Israel and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

Although Israel joined the United States in voting last Friday against the approval of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea by the General Assembly, the reason for Israel’s negative vote was entirely different than that of the United States.

Speaking after the Assembly adopted the Convention by a vote of 130-4, with 17 abstentions, the Israeli delegate, Shabtai Rosenne, said that Israel voted against the Convention because it gave “standing” to the “so-called PLO.”

The Convention provided provisions for the PLO to enjoy the “common heritage of mankind” under which the exploitation and exploration of the resources of the deep sea-bed are to be conducted, Rosenne said. He added that “if the PLO signs the Final Act of the Conference, it will become entitled to the status of observer” in the Preparatory Commission for the Conference next year.

The United States opposed the Convention mainly because it said the sea-bed mining provision would deter the development of deep sea-bed mineral resources. The PLO did not figure in the reasons of the U.S. opposing the Convention. The two other countries that voted against the Convention were Venezuela and Turkey.

As for Israel’s attitude to the Convention in general, Rosenne stated: “In view of a number of last minute changes and additions and explanations, we will have to examine it in its final form very closely before we reach our final decisions on it. Israel’s interests on the sea are complex, including the maintenance of freedom of navigation and overflight through all kinds of geographical formations, security interests, fisheries (on small scale), the preservation of the marine environment and related ecological issues.

“We would also like to take advantage of the new arrangements for the diffusion of marine technology and scientific research, and are happy that our own expertise on the topic, centered above all in our oceanographic institutes of higher learning, is available to others.”