rnarlne affairs, particularly with regard to policy and planning for narine development and ocean management. Initlally, the data contalned in Ehe infornation systen rdas predofirlnantly leglslatlve and institut ional,/admlnlstrat ive. The Eysten has had to be expanded !o cover a broader range of subject area€. Because of the necessarlly eide scope of the lnfornation system and the comprehensive nature of the information. it proved necessary to cohvert a manually-naintained systen to on€ rrhich is conputer-retrlevable. Considerable effort haa been expended during 1985 in evaluating needs and establishing neang for consolidaling ' rationalizlng and strengthenlng the system, 142. In the conversion of the infornaEion system fron a nanual to an elecEronlc systen, prlority has been given to the processing and entry of all. information havlng a bearing on State practice in natters covered by the convencion: particularly national legislatlon and infornation relating to nat.ional pollct as $ell as international agreements and arrangements. There is no exisling internaElonal data-base for such legislation with the excePtion oE the flsheries legislaltve collectlon of FAo (with whicb approprlate interfacing arrangenents will be estabtlshed), nor is there a well-develoPed systen giving ready access to all international and reglonal legal naterialg whicb relate to ocean space and its uses. Cross-r eferenc I ng to tbe rnaterlals on narine affairs on a gysten-rride basis wt 1I also be needed. 143. Thts central collecllon rill be supplemented by related infornabion on special national- charac ter i sli.cs that influence policy' planning and legislative developmene. The "country profilen conponent of the data-base will be crosS-r efer enced, for exanple, eo the alata-base on relaEed agreenents and arrangements in order to retrieve inforrnation on a Statera acceptance of an international treaty, membershiP ln inlergovernmental organlzatione, PartlclPatlonln najor co-operative undertakings ln the narine sector' etc. The developnent of
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing the development of an information system related to marine affairs, including policy and planning for ocean management. The focus is on collecting and processing data on legislation, international agreements, and national policies, which suggests a strong connection to the field of natural resources and environment.

**Category**
Natural resources and environment, International trade