A/RES/56/12 GA

United Nations A/RES/56/12 General Assembly Distr.: General 13 December 2001 Fifty-sixth session Agenda item 30 (a) 01 47582 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly [without reference to a Main Committee (A/56/L.17 and Add.1)] 56/12. Oceans and the law of the sea The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 49/28 of 6 December 1994, 52/26 of 26 November 1997, 54/33 of 24 November 1999, 55/7 of 30 October 2000 and other relevant resolutions adopted subsequent to the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (“the Convention”)1 on 16 November 1994, Recalling also its resolution 2749 (XXV) of 17 December 1970, and considering that the Convention, together with the Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 (“the Agreement”),2 provides the regime to be applied to the Area and its resources as defined in the Convention, Emphasizing the universal and unified character of the Convention and its fundamental importance for the maintenance and strengthening of international peace and security, as well as for the sustainable development of the oceans and seas, Reaffirming that the Convention sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out and is of strategic importance as the basis for national, regional and global action in the marine sector, and that its integrity needs to be maintained, as recognized also by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in chapter 17 of Agenda 21,3 Conscious of the importance of increasing the number of States parties to the Convention and the Agreement in order to achieve the goal of universal participation, _______________ 1 See The Law of the Sea: Official Texts of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 and of the Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 with Index and Excerpts from the Final Act of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.97.V.10). 2 Resolution 48/263, annex. 3 Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3–14 June 1992 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigenda), vol. I: Resolutions adopted by the Conference, resolution 1, annex II. A/RES/56/12 2 Conscious also that the problems of ocean space are closely interrelated and need to be considered as a whole through an integrated, interdisciplinary and intersectoral approach, Convinced of the need, building on arrangements established in accordance with the Convention, to improve coordination at the national level and cooperation and coordination at both intergovernmental and inter-agency levels, in order to address all aspects of oceans and seas in an integrated manner, Recognizing the important role that the competent international organizations have in relation to ocean affairs, in implementing the Convention and in promoting the sustainable development of the oceans and seas, Recalling that the role of international cooperation and coordination on a bilateral basis and, where applicable, within a subregional, interregional, regional or global framework is to support and supplement the national efforts of all States, including coastal States, to promote the integrated management and sustainable development of coastal and marine areas, Mindful of the importance of the oceans and seas for the earth’s ecosystem and for providing the vital resources for food security and for sustaining economic prosperity and the well-being of present and future generations, Bearing in mind the contribution that major groups, as identified in Agenda 21, can make to raising awareness of the goal of the sustainable development of the oceans and seas, Underlining once again the essential need for capacity-building to ensure that all States, especially developing countries, in particular least developed countries and small island developing States, are able both to implement the Convention and to benefit from the sustainable development of the oceans and seas, as well as to participate fully in global and regional forums and processes dealing with oceans and law of the sea issues, Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General,4 and reaffirming the importance of the annual consideration and review of developments relating to ocean affairs and the law of the sea by the General Assembly as the global institution having the competence to undertake such a review, Taking note also of the report on the work of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process (“the Consultative Process”) established by the General Assembly in its resolution 54/33 in order to facilitate the annual review by the Assembly of developments in ocean affairs at its second meeting,5 Bearing in mind that marine science, by improving knowledge, through sustained research efforts and the evaluation of monitoring results, and applying such knowledge to management and decision-making, is important for eradicating poverty, contributing to food security, conserving the world’s marine environment and resources, helping to understand, predict, mitigate the effects of and respond to natural events, and promoting the sustainable development of the oceans and seas, Reaffirming the need to achieve the effective application of marine scientific knowledge and technology, through cooperation at the regional and global levels, by ensuring access of decision makers to relevant advice and information, as well as to _______________ 4 A/56/58 and Add.1. 