617 
The General Assembly recognized that so far-reaching 
a suggestion called for profound study and by resolution 
decided to establish an ad hoc committee "to study the peaceful 
uses of the seabed and the ocean floor beyond the limits of 
national jurisdiction." This committee was requested by the 
resolution to prepare a study for consideration by the General 
Assembly at its next (Twenty-Third) session. The committee 
.was asked to include in its study "an indication regarding 
practical means to promote international cooperation in the 
exploration, conservation and use of the seabed and the ocean 
floor, and the subsoil thereof." The resolution was adopted 
on December 18, 1967, by a vote of 99 to 0. The United States 
voted for the resolution and is one of the members of the ad 
hoc committee consisting of thirty-five nations. 
The Convention on the Continental Shelf 
The threshold question, vital to the United States, 
is the geographical extent of the exclusive rights now vested 
in the coastal nations, as recognized in the 1958 Convention 
on the Continental Shelf. The relevant articles of this 
Convention read: 
"Article 1 
"For the purpose of these articles, the term ‘con- 
tinental shelf' is used as referring (a) to the seabed 
and subsoil of the submarine areas adjacent to the coast 
but outside the area of the territorial sea, to a depth 
of 200 metres or, beyond that limit. to where the depth 
of the superjacent waters admits of the exploitation of 
the natural resources of the said areas; (b) to the seabed 
and subsoil of similar submarine areas adjacent to the 
coasts of islands. 
"Article 2 
"], The coastal State exercises over the continental 
shelf sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring it 
and exploiting its natural resources. : 
"2. The rights referred to in paragraph 1 of this 
article are exclusive in the sense that if the coastal 
State does not explore the continental shelf or exploit 
its natural resources, no one may undertake these 
