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May 2012 Honorary Degree Recipient

Doctor of Laws (honoris causa)

To navigate stormy seas calmly. To create unity of purpose amongst those sailing under different flags. To meticulously plot a route that respects both countries and conservation. Ambassador Satya Nandan has done all of this brilliantly, and we are so pleased to honour him today.

Ambassador Nandan鈥檚 leadership in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 鈥� which marks its 30th anniversary this year 鈥� has made a lasting difference and earned him universal respect.

Dr. Aldo Chircop, 鲍鱼tv law professor and director of our Marine and Environmental Law Institute, wrote in his honorary degree nomination: 鈥淎mbassador Nandan is widely regarded as the pre-eminent international law of the sea diplomat of his generation.鈥�

To earn such a tribute requires an individual to have achieved an impressive record of leadership and to possess a significant depth of knowledge. Ambassador Nandan certainly meets these criteria.

He was Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority from 1996-2008. He had earlier served as the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the Law of the Sea.

In his work, Ambassador Nandan had many occasions to draw on his diplomatic skills to achieve accord. He was regarded by his peers as someone who would chart a thoughtful and effective course. 听

These abilities were critical when it came to tackling the difficult subjects of deep seabed mining, and straddling stocks and highly migratory species. Wendell Sanford, High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam and former Director, Oceans and Environmental Law with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, explained: 听

鈥淎 key element in the resolution of both of these challenges was to find the man who had the confidence of all to lead a fair negotiation process which would achieve a realistic outcome. In both instances the UN community turned to Ambassador Nandan. In both instances he delivered.鈥�

Ambassador Nandan鈥檚 legacy also includes his noteworthy contribution as a general editor and co-author of the comprehensive work entitled United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982: A Commentary.

Today, Ambassador Nandan is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the University of Virginia School of Law鈥檚 Center for Oceans Law and Policy. In the early 1990s, he was a Visiting Distinguished Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace.

Perhaps one of the most significant gifts that Ambassador Nandan has brought to his life鈥檚 work is his truly global outlook. This international perspective has been honed through his education and career. A native of Fiji, he earned his law degree from the University of London. He is a Barrister-at-Law of Lincoln鈥檚 Inn, England, and a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Fiji.

After several years in private practice he embarked on his public service career in 1970. In the span of nearly 40 years, he held a variety of positions including ambassador of Fiji to the European Union, to Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. He also served as Fiji鈥檚 Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

Ambassador Nandan鈥檚 participation in conferences and symposia has taken him from Lima, Peru, to Hamburg, Germany. His dedication and expertise have also been honoured internationally. He received the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Onassis Distinguished Scholar Award from the Rhodes Academy of Oceans Law and Policy in Greece.听

A Companion of the Order of Fiji, Ambassador Nandan is also a Commander of the British Empire. He holds honorary degrees from Memorial University of Newfoundland and from the University of the South Pacific. 听

And today we add our thanks. For taking the helm in perilous waters and steering a successful course, I ask you, Mr. Chancellor, in the name of the Senate, to bestow upon Ambassador Satya Nandan the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.

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