It was Pardo who initiated the fifteen-year process that would culminate in 1982, when the Convention was opened for signatures, and in the early years, he continued a dedicated effort to promote the issue, for instance helping achieve near-unanimous passage of GA Resolution 2749 on December 17, 1970. This resolution embodied principles regarding the seabed and its resources that would later be incorporated into the Convention. Pardo was unhappy with the final instrument's provision for an Exclusive Economic Zone, lamenting that the common heritage of mankind had been whittled down to "a few fish and a little seaweed".
It was Pardo who initiated the fifteen-year process that ultimately led to 1982 when the Convention opened for signatures, and in its early years, he continued to work tirelessly to promote the issue, such as helping achieve near-unanimous passage of GA Resolution 2749 on December 17, 1970. This resolution encapsulated principles concerning the seabed and its resources that would later be included in the Convention. Pardo was unhappy with the final document's provision for an Exclusive Economic Zone, expressing his disappointment that the common heritage of mankind had been diminished to "a few fish and a little seaweed".