5 See A/56/121. A/RES/56/12 3 the transfer of technology and support for the production and diffusion of factual data and knowledge for end-users, as appropriate, taking fully into account socio- economic factors and traditional ecological knowledge, Emphasizing the urgent need for cooperation at the international level to address the issue of the acquisition, generation and transfer of marine scientific data to assist coastal developing States, Convinced of the need to develop, where appropriate, a strong regional focus in marine scientific research and technology, through existing regional organizations, arrangements and programmes, so as to ensure the most effective use of the available resources and the protection and preservation of the marine environment, particularly by avoiding duplication and by achieving a holistic approach to the scientific study of the oceans and their resources, Expressing deep concern once again at the continued increase in the number of incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea, the harm they cause to seafarers, and the threats they pose to the safety of shipping and to the other uses of the sea, including marine scientific research and, consequently, to the marine and coastal environment, which are exacerbated further by the involvement of transnational organized crime, Emphasizing, in this context, the need for the capacity-building and cooperation of all States and relevant international bodies at both the regional and global levels, as well as the business sectors, to prevent and combat piracy and armed robbery at sea, Recognizing the importance of enhancing the safety of navigation, the need to provide accurate and up-to-date charts of world oceans in order to promote maritime safety, and the need to build hydrographic capacity, in particular for those States that do not yet have adequate hydrographic services, Reiterating its serious concern at the increase in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and recognizing the importance of combating such activities, particularly by strengthening bilateral cooperation, as well as through the relevant regional fisheries management organizations and arrangements, and through the implementation of appropriate enforcement measures, Expressing its deep concern once again at the degradation of the marine environment, particularly from land-based activities, and emphasizing the need for international cooperation and for a coordinated approach at the national and regional levels to this problem, bringing together the many different economic sectors involved and protecting the ecosystems, and in this context reaffirming the importance of ensuring the full implementation of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities,6 Reiterating its concern also at the adverse impacts on the marine environment from ships, including pollution, in particular through the illegal release of oil and other harmful substances and by the dumping of hazardous waste, including radioactive materials, nuclear waste and dangerous chemicals, as well as the physical impacts on coral, Welcoming resolution GC(45)/RES/10 adopted on 21 September 2001 by the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency at its forty-fifth _______________ 6 A/51/116, annex II. A/RES/56/12 4 regular session, concerning measures to strengthen international cooperation in nuclear, radiation, transport and waste safety, including those aspects relating to maritime transport safety,7 Bearing in mind the World Summit on Sustainable Development, to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002, and emphasizing the importance, in the preparations for the Summit, of addressing the sustainable development of oceans and seas, Noting the responsibilities of the Secretary-General under the Convention and related resolutions of the General Assembly, in particular resolutions 49/28, 52/26 and 54/33, and in this context the expected increase in responsibilities of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs of the Secretariat in view of the progress in the work of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (“the Commission”) and the anticipated receipt of submissions from States, I. Implementation of the Convention 1. Calls upon all States that have not done so, in order to achieve the goal of universal participation, to become parties to the Convention1 and the Agreement;2 2. Reaffirms the unified character of the Convention; 3. Calls upon States to harmonize, as a matter of priority, their national legislation with the provisions of the Convention, to ensure the consistent application of those provisions and to ensure also that any declarations or statements that they have made or make when signing, ratifying or acceding to the Convention are in conformity therewith and, otherwise, to withdraw any of their declarations or statements that are not in conformity; 4. Encourages States parties to the Convention to deposit with the Secretary-General charts and lists of geographical coordinates, as provided for in the Convention; 5. Takes note of the imminent entry into force of the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks;8 II. Capacity-building 6. Urges the international community to assist, as appropriate, developing countries, in particular least developed countries and small island developing States, in the acquisition of data and the preparation of charts or lists of geographical coordinates for publication under articles 16, 22, 47, 75 and 84 of the Convention and in the preparation of information under article 76 and annex II to the Convention; 7. Calls upon bilateral and multilateral donor agencies to keep their programmes systematically under review to ensure the availability in all States, _______________ 7 See International Atomic Energy Agency, Resolutions and Other Decisions of the General Conference, Forty-fifth Regular Session, 17–21 September 2001 (GC(45)/RES/DEC(2001)). 