Archive

Large scale document archive

1983 Jan 12 - 1984 Dec 31
Prime Ministerial Private Office files

PREM19/1238
Foreign policy (United Nations Law of the Sea Convention (UNLOSC)) (Part 2)

Source: TNA, PREM19 series
Release date: 2014 Jan 3
Classification: Confidential
Page count: 257
Themes: Foreign policy - theory and process, Foreign policy (USA), Foreign policy (development, aid, etc), Foreign policy (International organizations), Defence (general), British relations with Italy, British relations with Netherlands, British relations with the Federal Republic of Germany, British relations with the US

PREM19/1238 - download whole file (PDF, 35.12 MB)

Selections from this file

Showing items 1 - 20 of 32

Date Value Title
83 Jan 18 Tu Major Foreign Policy: Pym minute to MT ("Law of the Sea") [reciprocating agreement on deepsea mining] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Feb 17 Th Major Foreign Policy: Lord Cockfield minute to MT ("Law of the Sea: Merchant Shipping") [Reciprocating States Agreement; deepsea mining; risk to UK of not signing up to Convention] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Feb 18 Fr Minor Foreign Policy: Caroline Stephens to Coles & Ingham (Il Geornale newspaper article about the Prime Minister) [useful for Fanfani visit] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Feb 22 Tu Major Foreign Policy: Pym minute to MT ("United Nations Law of the Sea Convention") [case for participation in the Preparatory Commission] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Feb 23 We Major Foreign Policy: No.10 minute to MT ("UK Law of the Sea Convention") [Reciprocating States Agreement; MT request for tutorial] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Mar 3 Th Major Foreign Policy: No.10 letter to Pym PS ("United Nations Law of the Sea Convention") [participation in preparatory commission; negotiating tactics; Reciprocating States Agreement] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Mar 3 Th Major Foreign Policy: Brittan minute to MT ("United Nations Law of the Sea Convention") [comments on Pym minute of 22 Feb; "we need to obtain satisfactory improvements in the deep sea mining regime... changes will, at best, be a long process"; financial implications for UK of US non-participation] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Sep 13 Tu Major Foreign Policy: MT message to Chancellor Kohl (UN Law of the Sea Convention) ["urge that the Federal Republic should not take a decision in favour of signature... so long as the difficulties of the mining regime remain"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Jan 13 Fr Major Foreign Policy: Ridley PS letter to Cabinet Office ("Ministerial Group on Maritime Affairs") [reconstitution; forthcoming business; UN Law of the Sea Convention] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Mar 29 Th Major Foreign Policy: Cabinet Office minute to No.10 ("Provisional Understanding regarding Deep Seabed matters") ["Mr Rifkind.. would not recommend that the... [UK] should sign with the... [US] alone without further consideration of where the balance of advantage lies"; MT approves this approach] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Aug 20 Mo Major Foreign Policy: UN Secretary General Pérez de Cuellar letter to MT (UN Law of the Sea Convention) ["Signature of the Convention does not prejudge a future decision on its ratification"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Oct 24 We Major Foreign Policy: Prime Minister Lange letter to MT (UN Law of the Sea Convention) ["signature binds the... [UK] to nothing and it gives you an opportunity to play an effective role in changing what you do not like"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Nov 2 Fr Major Foreign Policy: MT letter to Prime Minister Lange (UN Law of the Sea Convention) ["You urged that the UK should sign... and draw attention to the advantages offered by it in areas other than seabed mining"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Nov 2 Fr Major Foreign Policy: Prime Minister Hawke letter to MT (UN Law of the Sea Convention) ["it is only by signing... and participating fully in the work of the Preparatory Commission that Western countries will able to continue to influence the development of the Law of the Sea"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Nov 5 Mo Major Foreign Policy: No.10 Policy Unit minute to MT ("United Nations Law of the Sea Convention") [notes the risks of signing, but endorses FCO advice to do so; MT rejects advice] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Nov 5 Mo Major Foreign Policy: Prime Minister Lubbers letter to MT ("United Nations Law of the Sea Convention") ["Signing the Convention does not imply acceptance of the seabed regime"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Nov 5 Mo Major Foreign Policy: Cabinet Office briefing for MT ("United Nations Law of the Sea Convention: Future Options") ["the question is whether... [UK] interests would be better served... inside the Convention process as a signatory, or outside it as a non-signatory"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Nov 6 Tu Major Foreign Policy: No.10 note to MT ("UNLOSC") [UN Convention on the Law of the Sea; MT notes she is strongly opposed to signing] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Nov 12 Mo Major Foreign Policy: Taoiseach FitzGerald letter to MT (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) ["probably the most significant achievement of the... [UN] in recent years and one which should not be diminshed by lack of support"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Nov 14 We Major Foreign Policy: President Reagan letter to MT (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) ["I believe we must strenuously urge the FRG, Italy and Belgium not to sign... signature... will undermine our ability to negotiate a seabed mining regime"] [declassified Jan 2014]