MALTA ELECTED TO THE COUNCIL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY

MALTA ELECTED TO THE COUNCIL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY

On Thursday, 23^rd March 2000, Malta was unanimously elected to the Council of the International Seabed Authority. The election took place during the Meeting of the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority held at its seat in Kingston, Jamaica. The International Seabed Authority is the Organization which was established as a result of the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It will be recalled that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea codifies the concept of the Common Heritage of Mankind originally proposed in the United Nations General Assembly, in 1967, by the late Dr Arvid Pardo, then Permanent Representative of Malta to the United Nations.

The International Seabed Authority is the Organization comprising all States which have ratified the Convention and the 1994 Agreement pertaining to Part XI of the Convention. Malta participates as a member of the Assembly and will now form part of the Council currently discussing the Draft Mining Code. The said Code lays out the environmental, legal and technical aspects and requirements for the mining of seabed resources.

24.03.2000