8 International Fisheries Instruments with Index (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.98.V.11), sect. I; see also A/CONF.164/37. A/RES/56/12 5 particularly in developing States, of the economic, legal, navigational, scientific and technical skills necessary for the full implementation of the Convention and the sustainable development of the oceans and seas nationally, regionally and globally, and in so doing to bear in mind the rights of landlocked developing States; 8. Requests the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the competent international organizations and programmes, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Labour Organization, the International Hydrographic Organization, the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the World Meteorological Organization and the World Bank, as well as representatives of regional development banks and the donor community, to review the efforts being made to build capacity as well as to identify the duplications that need to be avoided and the gaps that may need to be filled for ensuring consistent approaches, both nationally and regionally, with a view to implementing the Convention, and to include a section on this subject in his annual report on oceans and the law of the sea; III. Meeting of States Parties 9. Requests the Secretary-General to convene the twelfth Meeting of States Parties to the Convention in New York from 16 to 26 April 2002 and to provide the services required; IV. Settlement of disputes 10. Notes with satisfaction the continued contribution of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (“the Tribunal”) to the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with Part XV of the Convention, underlines its important role and authority concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention and the Agreement, encourages States parties to the Convention to consider making a written declaration choosing from the means set out in article 287 for the settlement of disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention and the Agreement, and invites States to note the provisions of annexes V, VI, VII and VIII to the Convention concerning, respectively, conciliation, the Tribunal, arbitration and special arbitration; 11. Recalls the obligations of parties under article 296 of the Convention, in cases before a court or a tribunal referred to in article 287 of the Convention, to ensure prompt compliance with the decisions rendered by such court or tribunal; 12. Encourages States that have not yet done so to nominate conciliators and arbitrators in accordance with annexes V and VII to the Convention, and requests the Secretary-General to continue to update and circulate lists of these conciliators and arbitrators on a regular basis; V. The Area 13. Notes with satisfaction the ongoing work of the International Seabed Authority (“the Authority”), including the issuance of contracts for exploration in A/RES/56/12 6 accordance with the Convention, the Agreement and the Regulations on Prospecting and Exploration for Polymetallic Nodules in the Area;9 14. Notes the ongoing elaboration of recommendations for the guidance of contractors to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from activities in the Area, and notes that the Council of the Authority will continue to consider issues relating to regulations for prospecting and exploration for polymetallic sulphides and cobalt-rich crusts in the Area at the next session of the Authority, to be held in Kingston from 5 to 16 August 2002; VI. Effective functioning of the Authority and the Tribunal 15. Appeals to all States parties to the Convention to pay their assessed contributions to the Authority and to the Tribunal in full and on time, and appeals also to all former provisional members of the Authority to pay any outstanding contributions; 16. Calls upon States that have not done so to consider ratifying or acceding to the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the Tribunal10 and to the Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the Authority;11 VII. The continental shelf 17. Notes with satisfaction the work of the Commission and its readiness to receive submissions by coastal States regarding the establishment of the outer limits of their continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles, and encourages concerned States and relevant international organizations and institutions to consider developing and making available training courses to assist States in the preparation of such submissions; 18. Takes note of the decision of the eleventh Meeting of States Parties to the Convention that, in the case of a State party for which the Convention entered into force before 13 May 1999, it is understood that the ten-year time period referred to in article 4 of annex II to the Convention shall be taken to have commenced on 13 May 1999;12 19. Encourages States parties that are in a position to do so to make every effort to make submissions to the Commission within the time period established by the Convention; 20. Approves the convening by the Secretary-General of the tenth session of the Commission in New York starting on 25 March 2002, of a duration of three weeks in the event of a submission being filed, or of one week, depending on the workload of the Commission, of the eleventh session from 24 to 28 June 2002, and of the twelfth session from 26 to 30 August 2002; _______________ 9 The contract with the remaining registered pioneer investor is expected to be issued in the very near future. 