1. Oceans and the Law of the Sea

            Thailand became a State Party of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on 15 May 2011. Thailand is proud and honoured to be one of the countries which actively participated in the drafting of the Convention. HRH Prince Narathip Prabhanbongse was the President of the First and Second United Nations Conferences on the Law of the Sea in 1958 and 1960 respectively. At the 3rd UN Conference on the Law of the Sea, Thailand worked very hard with our like-minded allies to ensure that the Convention duly incorporate the package deal which equitably balanced the rights and obligations of the various groups of States.

            Thailand believes in the universal and unified character of the Convention and reaffirms that the Convention sets out the legal framework within which activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out. Thailand is a co-sponsor for the Omnibus resolution on Oceans and the Law of the Sea. It also actively participated in the Ad-hoc Open-ended Working Group to study issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction. In addition, Thailand is actively involved in Case No. 21, Request for an advisory opinion submitted by the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission, now before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

2. Ad-hoc Open-ended Working Group to study issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction

          Thailand supports the launching of negotiation of an implementing Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It is of the view that the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction be governed by the principle of common heritage of mankind. There should be equitable access and benefit sharing, including technology transfer and capacity building. Thailand also believes that we need to avoid duplication with existing international legal instruments or with existing global and regional organizations and institutions.