THE 1973 CONFERENCE ON THE LAW OF THE SEA IN THE LIGHT OF CURRENT TRENDS IN STATE SEABED PRACTICE

Abstract

Recent attempts to define, or at least limit, exploitation and ownership of the seabed include the General Assembly of the United Nations’ 1970 Declaration and the Moratorium Resolution. This article reviews these events and current issues facing planners of the 1973 United Nations Conference: specifically, the increasing number of claims to sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the seabed. These claims import a sense of urgency into the discussion on the boundaries of state rights to the seabed and a survey of them includes 1) negotiations between various coastal states, 2) the state practice of granting exploration licences and controlling seabed activities in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, 3) commercial interest in the Red Sea Brines and 4) increasing commercial interest in the recovery of manganese nodules.