bearing in mind the effect of the reservations expressed. 



3. During this session the Fir t Committee held four meetings, all" formal. The 

 first two were devoted to general debates on the Preparatory Commission. The 

 other two meetings provided opportunity for general comments on two reports of the 

 Secretary-General of the United Nations: uiic on potential financial implications 

 ' for Stoles parties to the future .Convention en the Law of the Sea (document 

 A/C0W".6P/L.6'j) , and the other on the effects of the production limitation formula 

 under certain specified assumptions (document A/CONF.62/L.66 and Corr.l). 



1*. In addition, the issue of the Scat of the Authority (art. 156 (3)) was taken 

 up for the first time. The opportunity was also given for the examination of all 

 or any matter that delegations felt had not been or had never been dealt with 

 formally in the First Committee. 



0l-10)i79 



