Urges all States to cooperate, directly or through competent international bodies, in taking measures to protect and preserve objects of an archaeological and historical nature found at sea; calls upon bilateral and multilateral donor agencies and international financial institutions to keep their programmes systematically under review to ensure the availability in all States of the economic, legal, navigational, scientific and technical skills necessary for the full implementation of the Convention; welcomes recent capacity-building initiatives focusing on human resources development for developing coastal States parties and non-parties to the Convention in the field of ocean affairs and the law of the sea or related disciplines; encourages States parties to the Convention that have not yet done so to consider making a written declaration choosing from the means set out in article 287 of the Convention for the settlement of disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention and the Agreement; encourages States to exchange views in order to increase understanding of issues arising from the application of article 76 of the Convention; calls upon flag and port States to take all measures consistent with international law necessary to prevent the operation of sub-standard vessels and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities; urges all States to combat piracy and armed robbery at sea by adopting measures; calls upon States and international organizations to urgently take action to address destructive practices that have adverse impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystems; decides to establish an Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal Working Group to study issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction.

Adopted 141-1-2, 56th plenary meeting

18 p.

Issued in GAOR, 59th sess., Suppl. no. 49.