Meetings of States Parties to the 1982
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

Updated 4 April 2016

Introduction

The Meeting of the States Parties is convened in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides, in article 319, paragraph 2 (e), that the Secretary-General "shall convene necessary meetings of States Parties in accordance with this Convention". General Assembly resolution 37/66 approved "the assumption by the Secretary-General of the responsibilities entrusted to him under the Convention and the related resolutions". Resolutions 49/28 and 52/26 requested that the Secretary-General should continue "preparing for and convening the Meetings of States Parties to the Convention and providing the necessary services for such meetings, in accordance with the Convention".

Among other things, the Meeting elects the members of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (election of one third of the members takes place every three years) and the members of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (election of all 21 members takes place every five years). It considers, annually, the report of the Tribunal and deals with its budgetary and administrative matters. It receives information provided by the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority and the Chairman of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on the activities of these bodies and also receives the Report of the Secretary-General under article 319 for the information of States parties on issues of a general nature, relevant to States parties, that have arisen with respect to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The first Meeting of States Parties (SPLOS) was convened in New York on 21 and 22 November 1994, immediately following the entry into force of the Convention.  See the reports of the Meetings of States Parties to the Convention.

Twenty-sixth Meeting of States Parties

Twenty-fifth Meeting of States Parties

• Resumed Twenty-fifth Meeting of States Parties, New York, 15 January 2016

• Twenty-fifth Meeting of States Parties, New York, from 08 to 12 June 2015

Twenty-fourth Meeting of States Parties

• Twenty-fourth Meeting of States Parties, New York, from 09 to 13 June 2014

Twenty-third Meeting of States Parties

• Twenty-third Meeting of States Parties, New York, from 10 to 14 June 2013

Special Meeting of States Parties

• Special Meeting of States Parties to the Convention, New York, 19 December 2012

Twenty-second Meeting of States Parties

• Twenty-second Meeting of States Parties, New York, from 4 to 11 June 2012

Special Meeting of States Parties

•  Special Meeting of States Parties to the Convention, New York, 11 August 2011

Twenty-first Meeting of States Parties

• Twenty-first Meeting of States Parties to the Convention was held in New York, from 13 to 17 June 2011

                   Workload of the Commission

          Twentieth Meeting of States Parties

• Twentieth Meeting of States Parties to the Convention, held in New York, from 14 to 18 June 2010

                    Workload of the Commission

Nineteenth Meeting of States Parties

• Nineteenth Meeting of States Parties to the Convention, held in New York, from 22 to 26 June 2009

Special Meeting of States Parties

•  The Special Meeting of States Parties to the Convention, held in New York on 6 March 2009

Eighteenth Meeting of States Parties

• Eighteenth Meeting of States Parties to the Convention, held in New York, from 13 to 20 June 2008

Seventeenth Meeting of States Parties

• Seventeenth Meeting of States Parties to the Convention, held in New York, on 14 June and from 18 to 22 June 2007

Secretariat contact:

Secretary of the Meeting of States Parties
Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea
Office of Legal Affairs
Room DC2-0450
United Nations
New York, New York 10017
USA

Telephone:	(212) 963-3962
Facsimile:	(212) 963-5847
E-mail:	DOALOS