623 
a. Creation of an international agency with the 
limited functions of (i) receiving, recording, and publishing 
notices by sovereign nations of their intent to occupy and 
explore stated areas of the seabed exclusively for mineral 
production, notices of actual occupation thereof, notices of 
_ discovery, and periodic notices of continuing activity, 
together with (ii) resolution of conflicts between notices 
recorded by two-or more nations encompassing the same area. 
b. Establishment of norms of conduct by sovereign 
nations with respect to the recording of the notices proposed 
in the preceding paragraph, and in the occupation of the 
seabed and exploration and production of minerals therefrom. 
The drafting commission could appropriately recommend for 
inclusion in the resulting convention, among other things, 
standards (or a mechanism to establish standards) relating 
to permissible areas for inclusion in exploration and produc- 
tion phases, periods of exclusive rights of occupancy, 
requirements of diligence as related to tenure, conservation, 
avoidance of pollution, accommodation with competing uses of 
the marine environment, etc. The instructions to the negotia- 
ting commission should stipulate that the resulting convention 
shall contemplate that the actual production and marketing of 
minerals discovered shall be controlled by the laws of the 
recording nation, and that that nation shall be held account- 
able for the conduct of those operating under its flag in the 
exploration and exploitation of minerals. 
@o5 Establishment of (i) reasonable payments to be 
made, preferably to the World Bank, by the nation which under- 
takes mineral development, in areas seaward of coastal mineral 
jurisdiction, in the nature of registration fees, and develop- 
ment fees or royalties, and (ii) the purposes to which such 
revenues, when received, shall be applied. These purposes 
should be restricted to international activities on which wide 
agreement can be reached, such as oceanic research, programs 
aimed at improved use of the sea's food resources to alleviate 
protein malnutrition, and the development of the natural 
resources of the less developed countries. 
Jesse P. Luton, Jr., Chairman 
Section of Natural Resources Law 
Joe C. Barrett, Chairman 
Section of International and 
Comparative Law 
Eberhard P. Deutsch, Chairman 
Standing Committee on Peace 
and Law Through United Nations 
