UN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE LAW OF THE SEA: MEXICAN FOREIGN MINISTER'S STATEMENT ON RESULTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP08C01297R000800230017-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: May 16, 1958
• Content Type: CABLE

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PRIORITY.
(Security Classification)
FORE' N SERVICE? DESPATCH q9,
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: FROM AMENBASSY, MEXICO, D.F.
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DES)'. NO.
THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE. WASHINGTON. XV 16, 195g
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UN International Conference on the Law of the Seat Mexican Foreign
Minister's Statement on Results
Foreign Minister Luis PADILLA NERVO? who is presently in Geneva attending-1
the meeting of the International Law Commission, made a public statement there
on May. 30 195g, setting forth his views on the results of the International
Conference on the Law of the Sea, which had then just terminated.
The Ministry here has now issued a regular press release containing the
Minister's statements and a copy is hereto attached in English translation.
The Department's attention is called to the assertion that the concept of
the three-vile limit "is now generally abandoned and repudiated and has disap-
peared forever from the juridical world as a rule of international law." In
the Mexican press, this assertion ream headlined as "three mile limit is now
dead."
? In view of the position publicly stated by the head of the United States
Delegation (and reported in brief by the press here) that the United States
continues to adhere to the three-mile limit of the territorial sea, the
Department's instruction is requested as to what action is desired to be taken
? by the Embassy to make this position clear to the Mexican Government.
nClosuret:
?(11
For the Charge d'Affaires ad interim:
t
rid G Leddy
Counselor o Embas
Translation of Foreign Ministry's Press Release on
Foreign Minister Padilla Nervo's Statement in Geneva
on May 3 on Results of the International Conference
on the Law of the Sea
?
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INFORMATION COPY
Retain in divisional files or destroy in accordance with security regulations.
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'1 tiklUASSIFIED End. No
(Classification) amp. No 1248 - 5/16/58
From MEXICO, D.F.
TRANSIA TION
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN RELATIONS
Office of Press and Publicity
PRESS RELEASE
NO, 32 Mexico, D.F., May 3, 1958
The Ministry of Foreign Relations furnishes below the statement of Lie.
Luis Padilla Nerve, Minister of Foreign Relations, made yesterday to correspond-
ants of the international press in Geneva:
After two months of arduous labors the Conference on the Law of the Sea has
been saccessful4 adjourned. It is undeniable that the agreements which the Con-
ference reached in approving different conventions and resolutions, especially
the agreements relating to the exploration and exploitation of the natural
resources of the continental shelf, and to the control applicable to fishing and
to the conservation of the resources of the high seas, signify greeic,progrese in
this subject matter. By codifying international practices of the majority of
nations, the Conference ham established rules of law which will govern the conduct
of States and their relations with respect to the regime of the sea, in accord
with conditions presently existing.
It is true that the Geneva Conference could not reach an agreement on two
essential problems: (a) the determination of the bread* of the territorial sea;
(b) the determination of the extent of the exclusive fishing zone for the coastal
state.
As is known, the position of Mexico in this respect and the thesis which
Mexico tirelessly presented and defended is the following;
"(a) Each State has the right to fix the breadth of its territorial sea to
a limit not exceeding twelve marine miles measured from base lines whifill may be
applicable,
"(b) The coastal state has exclusive fishing rights in a zone adjacent to
its shore to a limit of twelve miles measured from the same base lines."
The thesis of Mexico triumphed by a simple majority in the Conference but did
not obtain two thirds of the votes case, an indispensable requirement for its
adoption by the Assembly. Neither were proposals of other States adopted, which
sought to limit the breadth of the territorial sea to six miles, as well as to
restrict the lathing rights of the coastal state in the so-called contiguous zane.
Thus, there was no agreement on these two essential points which, according
to the recommendation of the Conference itself, should be submitted to study again
in a future meeting, if the next General Assembly of the United Nations so
decides.
UNCLASSIFIED
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From_MEXLCCLo_1:4
We can state, nevertheless, that in spite of the lack of agreement on thee
two essential problems of the Law of the Sea, the arguments and the opinions of
Governments which were recorded at the Conference of Geneva with reference to the
study of these matters have great importance, and signify un,eniable progress,
in that they are a revealing indication of the practice, the aspirations and the
claims of the great majority of mall States, which claims, though not yet fully
recognized by ,other powers, will, we are convinced, be so recognized in the near
future, and will be confirmed in contractual rules of law universally accepted.
For the present, it has remained clear, that the old concept of three miles
as the limit of the territorial sea has been generally abandoned and repudiated
and has disappeared forever from the juridical world as a rule of International
Law.
Each day it is becoming more obvious to all that the unrestrainable impulse
of the great majority of the small States to establish the breadth of their
territorial sea within reasonable limits and to vindicate in analagous form the
exclusive right of development of the natural resources of the sea to a distance
of twelve miles, has become the corner stone of international solidarity and of
harmonious cooperation betweWthe great and small powers, whose interests in the
subject, although apparently in conflict, can be reconciled without diminution of
justice and equity.
Mexico has a progranof "March to thejileam" This Conference has made clear
that many ether States have their own programs which can also be called a "March
to the Sea."
The March to the Sea, from the point of view of its causes and purposes,
does not mean a search for an exit to the outside world or the establishment of
Channels for commercial interchange with other. States: it signifies the determi-
nation to explore and exploit rationally and scientifically the natural resources
of the sea in the zone contiguous to our coasts, for the purpose of utiliming
these resources for the national benefit in order to promote our economic develop-
ment and help satisfy the needs of our growing population.
We Coastal States desire, by means of adequate conservation measures, to
maintain and multiply the living resources of the sea for the good of all, Our
'11,ogram of the March to the Sea would make no sense if we were to find the sea
impoverished and depleted.
community
In matters of international/1i A is indispensable to practice what we
preach. The problems of the Law of the Sea wgich I have mentioned are at once
? um.e and occasion to translate principles of international cooperation into acts
in accord with the spirit of numerous noble and generous declarations,
We hope that, with the passage of time necessary for study and reflection, the
eighty-six States which joined together in the Conference of Geneva will again
meet in an endeavor once more to resolve the problems which remain pending.
1 When this occurs, Mexico will again lend its earnest cooperation to a search
UNGUSSIFIED
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1 UNCLASSIFIED End No
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FrothIMMO.
for just solutions which may be generaly accepted.
We shall continue defending the right which we consider just in this matter,
confident thqt it will be respected as we respect the rights of others.
Translated: RGLedd7
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