NEW YORK, 4 JUNE 2003
STATEMENT BY COMMANDER MARQUES ANTUNES, REPRESENTATIVE OF PORTUGAL, TO THE UN OPEN-ENDED INFORMAL CONSULTATIVE PROCESS ON OCEANS AND THE LAW OF THE SEA

Mr. Co-Chairman,

Portugal considers that the ICP is a very important forum for debating LOS issues.

Having heard with the greatest interest the debate of yesterday afternoon’s session, Portugal wishes to address some points raised towards the end of the session.

In this respect, Portugal wants to draw attention briefly to some central issues:

1. There appears to be a wide consensus around the idea that steps must be taken in order to achieve a better, more effective implementation of the duties of flag states, with a view not to expose coastal states to further, potential disastrous accidents.

2. In Portugal’s perspective, urgent actions are in fact required if disasters that have caused grave harm to the marine environment and to populations whose subsistence relies on marine resources and activities, such as those that we have witnessed around the world in recent years, are to be avoided in the future.

3. Portugal is fully committed to safeguard the unity of the framework provided by the LOSC, and believes that as a matter of principle preference should be given to measures taken on a multilateral basis. Notwithstanding this, if effective urgent action is not taken to tackle the problems that we have witnessed, Portugal considers that it is legally entitled to protect its coasts and its resources through the necessary, proportional and precautionary regional and/or national measures.

Thank you, Mr. Co-Chairman.