Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 23 December 2003  [without reference to a Main Committee (A/58/L.19 and Add.1)]  58/240.  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, 57/141 of 12 December 2002 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,    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 and cooperation 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 21,2    Conscious 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,  _______________  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 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/58/240  2    Recalling the essential role of international cooperation and coordination in  promoting the integrated management and sustainable development of the oceans  and seas, and recalling also that the role of international cooperation and  coordination on a bilateral basis and, where applicable, within a subregional,  regional, interregional or global framework is to support and supplement the  national efforts of all States, including coastal States, in promoting the  implementation and observance of the Convention and the integrated management  and sustainable development of coastal and marine areas,    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, as well as coastal African States, are able both to  implement the Convention and to benefit from the sustainable development of the  oceans and seas,    Underlining 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 to participate fully in global and regional forums  and processes dealing with oceans and law of the sea issues,    Emphasizing the need to strengthen the ability of competent international  organizations to contribute, at the global, regional, subregional and bilateral levels,  including through cooperation programmes with Governments, to the development  of national and local capacity in marine science and the sustainable management of  oceans and their resources,    Recalling the recommendations of the World Summit on Sustainable  Development, including to establish by 2004 a regular process under the United  Nations for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment,  including socio-economic aspects, both current and foreseeable, building on existing  regional assessments,3 and the decision of the General Assembly in its resolution  57/141 to establish such a process by 2004,    Reiterating its deep concern at the situation of many of the world’s fisheries,  caused principally by overcapacity, overfishing and illegal, unregulated and  unreported fishing, as well as, in many areas, pollution,    Reiterating its concern at the adverse impacts on the marine environment, in  particular on vulnerable marine ecosystems, including coral, of human activities,  such as overutilization of living marine resources, the use of destructive fishing  practices, physical impacts by ships, the introduction of alien invasive species and  marine pollution from all sources, including from land-based sources and vessels, in  particular through the illegal release of oil and other harmful substances and from  dumping, including the dumping of hazardous waste such as radioactive materials,  nuclear waste and dangerous chemicals,    Recognizing that hydrographic surveys and nautical charting are critical to the  safety of navigation and life at sea, environmental protection, including vulnerable  marine ecosystems and the economics of the global shipping industry, and  recognizing in this regard that the move towards electronic charting not only  provides significantly increased benefits for safe navigation and management of  _______________  3 Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa,   26 August–4 September 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.03.II.A.1 and corrigendum), chap.I,  resolution 2, annex, para. 36 (b).   A/RES/58/240  3  ship movement, but also provides data and information that can be used for  sustainable fisheries activities and other sectoral uses of the marine environment,  the delimitation of maritime boundaries and environmental protection,    Welcoming the convening by the International Atomic Energy Agency of the  International Conference on the Safety of Transport of Radioactive Material, as well  as the outcomes of the Conference, which provided an opportunity for States to  address issues relating to the transport of radioactive materials, including by sea,    Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General,4 and emphasizing in this  regard the critical role of the annual comprehensive report of the Secretary-General,  which integrates information on developments relating to the implementation of the  Convention and the work of the Organization, its specialized agencies and other  institutions in the field of ocean affairs and the law of the sea at the global and  regional levels, and as a result constitutes the basis for 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 on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (“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  fourth meeting,5    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 anticipated receipt of submissions from States to the  Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (“the Commission”), in addition  to the expected growing involvement of the Division with new developments such  as the regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine  environment, including socio-economic aspects, and with requests for technical  assistance from States, and the role of the Division in inter-agency coordination and  cooperation,    I  Implementation of the Convention and related agreements and instruments    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  relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the  Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 (“the Agreement”);1    2.  Reaffirms the unified character of the Convention;    3.  Calls upon States that have not done so to become parties to 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  _______________  4 A/58/65 and Add.1.  5 See A/58/95.   A/RES/58/240  4  Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish  Stocks;6    4.  