unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (08/29/89)
SPECIAL COMMISSION CONSIDERS EFFECTS OF SEA-BED MINING
ON ECONOMIES OF LAND-BASED PRODUCER STATES
The Special Commission on Developing Land-Based Producer States (Special
Commission 1) this morning completed its consideration of the conclusion under
which the Authority of the Law of the Sea would quantify the effects of
sea-bed production on the export earnings and economies of these States. The
provisional conclusion 6 is part of many others which are to form the basis of
recommendations to the International Sea-Bed Authority.
When it meets again at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 30 August, the Commission
will take up provisional conclusion 17 which sets out the factors the
Authority should take into account in considering the adverse effects of
sea-bed production on a concerned producer.
Provisional Conclusion 12
Provisional Conclusion 12 states that the Authority should establish
mechanisms for further studying the issue of isolating the effects of sea-bed
production from those of other factors on price and volume of mineral exports
and for collecting the relevant data and information.
The representative of Pakistan said provisional conclusions 12, 13 and 14
were interrelated, and suggested the following single formulation to replace
them:
"The Authority shall establish mechanism and methodology for study and
isolation of the effects of sea-bed production from other factors on price and
volume of export of the four metals on an ongoing basis. Other factors which
should be taken into account are the world metal market situation; changes in
consumption patterns; production from new land mines; production from sea-bed
area within national jurisdiction; substitution; recycling; technological
development; and other relevant factors."
Referring to what the representative of Zambia had said yesterday on a
proposal that conclusion 11 should include specific mineral studies, he said
such studies were already included in conclusion 4. That conclusion could be
deleted if his proposed text was adopted. Regarding the Chinese proposal to
include "priority" in conclusion 11, he said that issue had already been
mentioned in conclusions 27 and 28 and, therefore, need not be added to
conclusion 11.
The representative of Zambia said that although the Commission would need
to see the full text of the proposal by Pakistan, it sounded constructive.
Provisional Conclusion 13
Provisional conclusion 13 states that the Authority should devise an
agreed methodology to determine the extent of reduction in the price of an
affected mineral or in the volume of exports of that mineral caused by sea-bed
production.
The representative of the European Economic Community (EEC) said the
conclusion confirmed the work done in the past by the Special Commission which
had none the less been unable to find an answer. The Authority should use
world experts in defining the methodology, a delicate task requiring
collaboration with international, private and other organizations.
The representative of Pakistan said when the Commission's work was
completed it would be able to give the Authority a complete methodology on
developing land-based producers.
The representative of Zambia said the Commission's role was to prepare a
set of guidelines on how the Authority should conduct its study on the adverse
effects of sea-bed mining, which in any case did not yet exist. Prices for
sea-bed minerals would not exist until production was actually in effect, and
the Commission could only concern itself with guidelines for the future.
Provisional Conclusion 14
Provisional conclusion 14 states that in devising the methodology the
Authority should take into account other factors that might affect price or
volume of exports of the mineral concerned. The factors are: general economi
conditions in the developing land-based producer States concerned; the
situation in the metal markets; supply from, and cost of production of metals
from other sources, for example, newly developed deposits on land, marine
minerals within national jurisdiction; technological development; substitution
recycling; government policies; change in the consumption patterns; and
exhaustion of land-based deposits.
The representative of Pakistan said his proposal would amalgamate
conclusions 12-14, excluding general economic conditions in the land-based
States concerned, which would not help isolate the effects of sea-bed mining
on the land-based producer. Government policies were also excluded from the
proposal, as was the issue of exhaustion of land-based deposits. When land-
based deposits did in fact run out, the world metal market would improve, due
* Origin: UNITEX --> Toward a United Species (1:107/501)
---
Patt Haring | UNITEX : United Nations
patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu | Information
patth@ccnysci.BITNET | Transfer Exchange
-=- Every child smiles in the same language. -=-