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cerning the deep ocean floor. The United States, noting the need for 
further scientific and technical knowledge, has also proposed an 
International Decade of Ocean Exploration. 
The 23d General Assembly adopted three resolutions last Decem- 
ber cosponsored by the United States. 
The first created a committee on the Peaceful Uses of the Seabed 
and the Ocean Floor Beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction, 
composed of 42 States. The new permanent committee was instructed 
to study the elaboration of the legal principles and norms to promote 
international cooperation in the exploration and use of the seabed and 
ocean floor beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. 
The second resolution welcomed the adoption by States of appro- 
priate safeguards against the danger of marine pollution. 
The third resolution supported the International Decade of Ocean: 
Exploration proposed by the United States. 
A fourth resolution, on which the United States abstained, re- 
quested the Secretary General to undertake a study on the question 
of establishing in due time appropriate international machinery for 
the exploration and exploitation of the seabed resources. 
The United States abstained on this resolution because it had made 
no decision as to the desirability of such international machinery, 
and felt the resolution, which called for a study on the question by 
the Secretary General, in effect prejudged this issue. 
The Secretary General has now completed his report, which sets 
forth a wide range of possibilities with respect to a possible interna- 
tional regime. This report, among other subjects, was discussed dur- 
ing the August 11-28 session of the Seabed Committee. Among the 
many political and economic forces at work facing the Seabed Com- 
mittee debates, the following four now stand out clearly: 
1. Recognition of the importance of the seabed, covering three- 
fourths of the earth’s surface, from political, economic, and other 
points of view ; 
2. The desire of the lesser developed countries to play a sub- 
stantial role in the development. of seabed policies and to insure 
that the seabeds be exploited in ways which will benefit all coun- 
tries, and not merely the technologically advanced countries; 
3. The question of where the boundary of the area beyond 
national jurisdiction should be located : and 
4. The demand of many countries that the seabeds be used 
exclusively for peaceful purposes. 
Thus, the recent meeting of the UN Seabed Committee, even though 
it did not produce any specific, agreed recommendations, yielded a 
deeper understanding of the issues among its members, and useful 
work was accomplished. 
The report drafted by the committee for the General Assembly re- 
flected an increasing sophistication with respect to this complex 
subject. A 
The two major subjects discussed at this meeting were, first, prin- 
ciples governing the exploration and exploitation of the seabeds be- 
yond national jurisdiction, and, secondly, the sort of international 
machinery and regime which might govern exploration and exploita- 
tion of the seabed. 
On the matter of principles, this discussion was a continuation of 
debate at previous meetings. We were disappointed that the commit- 