10 SPLOS/25. 11 ISBA/4/A/8, annex. 12 SPLOS/72. A/RES/56/12 7 VIII. Marine science and technology 21. Stresses the importance of the issues of marine science and technology and the need to focus on how best to implement the many obligations of States and competent international organizations under Parts XIII and XIV of the Convention, and calls upon States to adopt, as appropriate and in accordance with international law, such national laws, regulations, policies and procedures as are necessary to promote and facilitate marine scientific research and cooperation, especially those relating to consent for marine scientific research projects as provided for in the Convention; 22. Calls upon States, through national and regional institutions, to ensure that, in respect of marine scientific research conducted pursuant to Part XIII of the Convention in areas over which a coastal State has jurisdiction, the rights of the coastal State under the Convention are respected and that, at the request of the coastal State, information, reports, results, conclusions and assessments of data, samples and research results are made available, and access to data and samples are provided, to that coastal State; 23. Invites the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to request its Advisory Body of Experts on the Law of the Sea to work, in close cooperation with the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs of the Secretariat and in consultation with relevant regional or subregional organizations as appropriate, on the development of procedures under Part XIII of the Convention; 24. Invites the relevant United Nations agencies to continue to promote various ocean science programmes, strengthen the coordination among such programmes and develop rules, regulations and procedures within the framework of the Convention so as to facilitate the effective implementation of the programmes; 25. Urges relevant bodies of the United Nations system to develop, with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission acting as a focal point, appropriate interactions in the field of marine science with regional fisheries organizations, environmental and scientific bodies or regional centres foreseen by Part XIV of the Convention, and encourages States to establish, where appropriate, such regional centres; 26. Calls upon States, through national and regional institutions engaged in marine scientific research, to ensure that the knowledge resulting from marine scientific research and monitoring is made available in a user-friendly data format, especially to developing countries, so that it can be employed by decision makers and resource managers with a view to the effective application of marine research knowledge and technology; 27. Stresses the importance of increasing the scientific understanding of the oceans/atmosphere interface and other factors required for an integrated ecosystem- based approach to the management of oceans and coastal areas, including through participation in ocean observing programmes and geographic information systems; 28. Calls upon States, through bilateral, regional and international financial organizations and technical partnerships, to continue to strengthen capacity-building activities, in particular in developing countries, in the field of marine scientific research by, inter alia, training the necessary skilled personnel, providing the necessary equipment, facilities and vessels, and transferring environmentally sound technologies; A/RES/56/12 8 IX. Piracy and armed robbery 29. Urges all States and relevant international bodies to prevent and combat piracy and armed robbery at sea by adopting measures, including assisting with capacity-building, for prevention, for reporting and investigating incidents, and for bringing the alleged perpetrators to justice, in accordance with international law, in particular through training seafarers, port staff and enforcement personnel, providing enforcement vessels and equipment and guarding against fraudulent ship registration; 30. Welcomes initiatives of the International Maritime Organization and Governments aimed at enhancing international cooperation, particularly at the regional level, and encourages the development by Governments, based on mutual trust, of a common approach to enforcement, investigation and prosecution in dealing with piracy and armed robbery at sea; 31. Calls upon States and private entities concerned to cooperate fully with the International Maritime Organization, including by submitting reports on incidents to the organization and by implementing its guidelines on preventing attacks of piracy and armed robbery; 32. Urges States to become parties to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation and its Protocol,13 and to ensure its effective implementation, in particular through the adoption of legislation, where appropriate, aimed at ensuring that there is a proper framework for responses to incidents of armed robbery at sea; X. Safety of navigation 33. Invites the International Hydrographic Organization, in cooperation with other relevant international organizations and interested Member States, to provide the necessary assistance to States, in particular to developing countries, in order to enhance hydrographic capability to ensure, in particular, the safety of navigation and the protection