HC Deb 19 December 1984 vol 70 cc191-2W
Mr. Skeet

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those countries which have (a) not signed the law of the sea convention and (b) signed but not yet ratified the convention.

Mr. Rifkind

(a) The following countries have not signed the United Nations law of the sea convention: Albania, Ecuador, Federal Republic of Germany, Holy See, Jordan, Kiribati, Israel, Peru, San Marino, Syrian Arab Republic, Tonga, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States of America, Venezuela, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

(b) The following countries have signed but not ratified the convention: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Byelorussia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Cambodia, North Korea, Democratic Yemen, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, German Democratic Republic, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, USSR, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zimbabwe.

Other entities which signed the convention are Cook Islands, the European Economic Community and Niue.

Mr. Best

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the votings at the review conference under the United Nations convention on the law of the sea 15 years after commercial mining commenced is proposed to be by simple majority or some other system.

Mr. Rifkind

It is proposed that no voting should take place until all efforts of achieving a consensus have been exhausted. If there is no consensus, decisions on adoption of amendments are to be taken by a three fourths majority.

Mr. Best

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will identify every proposal and idea that Her Majesty's Government have put forward to improve the United Nations convention on the law of the sea giving the date on which this was done.

Mr. Rifkind

At the 1984 spring session of the Preparatory Commission, the United Kingdom delegation put forward our general position in four statements. These were made on 21 March, 22 March, 23 March and 5 April.

At the 1984 summer session of the Preparatory Commission the delegates of the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands put forward more specific proposals and suggestions.

I have today placed copies of the relevant statements and documents in the Library of the House.