Once again 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;    5.  Encourages States parties to the Convention to deposit with the  Secretary-General charts and lists of geographical coordinates, as provided for in  the Convention;    6.  Emphasizes the essential need to improve the implementation of  international agreements referred to in article 311 of the Convention and, where  appropriate, to foster the conditions for the application of instruments of a voluntary  nature, and recalls the important role of international organizations in achieving  these goals;    II  Meeting of States Parties    7.  Takes note of the report of the thirteenth Meeting of States Parties to the  Convention;7    8.  Requests the Secretary-General to convene the fourteenth Meeting of  States Parties to the Convention in New York from 14 to 18 June 2004 and to  provide the services required;    III  Settlement of disputes    9.  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 the important  role and authority of the Tribunal concerning the interpretation or application of the  Convention and the Agreement, once again encourages States parties to the  Convention that have not yet done so 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 parties to note the provisions of annexes V, VI, VII and VIII to the  Convention concerning, respectively, conciliation, the Tribunal, arbitration and  special arbitration;    10. Equally pays tribute to the important and long-standing role of the  International Court of Justice with regard to the peaceful settlement of disputes  concerning the law of the sea;    11. Recalls the obligation under article 296 of the Convention requiring all  parties to a dispute before a court or a tribunal referred to in article 287 of the  _______________  6 International Fisheries Instruments with Index (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.98.V.11), sect. I;  see also A/CONF.164/37.  7 SPLOS/103 and Corr.1.   A/RES/58/240  5  Convention to comply promptly with any decisions rendered by such court or  tribunal;    12. Encourages States parties to the Convention 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;    IV  The Area    13. Notes the progress of the discussion of issues relating to the regulations  for prospecting and exploration for polymetallic sulphides and cobalt-rich crusts in  the Area;    14. Reiterates the importance of the ongoing elaboration by the International  Seabed Authority (“the Authority”), pursuant to article 145 of the Convention, of  rules, regulations and procedures to ensure the effective protection of the marine  environment, the protection and conservation of the natural resources of the Area  and the prevention of damage to its flora and fauna from harmful effects that may  arise from activities in the Area;    V  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 Tribunal8 and to the  Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the Authority;9    VI  The continental shelf and the work of the Commission    17. Encourages States parties that are in a position to do so to make every  effort to make submissions regarding the establishment of the outer limits of the  continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles to the Commission within the time  period established by the Convention, taking into account the decision of the  eleventh Meeting of States Parties to the Convention;10    18. Approves the convening by the Secretary-General of the thirteenth  session of the Commission in New York from 26 to 30 April 2004, followed by two  weeks of meetings of a subcommission in the event that a submission is made to the  Commission, and of the fourteenth session of the Commission from 30 August to  3 September 2004, also followed by two weeks of meetings of a subcommission in  the event that a submission is made;  _______________  8 SPLOS/25.  9 ISBA/4/A/8, annex.  10 SPLOS/72.   A/RES/58/240  6    19. Encourages States and relevant international organizations and  institutions to consider developing and making available training courses to assist  developing States in the preparation of such submissions, based on the outline for a  five-day training course11 prepared by the Commission in order to facilitate the  preparation of submissions in accordance with its Scientific and Technical  Guidelines;12    VII  Capacity-building    20. Calls upon bilateral and multilateral donor agencies and international  financial institutions to keep their programmes systematically under review to  ensure the availability in all States, particularly in developing States, of the  economic, legal, navigational, scientific and technical skills necessary for the full  implementation of the Convention and the objectives of the present resolution as  well as 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;    21. Calls upon States and international financial institutions, including  through bilateral, regional and global cooperation programmes 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;    22. Encourages States to assist developing States, and especially least  developed States and small island developing States, as well as coastal African  States, on a bilateral and, where appropriate, regional level, in the preparation of  submissions to the Commission, including the assessment of the nature of the  continental shelf of a coastal State made in the form of a desktop study, and the  mapping of the outer limits of its continental shelf;    VIII  Safety of navigation and flag State implementation    23. Encourages States to ratify or accede to international agreements  addressing the safety of navigation and to adopt the necessary measures consistent  with the Convention, aimed at implementing and enforcing the rules contained in  those agreements;    24. Urges States and regional economic integration organizations to work  within the framework of the International Maritime Organization and in accordance  with the Convention and international rules and regulations regarding measures  related to the phase-out of single-hull tankers, and welcomes the organization’s  giving priority to the consideration of any proposals related thereto;    25. Welcomes the work of the International Maritime Organization in  developing guidelines on places of refuge for ships in need of assistance, and  _______________  11 CLCS/24 and Corr.1.  