Calls uponall States that have not done so to become parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and to ratify, confirm formally or accede to the Agreement relating to the implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 in order to achieve the goal of universal participation;
2
Calls uponStates to harmonize their national legislation with the provisions of the Convention and to ensure the consistent application of those provisions;
3
Reaffirms the unified character of the Convention;
4
Recalls its decision to fund the budget for the administrative expenses of the International Seabed Authority initially from the regular budget of the United Nations, in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement;10
10See resolution 48/263, para. 8; and ibid., annex: Annex to the Agreement, sect. 1, para. 14.
5
Approves the provision by the Secretary-General of such services as may be required for the two meetings of the Authority to be held in 1996, from 11 to 22 March and from 5 to 16 August;
6
Approves also the request of the Assembly of the Authority to continue the staff and facilities previously available to the Kingston Office for the Law of the Sea as the interim secretariat of the Authority, and authorizes the Secretary-General to administer the interim secretariat until the Secretary-General of the Authority is able to assume effectively the responsibility of the Authority's secretariat;
7
Requeststhe Secretary-General to convene the meetings of States parties to the Convention from 4 to 8 March, from 6 to 10 May and from 29 July to 2 August 1996;
8
Notes with appreciation the progress made in practical arrangements for the establishment of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and in preparations for the establishment of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf;
9
Expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General for the annual comprehensive report on the law of the sea11 and the activities of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs of the Secretariat, in accordance with the provisions of the Convention and the mandate set forth in resolution 49/28;
Reaffirms the importance of ensuring the uniform and consistent application of the Convention and a coordinated approach to its effective implementation, and of strengthening technical cooperation and financial assistance for this purpose, stresses once again the continuing importance of the Secretary-General's efforts to these ends, and reiterates its invitation to the competent international organizations and other international bodies to support these objectives;
11
Requeststhe Secretary-General to ensure that the institutional capacity of the Organization adequately responds to the needs of States and competent international organizations by providing advice and assistance, taking into account the special needs of developing countries;
12
InvitesMember States and others in a position to do so to contribute to the further development of the fellowship programme on the law of the sea and training and educational activities on the law of the sea and ocean affairs established by the Assembly in its resolution 35/116 of 10 December 1980, and advisory services in support of effective implementation of the Convention;
13
Requeststhe Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-first session on the implementation of the present resolution, in connection with his annual comprehensive report on the law of the sea;
14
Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-first session the item entitled "Law of the sea".
