ABSTRACT
The Law of the Sea Conference has completed its ninth session. It was preceeded by negotiations in an Ad Hoc Committee and then a Permanent Committee. The Conference itself is the largest diplomatic conference ever held, and most complex, and if it continues, may be the longest negotiation on record. This chapter offers some explanations as to why Arvid Pardo’s dream was not achieved, and will end with a discussion of the consequences of failing to achieve Pardo’s dream of the world adopting what he envisaged as the best course of action. Whether the Law of the Sea Conference adopts a treaty or member-states ratify it, more management or regulatory activity will be essential over the real work human beings conduct in ocean space. Dr. Pardo saw the structure of international ocean law-the regulatory mechanism-as quite inadequate for the regulatory decisions necessary to properly manage the ocean world.