12 CLCS/11 and Corr.1 and Add.1 and Corr.1.   A/RES/58/240  7  encourages States to draw up plans and to establish procedures to implement those  guidelines for ships in waters under their jurisdiction;    26. Also welcomes the adoption by the General Conference of the  International Atomic Energy Agency at its forty-seventh session of resolution  GC(47)/RES/7, concerning measures to strengthen international cooperation in  nuclear, radiation and transport safety and waste management, including those  aspects relating to maritime transport safety,13 in which it requested the Agency to  develop an action plan, in consultation with its member States and for approval by  the Board of the Agency, if possible in March 2004, based on the results of the  International Conference on the Safety of Transport of Radioactive Material and  within the competence of the Agency;    27. Urges flag States without an effective maritime administration and  appropriate legal frameworks to establish or enhance the necessary infrastructure,  legislative and enforcement capabilities to ensure effective compliance with, and  implementation and enforcement of, their responsibilities under international law  and, until such action is undertaken, to consider declining the granting of the right  to fly their flag to new vessels, suspending their registry or not opening a registry;    28. Invites the International Maritime Organization and other relevant  competent international organizations to study, examine and clarify the role of the  “genuine link” in relation to the duty of flag States to exercise effective control over  ships flying their flag, including fishing vessels;    29. Requests the Secretary-General, in cooperation and consultation with  relevant agencies, organizations and programmes of the United Nations system, to  prepare and disseminate to States a comprehensive elaboration of the duties and  obligations of flag States, including the potential consequences for non-compliance  prescribed in the relevant international instruments;    30. Encourages the acceleration of the work of the International Maritime  Organization in developing a voluntary model audit scheme, and urges the  organization to strengthen its draft implementation code;    31. Welcomes the work of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the  United Nations in promoting compliance by States and their fishing vessels with  conservation and management measures, and requests the International Maritime  Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization to enhance their  cooperation and coordination in their efforts with regard to flag State duties relating  thereto, including through the Inter-Agency Consultative Group on Flag State  Implementation during the period of the Group’s existence;    32. Also welcomes the work of the International Labour Organization to  consolidate and modernize international maritime labour standards, and calls upon  Member States to take an active interest in the development of these new standards  for seafarers and fishers;    33. Recognizes the important role of port State controls in promoting the  effective enforcement by flag States of, and compliance by shipowners and  charterers with, flag States’ and internationally agreed safety, labour and pollution  standards, as well as maritime security regulations and conservation and  _______________  13 See International Atomic Energy Agency, Resolutions and Other Decisions of the General Conference,  Forty-seventh Regular Session, 15–19 September 2003 (GC(47)/RES/DEC(2003)).   A/RES/58/240  8  management measures, and further encourages Member States to improve the  exchange of appropriate information between port States control authorities;    34. Invites the International Maritime Organization to strengthen its  functions with regard to port State control in relation to safety and pollution  standards as well as maritime security regulations and, in collaboration with the  International Labour Organization, labour standards so as to promote the  implementation of globally agreed minimum standards by all States, and invites the  Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to continue its work in  promoting port State measures in relation to fishing vessels in order to combat  illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing;    35. Calls upon flag and port States to take all measures consistent with  international law necessary to prevent the operation of sub-standard vessels and  illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities;    36. Urges all States, in cooperation with the International Maritime  Organization, to combat piracy and armed robbery at sea by adopting measures,  including those relating to assistance with capacity-building through training of  seafarers, port staff and enforcement personnel in the prevention, reporting and  investigation of incidents, bringing the alleged perpetrators to justice, in accordance  with international law, and by adopting national legislation, as well as providing  enforcement vessels and equipment and guarding against fraudulent ship  registration;    37. Calls upon all States and relevant international bodies to cooperate in the  prevention and combating of piracy and armed robbery at sea, and urges States to  give urgent attention to promoting, concluding and implementing cooperation  agreements, in particular at the regional level and in high-risk areas;    38. Urges States to become parties to the Convention for the Suppression of  Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation and its Protocol,14 invites  States to participate in the review of those instruments by the Legal Committee of  the International Maritime Organization to strengthen the means of combating such  unlawful acts, including terrorist acts, and further urges States to take appropriate  measures to ensure the effective implementation of those instruments, 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 and terrorist acts  at sea;    39. Calls upon States to work together cooperatively and with the  International Maritime Organization to strengthen measures to prevent the  embarkation of ships involved in the smuggling of migrants;    40. Once again urges States that have not yet done so to become parties to  the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air,  supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized  Crime,15 and to take appropriate measures to ensure its effective implementation;    41. Welcomes the work of the International Maritime Organization in  developing amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea  _______________  14 International Maritime Organization publication, Sales No. 462.88.12E.  15 Resolution 55/25, annex III.   