of the marine environment; XI. Marine environment, marine resources and sustainable development 34. Welcomes the adoption by the Committee on Fisheries of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations of the International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, and urges States to take, as a matter of priority, all necessary steps to implement it effectively, including through relevant regional and subregional fisheries management organizations and arrangements; 35. Emphasizes once again the importance of the implementation of Part XII of the Convention in order to protect and preserve the marine environment and its living marine resources against pollution and physical degradation, and calls upon all States to cooperate and take measures, directly or through competent international organizations, for the protection and preservation of the marine environment; 36. Calls upon States to continue to prioritize action on marine pollution from land-based sources as part of their national sustainable development strategies _______________ 13 International Maritime Organization publication, Sales No. 462.88.12E. A/RES/56/12 9 and programmes, in an integrated and inclusive manner, as a means of implementing the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities,6 and takes note of the review by the intergovernmental meeting in Montreal, Canada, from 26 to 30 November 2001; 37. Calls upon United Nations agencies and programmes identified in General Assembly resolution 51/189 of 16 December 1996 to continue to fulfil their roles in support of the Global Programme of Action, as well as to consult with Governments, representatives of the private sector, financial institutions and bilateral and multilateral donor agencies to review their involvement in the implementation of the Global Programme of Action and to consider, inter alia, what international support is needed to help overcome the obstacles to the preparation and implementation of national and local action programmes and how they can participate actively in partnership-building with developing countries for the transfer of the requisite technology in accordance with the Convention, and taking into account the relevant parts of Agenda 21, capacity-building and funding for the implementation of the Global Programme of Action; 38. Calls upon States to take measures for the protection and preservation of coral reefs and to support international efforts in this regard, in particular the measures outlined in the 1998 Renewed Call to Action of the International Coral Reef Initiative and in decision V/3 adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at its fifth meeting, held in Nairobi from 15 to 26 May 2000;14 39. Emphasizes the importance of ensuring that adverse impacts on the marine environment are taken into account when assessing and evaluating development programmes and projects; 40. Once again urges States to take all practicable steps, in accordance with the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto,15 to prevent pollution of the marine environment from ships and, in accordance with the 1972 Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter,16 to prevent pollution of the marine environment by dumping, and further calls upon States to become parties to and to implement the 1996 Protocol to the 1972 Convention;17 41. Urges States to continue to work, through the International Maritime Organization, on issues relating to the protection of the marine environment from degradation resulting from ship-based activities, including the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens through ships’ ballast water, and notes the adoption of the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships;18 42. Encourages coastal States to enhance their national capacity and establish or improve their marine management systems in order to promote integrated marine management, the protection of the marine environment and ecosystem, and the sustainable development and utilization of marine resources, and _______________ 14 See UNEP/CBD/COP/5/23, annex III. 15 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1340, No. 22484. 16 Ibid., vol. 1046, No. 15749. 17 IMO/LC.2/Circ.380. 18 International Maritime Organization, document AFS/CONF.26. A/RES/56/12 10 invites the relevant agencies of the United Nations system and regional organizations to take effective measures to assist the coastal States in this regard; XII. Underwater cultural heritage 43. Takes note of the adoption by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization of the Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage; XIII. Activities of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea 44. Invites Member States and others in a position to do so to contribute to the further development of the Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe Memorial Fellowship Programme on the Law of the Sea established by the General Assembly in its resolution 35/116 of 10 December 1980 and to support the training activities under the TRAIN-SEA-COAST Programme of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea; 45. Expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General for the annual comprehensive report on oceans and the law of the sea,4 prepared by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, as well as for the other activities of the Division, in accordance with the provisions of the Convention and the mandate set forth in resolutions 49/28, 52/26 and 54/33; 46. