§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list in the Official Report the main points of agreement on the section for an international seabed authority, including constitution and voting rights, as approved by the United Nations conference on the law of the sea.
§ Mr. LuceThe draft convention on the law of the sea (informal text), of which copies have been placed in the Library, reflects the broad agreement reached at the conference on many aspects of the international seabed authority. These include voting in the Assembly of the proposed authority (article 159); composition of, and voting in, the Council 293W (article 161); and the respective powers and functions of these two organs (articles 160 and 162).
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Lord Privy Seal if he will publish as a White Paper the text of the convention on the law of the sea as finally agreed by the United Nations conference on the law of the sea.
§ Mr. LuceA new informal text was issued after the conclusion of the resumed ninth session of the conference. It has been distributed as a document and, like previous texts, will be the basis for further discussion. It would not be appropriate to publish it as a White Paper, but copies have been placed in the Library.