A/RES/58/240  9  and to the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue on the delivery  of persons rescued at sea to a place of safety;    IX  Capacity-building for the production of nautical charts    42. Welcomes the work of the International Hydrographic Organization and  its fourteen regional hydrographic commissions and encourages increased  membership of the organization, noting the capacity  of the organization to provide  technical assistance, facilitate training and identify potential funding sources for the  development or improvement of hydrographic services, and calls upon States and  agencies to support the  trust fund of the organization and examine the possibility of  partnerships with the private sector;    43. Invites the International Hydrographic Organization and the International  Maritime Organization to continue their coordinated efforts, to jointly adopt  measures with a view to encouraging greater international cooperation and  coordination for the transition to electronic nautical charts and to increase the  coverage of hydrographic information on a global basis, especially in the areas of  international navigation and ports and where there are vulnerable or protected  marine areas;    44. Encourages intensified efforts to build capacity for developing countries,  in particular for the least developed countries and small island developing States, as  well as coastal African States, to improve hydrographic services and the production  of nautical charts, including the mobilization of resources and building of capacity  with support from international financial institutions and the donor community,  recognizing that economies of scale can apply in some instances at the regional  level through shared facilities, technical capabilities and information for the  provision of hydrographic services and the preparation of and access to nautical  charts;    45. Welcomes the adoption of criteria and guidelines on the transfer of  marine technology by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission;16    X  Marine environment, marine resources and the protection of  vulnerable marine ecosystems    46. 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;    47. Calls upon States to continue to prioritize action on marine pollution  from land-based sources as part of their national sustainable development strategies  and programmes, in an integrated and inclusive manner, as a means of implementing  _______________  16 See IOC-XXII/2 Annex 12 rev.   A/RES/58/240  10  the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from  Land-based Activities;17    48. Welcomes the continued work of States, the United Nations Environment  Programme and regional organizations in the implementation of the Global  Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land- based Activities, and encourages increased emphasis on the link between freshwater,  the coastal zone and marine resources in the implementation of the Millennium  Development Goals, taking into account the time-bound targets in the Plan of  Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (“Johannesburg  Plan of Implementation”),18 in particular the target on sanitation, and the Monterrey  Consensus of the International Conference on Financing for Development;19    49. Calls upon States to advance the implementation of the Global  Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land- based Activities and the Montreal Declaration on the Protection of the Marine  Environment from Land-based Activities,20 to enhance maritime safety and the  protection of the marine environment from pollution and other physical impacts, and  to improve the scientific understanding and assessment of marine and coastal  ecosystems as a fundamental basis for sound decision-making through the actions  identified in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation;    50. Welcomes the work of the Convention on Biological Diversity,21 the Food  and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other relevant global and  regional organizations in the development of strategies and programmes for the  implementation of an integrated ecosystem-based approach to management, and  urges those organizations to cooperate in the development of practical guidance in  this regard;    51. Reiterates its call for urgent consideration of ways to integrate and  improve, on a scientific basis, the management of risks to the marine biodiversity of  seamounts, cold water coral reefs and certain other underwater features;    52. Invites the relevant global and regional bodies, in accordance with their  mandates, to investigate urgently how to better address, on a scientific basis,  including the application of precaution, the threats and risks to vulnerable and  threatened marine ecosystems and biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction;  how existing treaties and other relevant instruments can be used in this process  consistent with international law, in particular with the Convention, and with the  principles of an integrated ecosystem-based approach to management, including the  identification of those marine ecosystem types that warrant priority attention; and to  explore a range of potential approaches and tools for their protection and  management; and requests the Secretary-General to cooperate and liaise with those  bodies and to submit an addendum to his annual report to the General Assembly at  its fifty-ninth session, describing the threats and risks to such marine ecosystems  and biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction as well as details on any  _______________  17 A/51/116, annex II.  18 Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa,  26 August–4 September 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.03.II.A.1 and corrigendum),  chap. I, resolution 2, annex.  