CM/Res. 570(XXIX)
RESOLUTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA
The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity meeting in its Twenty- Ninth Ordinary Session in Libreville, Gabon, from 23 rd June to 3 July, 1977,
Having examined the Administrative Secretary-General’s Provisional Report on the deliberations of the Sixth Session of the Third Conference of the United Nations on the Law of the Sea, CN/838 (XXIX),
Recalling the declaration of the OAU on the Law of the Sea (CM/ST/11/Rev.2) on Resolution CM/Res. 514 (XXVII) and CM/Res. 521 (XXVII),
Noting the little progress made at the UCTAD owing to the rich countries’ opposition to the legitimate demands of the Third World,
Noting the failure of the last Session of the Paris North-South Dialogue conference owing to the rich countries’ refusal to make the necessary concessions towards the establishments of a more equitable economic order between developing countries,
Noting the little progress made at the Conference on the Law of the Sea and stressing the need to exploit mankind’s common legacy to the benefit of mankind as a whole, particularly taking into account the interests and needs of developing countries,
Noting finally with growing concern, the lack of political will on the part of the developed countries to respect the pledges made at the Sixth and Seventh Special Sessions of the United Nations aimed at establishing a new world economic order, through a thorough modification of world economic and financial structures, and the transfer of technology,
REAFFIRMS that the International Zone and its resources is the common property of humanity and should not be divided for the purpose of exploitation into sectors or reserved for a country or a group of countries, private of State-owned enterprises;
REAFFIRMS ALSO that the exploitation of the international Zone should be carried out with due regard to the interests and needs of developing countries and especially the poorest among them;
AFFIRMS the determination of Africa to defend its legitimate interests no matter what the obstacles and impediments to a real negotiation aimed at concluding a just and equitable Convention in the shortest possible time;
RECOMMENDS to the African Group at the Law of the Sea Conference to act in concert to ensure that strict observation of the principles as launched by the Organization of African Unity demand at the level of the Conference the rapid translation into reality the undertakings contained in the Declaration on the establishment of the new world economic order;
CALLS UPON the Group of 77 and the Non-Aligned Group for a concerted action based on the uniformity of aims and interests of the Third World and the obvious relationship between the Law of the Sea Conference, the North-South Dialogue and UNCTAD;
EXPRESSES its satisfaction at the efforts undertaken by the African Group at the Law of the Sea Conference in the defence of African interests;
CONGRATULATES the OAU General Secretariat for the work done and encourages it to persevere in its participation and work with a view to unifying the African Group view-points;
REQUESTS the Administrative Secretary-General of the OAU to present a report on the Sixth Session of the Conference on the Law of the Sea at the Thirty-First Session of the Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers.