UN General Assembly
1981

192. The draft convention on the law of the sea is an important step forward in the development of international law. Unfortunately, the hopes aroused by the possible adoption, at long last, of rules governing the sea have not been met because of the obstruction encountered at the last session of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea and in spite of the existence of a consensus which had been reached after more than seven years of difficult negotiations. However, we hope that the decision taken at Geneva to conclude the convention at the next session, scheduled to be held in New York, will be acted upon, thus allowing us to proceed to the signing of the convention in September 1982 at Caracas.