19 Report of the International Conference on Financing for Development, Monterrey, Mexico,   18–22 March 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.02.II.A.7), chap. I, resolution 1, annex.  20 E/CN.17/2002/PC.2/15, annex, sect. 1.  21 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1760, No. 30619.   A/RES/58/240  11  conservation and management measures in place at the global, regional, subregional  or national levels addressing these issues;    53. Notes the scientific and technical work under the Convention on  Biological Diversity relating to marine and coastal biodiversity;    54. Reaffirms the efforts of States to develop and facilitate the use of diverse  approaches and tools for conserving and managing vulnerable marine ecosystems,  including the establishment of marine protected areas, consistent with international  law and based on the best scientific information available, and the development of  representative networks of such marine protected areas by 2012;    55. Encourages States, in accordance with the Convention and other relevant  instruments, either bilaterally or regionally, to jointly develop and promote  contingency plans for responding to pollution incidents, as well as other incidents  that are likely to have significant adverse effects on marine biodiversity;    56. Urges States and relevant global and regional bodies to enhance their  cooperation in the protection and preservation of coral reefs, mangroves and  seagrass beds, including through the exchange of information;    57. Reiterates its support for the International Coral Reef Initiative and  welcomes the outcomes of the Second International Tropical Marine Ecosystems  Management Symposium, held in Manila in 2003, supports the work under the  Jakarta Mandate on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine and Coastal  Biological Diversity,22 and notes that the International Coral Reef Initiative and  other relevant bodies are considering incorporating cold water coral ecosystems into  their programmes of activities;    58. Encourages States to cooperate, directly or through competent  international bodies, in exchanging information in the event of accidents involving  foreign vessels on coral reefs, and in promoting the development of economic  assessment techniques for both restoration and non-use values of coral reef systems;    59. Emphasizes the need to mainstream coral reef management approaches  into national development strategies, as well as into the activities of relevant United  Nations agencies and programmes, international financial institutions and the donor  community;    60. Welcomes the convening by the International Maritime Organization of a  diplomatic conference to adopt an international convention for the control and  management of ships’ ballast waters and sediments;    61. Notes with interest the ongoing discussions in the Marine Environment  Protection Committee of the International Maritime Organization on the designation  of the Western European Atlantic coast and the English Channel as a particularly  sensitive sea area, and encourages the organization to consider the eventual adoption  of the proposed associated protective measure as long as it is consistent with the  Convention;    _______________  22 See A/51/312, annex II, decision II/10.   A/RES/58/240  12  XI  Regional cooperation    62. Emphasizes once again the importance of regional organizations and  arrangements for cooperation and coordination in integrated oceans management,  and, where there are separate regional structures for different aspects of oceans  management, such as environmental protection, fisheries management, navigation,  scientific research and maritime delimitation, calls for those different structures,  where appropriate, to work together for optimal cooperation and coordination;    63. Notes that there have been a number of initiatives at the regional level, in  various regions, to further the implementation of the Convention, and in this context  notes the results of the Second Plenary Meeting of the Conference on Maritime  Delimitation in the Caribbean, held in Mexico City on 13 and 14 October 2003, as  well as of the functioning of its Caribbean-focused Assistance Fund, which is  intended to facilitate, mainly through technical assistance, the voluntary undertaking  of maritime delimitation negotiations between Caribbean States, takes note once  again of the Fund for Peace: Peaceful Settlement of Territorial Disputes established  by the General Assembly of the Organization of American States in 2000 as a  primary mechanism, given its broader regional scope, for the prevention and  resolution of pending territorial, land border and maritime boundary disputes, and  calls upon States and others in a position to do so to contribute to these Funds;    XII  Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of  the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects    64. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General containing proposals on  modalities for the establishment of a regular process under the United Nations for  global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including  socio-economic aspects,23 and requests the Secretary-General, in close collaboration  with Member States, relevant organizations and agencies and programmes of the  United Nations system, other competent intergovernmental organizations and  relevant non-governmental organizations, to take the following steps to establish the  regular process by 2004:    (a)  Convene a group of experts of no more than twenty-four participants,  comprising representatives of States, including all regional groups, and  representatives from intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental  organizations, including scientists and policy makers, to produce, including by  possibly hiring a consultant, a draft document with details on the scope, general  framework and outline of the regular process, peer review, secretariat, capacity- building and funding, and to consider, review and refine the draft document;    (b)  Transmit the draft document to States and relevant intergovernmental  organizations, non-governmental organizations, scientific associations, funding  mechanisms and other parties for written comments and for indication of specific  issues to be addressed in the first assessment;    (c)  Request the group of experts to revise the draft document in the light of  comments made;  _______________  23 A/58/423.   