US embassy cable - 05MUSCAT322

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 000322 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/OA, L/OES, IO/T, EB/TRA, INR/B, NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHSA, TPHY, PREL, PINR, MU, International Organizations 
SUBJECT: OMAN SEEKS SUPPORT FOR JUDGE CANDIDATE TO LAW OF 
SEA TRIBUNAL 
 
 
1. This is an action request for OES/OA - please see para 3. 
 
2. The Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a circular to 
resident diplomatic missions on February 16 requesting 
support for its candidate to the International Tribunal for 
the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).  The salient portions of the 
Omani note, and attached biographic background of Oman's 
candidate, are below. 
 
(Begin text) 
 
The Ministry has the honor to bring to the knowledge (of 
diplomatic missions accredited in Muscat) that the Government 
of the Sultanate of Oman has decided to nominate Counselor 
Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Salim al-Sameen for the position of 
Judge at the International Tribunal For Law of the Sea 
(ITLOS), at the elections scheduled in New York, June 16-24, 
2005. 
 
Therefore, the Government of the Sultanate of Oman greatly 
appreciates your Government's attaching appropriate 
importance to the Omani nomination to the position of Judge 
at the International Tribunal For Law of the Sea, and to 
offer necessary support.  Enclosed herewith please find the 
Omani candidate's biodata written in Arabic, English 
languages. 
 
COUNSELOR/MOHAMMED BIN ABDULLAH BIN SALEM AL-SAMEEN 
 
PERSONAL INFORMATION: 
Marital Status: Married (with 4 children) 
Date of Birth: 1 January 1962 
Nationality: Omani 
 
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS: 
Certificate from Hague Academy: 2004 
Summer session in Public International Law-International Law 
Fellowship: 2004 
Master of Law (LL.M) in Comparative Legal Studies: 2001 
Pace School of Law, Pace University (New York) 
American Language Program, Columbia University (New York): 
2001 
English Language Program, England 1989 
Computer Courses, Muscat: 1988 
Bachelor's Degree in Legislative Law (LL.B), Faculty of the 
Institute of Law, Alexandria University, Egypt: 1986 
 
LANGUAGES: 
Arabic (mother tongue), English (fluent) 
 
CAREER DEVELOPMENT: 
Counselor, Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman-The Hague, The 
Netherlands: August 2004-Present 
Promoted to Counselor (Scale 1, Grade 4): 2004 
Promoted to First Secretary (Scale 5, Grade 1): 1999 
Promoted to First Secretary (Scale 6, Grade 1): 1995 
Charge d' Affaires, Permanent Mission of the Sultanate of 
Oman to the United Nations, New York: 1991 
Promoted to First Secretary (Scale 1, Grade 2): 1990 
Posted to Permanent Mission of the Sultanate of Oman to the 
United Nations, New York 1988 
Appointed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a Second 
Secretary, European Department: 1987 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES: 
Work experience of 16 years in the United Nations, UN 
Committees, International Groups and other Specialized 
Organizations. 
 
SECURITY COUNCIL: 
Alternate Representative of the Omani Delegation during its 
2-years non-permanent membership: 1994-1995 
Sanction Committee on Iraq (in accordance with UNSCR 
687-1991): 1994-1995 
Peace-Keeping Operations: 1994-1995 
 
GENERAL ASSEMBLY: 
Participated in General Assembly Regular Sessions from the 
43rd until the 58th Session. 
Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable 
Representation & Increase in the Membership of the Security 
Council: 1997-Present 
Special Session on Agenda 21: 1997 
Fourth Committee: Special Political and Decolonization 
Affairs: 1994 
Informal Open-ended Working Group on an Agenda for Peace: 1994 
Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on 
the Role of the Organization: 1993-1998 
Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations: 1993 
Third Committee: Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs: 
1989 
Sixth Committee: Legal Affairs, attended all ordinary 
sessions as from 43rd to 58th session: 1988-2001 
Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the 
Palestinian Peoples: 1988-1990 
Committee on the Relations with the Host Country: 1988 
 
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL: 
Commission on Crime and Prevention and Criminal Justice: 
1997-2000 
Commission on Narcotic Drugs 1997-2000 
Commission on the Status of Women: 1997-2000 
 
OTHER SUBSIDIARY BODIES OR RELATED TO THE UN: 
Commission on Sustainable Development (High-Level Segment, 
12th Session): 2004 
UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR): 1994 
UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD): 1992 
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF): 1991-1993 
Committee on the Rights of the Child: 1990-1993 
UN Development Program: 1990-1991 
 
INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY AND INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL FOR 
LAW OF THE SEA: 1988-1994 and 2002-2004 
Head of Delegation to the 10th Session of the Law of the Sea 
(Kingston, Jamaica): 2004 
Head of Delegation to the Conference on the Legal and 
Scientific Aspects of Continental Shelf Limits (Reykjavik, 
Iceland): 2003 
Workshop on Legal and Scientific Aspects in the Law of the 
Sea (Kingston, Jamaica): 2003 
Head of Delegation to the Sessions of the Assembly of the 
International Seabed Authority: 2002-2004 
 
Participated in the negotiations on establishment of the 
following courts: 
Preparatory Committee on the International Criminal Court: 
1997 
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda: 1994-1995 
International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia: 
1994-1995 
 
GEOGRAPHICAL AND REGIONAL GROUPS: 
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW): 
2004-Present 
Asian Group: 1988-2004 
Arab Group: 1988-2004 
Group of 77: 1988-2004 
Organization of Islamic Conference: 1988-2004 
 
Non-Aligned Movement: 1988-2004 
Representative to the XII Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement 
(Durban, South Africa): 1998 
Head of Delegation, Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating 
Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (Cartagena, Colombia) 1998 
 
(End of text.) 
 
3. Action Request: The Embassy would appreciate guidance on 
the USG response when it becomes available. 
BALTIMORE