THE UNITED NATIONS 



Summary 



The United Nations has been involved in many oceanogra- 

 phy programs over the past decade, but until recently its 

 primary concerns have been the coordination of international 

 programs and the advancement of scientific research. In 1967, 

 the island of Malta proposed that the U. N. assume jurisdiction 

 of the ocean floor and ensure that it be used for peaceful pur- 

 poses in the interests of all mankind. This action provided the 

 catalyst for concentrated thought about the future of the sea- 

 bed in the U. N. and in many countries of the v^orld. 



In response to this challenge, the General Assembly creat- 

 ed an Ad Hoc Committee to study the scope and various aspects 

 of exploration, exploitation, and use of the sea-bed and ocean 

 floor. Meeting throughout the spring and summer of 1968, the 

 Ad Hoc Committee identified and discussed the major problems 

 which the U. N. and its Member States would face in the years 

 ahead. The group supplied the twenty-third session of the 

 General Assembly with a list of principles upon which unani- 

 mous agreement had been reached. Using these as a guide, 

 the General Assembly adopted a number of resolutions in 

 December 1968 including one which established a permanent 

 Committee on the Peaceful Uses of the Sea-Sed and the Ocean 

 Floor Beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction composed of 

 forty-two member states. 



This United Nations section contains a discussion of the 

 Malta proposal, some reactions to it, the findings of the Ad 

 Hoc Committee, the nature of the new Committee, and the reso- 

 lutions recently adopted by the General Assembly. 



Early Activities 



Recognizing the need for greater knowledge of the oceans 

 and the opportunities available in the future, the General As- 

 sembly passed Resolution 2172 (XXI) in December, 1966. This 

 requested that the Secretary-General, in cooperation with sev- 

 eral U. N. agencies, conduct a comprehensive survey of the 

 activities in marine science and technology being undertaken 

 by international and national organizations. This effort would 

 supplement a survey of the present state of knowledge of the 

 resources of the sea beyond the continental shelf and of the 

 techniques available for exploitation which had been requested 

 by the Economic and Social Council Resolution 1112 (XL) a few 

 months earlier. 



In order to assist the Secretary-General, the establishment 

 of a small group of experts was suggested whose members 

 would be selected from the specialized agencies and intergov- 

 ernmental organizations. The resolution also requested formu- 



