444. Airgram A-12376 From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom1 2

SUBJECT:

  • LOS - Seabeds

REF:

  • Geneva 3844

As you know, (para 3D reftel), in the course of the summer meeting of the U.N. Seabed Committee in Geneva intensive private consultations regarding the negotiation of an international seabed regime developed in the group of five states most interested in deep seabed exploitation: France, Japan, United Kingdom, United States, and USSR. The Group will meet privately in London during the week of January 29 to discuss the international seabed regime in the light of preparations for the March meeting of the UN Seabed Committee.

At the end of the summer session, the Group requested that Leigh Ratiner, Director of Ocean Resources, Department of the Interior, prepare a comparative analysis of the seabed regime proposals to assist participants in preparing for the London meeting. Specific contact points were also established in order to facilitate informal communication. There is a high measure of sensitivity regarding the confidential nature of these considerations, and the British Government has stated that it positively does not want any publicity regarding the meeting.

In view of the short time available before the London meeting you are requested to deliver the enclosed paper as soon as possible. Preferred contact points are indicated below. You should explain that the paper does not necessarily represent views of the United States Government. You are also requested to explain that it was apparently the view of the Group that it could most [Page 2] productively spend its time dealing with underlying questions regarding machinery structure and functions, particularly since in all probability there will be more than ample time to continue coordination with respect to general principles during the March Seabed Committee meeting in New York. In this connection you should point out that the host governments may wish to include economic experts in their delegations to London. Please confirm delivery.

All of the copies of the enclosure have been stamped Confidential except for the copies marked for delivery to the Soviet Union and to Smirnov. American Embassy Moscow and USUN should request the Soviet Government to hold the document in confidence, although we do not by this mean to preclude confidential consultations with allies.

Contact Points: Unless this would entail delay or other difficulties, Embassies should deliver the document to the following Foreign Ministry individuals:

London: Henry Steele (Legal Counsellor)

Moscow: V.A. Romanov (Legal and Treaty Dept.)

Paris: M.A. Martin-Sane (Affaires Scientifiques)

Tokyo: N. Kumagai (Legal Affairs) or H. Owada (UN Bureau).

USUN is requested to deliver additional courtesy copies to Amb. Ogiso of Japan and Mr. Smirnov of the USSR. US Mission Geneva is requested to deliver a courtesy copy to Minister Okawa of the Japanese Mission.

For Bonn: FYI. We wish to continue to keep the FRG well informed on LOS issues in general, and we are considering requesting bilateral consultations in Bonn after the London meeting. We may seek reactions at start of the meeting to our making a copy of the document available to the FRG in the light of its interests, in deep seabed mining. Accordingly, the Embassy is requested to hold the document and should not raise the subject with the FRG pending further instructions. End FYI.

Johnson, Acting
  1. Source: National Archives, Central Files 1970-73, POL 33-8. Confidential. Drafted by Oxman on December 21; cleared with IO/UNP, EA/RA, EUR/CAN, EUR/GER, EUR/SOV, and L/OA; and approved by Stevenson. Also sent to Moscow, Paris, Tokyo, USUN, and Geneva. Repeated to Bonn. The enclosure entitled “Comparison and Analysis of Seabeds Regime and Machinery Proposals,” summarized and assessed ideas for organization and operation of an international deep seabed exploitation agency.
  2. The Department informed concerned posts of private consultations between the governments most interested in deep seabed exploitation.