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to carry out the responsibilities entrusted to him in the Convention and related resolutions of the General Assembly, including resolutions 49/28 and 52/26, and to ensure that appropriate resources are made available to the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea for the performance of such responsibilities under the approved budget for the Organization; XIV. International coordination and cooperation 47. Reaffirms its decision to undertake an annual review and evaluation of the implementation of the Convention and other developments relating to ocean affairs and the law of the sea, taking into account resolution 54/33 establishing the consultative process to facilitate the review of developments in ocean affairs, and requests the Secretary-General to convene the third meeting of the Consultative Process in New York from 8 to 15 April 2002; 48. Recommends that, in view of the forthcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development, in its deliberations on the report of the Secretary-General on oceans and the law of the sea at its third meeting, the Consultative Process organize its discussions around the following areas: (a) Protection and preservation of the marine environment; (b) Capacity-building, regional cooperation and coordination, and integrated ocean management, as important cross-cutting issues to address ocean affairs, such as marine science and the transfer of technology, sustainable fisheries, the degradation of the marine environment and the safety of navigation; 49. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure more effective collaboration and coordination between the relevant parts of the Secretariat of the United Nations and the United Nations as a whole, in particular in ensuring the effectiveness, A/RES/56/12 11 transparency and responsiveness of the mechanism for coordination on ocean issues,19 and also requests the Secretary-General to include in his report specific suggestions on initiatives to improve coordination, in particular at the inter-agency level, in accordance with resolution 54/33, and encourages all United Nations bodies to help this process by drawing to the attention of the Secretariat and the Subcommittee on Oceans and Coastal Areas of the Administrative Committee on Coordination those areas of their work which may, directly or indirectly, affect the work of other United Nations bodies; 50. Also requests the Secretary-General to bring the present resolution to the attention of heads of intergovernmental organizations, the specialized agencies and funds and programmes of the United Nations engaged in activities relating to ocean affairs and the law of the sea, drawing their attention to paragraphs of particular relevance to them, and underlines the importance of their constructive and timely input for the report of the Secretary-General on oceans and the law of the sea and of their participation in relevant meetings and processes; 51. Invites the competent international organizations, as well as funding institutions, to take specific account of the present resolution in their programmes and activities, and to contribute to the preparation of the comprehensive report of the Secretary-General on oceans and the law of the sea; XV. Trust funds 52. Recognizes the importance of the trust funds established by the Secretary-General pursuant to General Assembly resolution 55/7 for the purpose of assisting States in the settlement of disputes through the Tribunal,20 and of assisting developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, in the preparation of submissions to the Commission in compliance with article 76 of the Convention,21 in defraying the cost of participation of Commission members in the meetings of the Commission,22 and in attending the meetings of the Consultative Process;23 and invites States, intergovernmental organizations and agencies, national institutions, non-governmental organizations and international financial institutions, as well as natural and juridical persons, to make voluntary financial or other contributions to these trust funds; XVI. Fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly 53. Decides to devote two days of plenary meetings at the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly, on 9 and 10 December 2002, to the consideration of the item entitled “Oceans and the law of the sea” and the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the opening for signature of the Convention, and encourages Member States and observers to be represented at the highest possible level; 54. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session on the implementation of the present resolution, including _______________ 19 The mechanism for coordination at this time is the Subcommittee on Oceans and Coastal Areas of the Administrative Committee on Coordination, the status of which is currently under review as part of the reform of the machinery of the Administrative Committee on Coordination as a whole. 20 See resolution 55/7, para. 9. 21 Ibid., para. 18. 22 Ibid., para. 20. 23 Ibid., para. 45. A/RES/56/12 12 other developments and issues relating to ocean affairs and the law of the sea, in connection with his annual comprehensive report on oceans and the law of the sea, and to provide the report in accordance with the modalities set out in resolution 54/33; 55. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-seventh session the item entitled “Oceans and the law of the sea”. 67th plenary meeting 28 November 2001

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