A/RES/58/240  13    (d)  Convene an international workshop with representatives from all  interested parties, in conjunction with the fifth meeting of the Consultative Process,  to further consider and review the draft document;    (e)  Convene an intergovernmental meeting to finalize and adopt the  document and to formally establish the regular process;    65. Accepts the offer of the Government of Iceland to host this  intergovernmental meeting in Reykjavik in 2004, in accordance with paragraph 17  of resolution 47/202 A of 22 December 1992;    66. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its  fifty-ninth session on the development of the regular process;    XIII  Open-ended informal consultative process on oceans and the law of the sea    67. Requests the Secretary-General to convene the fifth meeting of the  Consultative Process in New York from 7 to 11 June 2004, and to provide it with the  necessary facilities for the performance of its work and to arrange for support to be  provided by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, in cooperation  with other relevant parts of the Secretariat, including the Division for Sustainable  Development of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, as appropriate;    68. Recommends that, in its deliberations on the report of the Secretary- General on oceans and the law of the sea at its meeting, the Consultative Process  should organize its discussions around the following areas:    New sustainable uses of the oceans, including the conservation and    management of the biological diversity of the seabed in areas beyond national    jurisdiction;  as well as issues discussed at previous meetings;    XIV  Inter-agency coordination and cooperation    69. Reiterates its request to the Secretary-General to establish an effective,  transparent and regular inter-agency coordinating mechanism for issues relating to  oceans and seas within the United Nations system, taking into account paragraph 49  of Part A of the report of the Consultative Process at its third meeting;24    70. 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;    71. Invites the competent international organizations, as well as funding  institutions, to take specific account of the present resolution in their programmes  _______________  24 See A/57/80.   A/RES/58/240  14  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  Activities of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea    72. 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, 54/33, and 56/12 of 28 November 2001;    73. 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;    74. Invites Member States and others in a position to do so to support the  training activities under the TRAIN-SEA-COAST Programme of the Division for  Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea;    XVI  Trust funds and fellowships    75. Recognizes the importance of assisting developing countries, in particular  the least developed countries and small island developing States, in implementing  the Convention, and urges 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 the trust funds, as referred to in resolution 57/141, established  for this purpose;    76. Also recognizes the importance of the Trust Fund for preparation of  submissions to the Commission in assisting developing States, in particular the least  developed countries and small island developing States, in preparing their  submissions where their continental shelves extend beyond 200 nautical miles and,  in order to facilitate the management of the Trust Fund, amends, as set out in the  annex to the present resolution, sections 1, 4 and 6 of the terms of reference,  guidelines and rules of the Trust Fund, as contained in annex II to resolution 55/7 of  30 October 2000, in accordance with paragraph 31 of the annex;    77. Urges 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;    XVII  Fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly    78. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its  fifty-ninth session on the implementation of the present resolution, including 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,   A/RES/58/240  15  and to provide the report in accordance with the modalities set out in resolutions  49/28, 52/26 and 54/33, and also requests the Secretary-General to make the report  available, in its current comprehensive format, at least six weeks in advance of the  meeting of the Consultative Process;    79. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-ninth session the  item entitled “Oceans and the law of the sea”.    79th plenary meeting  23 December 2003    Annex  Amendments to the terms of reference, guidelines and rules of the  Trust Fund for the purpose of facilitating the preparation of  submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental  Shelf for developing States, in particular the least developed  countries and small island developing States, and compliance with  article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea  1.  Reasons for establishing the Trust Fund    In paragraph 2, amend the last sentence to read:    “The earliest deadline for submission for States is 13 May 2009.”    4.  Application for financial assistance    In paragraph 17, amend sub-item (a) (iv) to read:    “(iv) The curriculum vitae of the trainees, including their date of birth;”    6.  Granting of assistance    Amend paragraph 23 to read:    “23. The Secretary-General will provide financial assistance from the Fund  for requests approved on the basis of the evaluation and recommendation of  the Division on the advice of the Panel of Experts. Payments will be processed  by the Organization in accordance with standard practices.