ABSTRACT
It is too early to draw up a ‘Conclusion’ on UNCLOS III. As was made evident in earlier chapters, this glacier conference, and its long Convention, represent not so much an end-result as a stage in a developing process; it is not so much an end in itself, as the end of the beginning. Historically speaking, UNCLOS III will come to be seen as the start of a new era in the international politics of the sea. We cannot yet predict whether the traditional naval powers will respond wisely to the immediate challenge, and imaginatively to the possibilities of the longer term.
