To date, the Secretariat has assisted 15 countries to lodge submissions for additional areas of continental shelf covering, in total, an area of approximately 1.5 million square kilometres of seabed.
Commonwealth to help Maldives claim additional seabed
11 November 2009
Submission will open up new areas for exploration, conservation and development
The Commonwealth Secretariat will assist the Republic of Maldives in making a submission to secure access to extensive additional areas of seabed.
In accordance with international law, Maldives is required to make a submission to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (‘the Commission’). The Secretariat is providing advice and assistance during the preparation of this submission, which is expected to be completed by September 2010.
The process will open up new areas for exploration, conservation and development - and Maldives will be in a position to manage important natural and living resources of the seabed. This includes potentially lucrative oil, gas and mineral deposits, as well as living sedentary marine organisms.
Continental shelf
The continental shelf of a coastal state comprises the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea throughout the natural prolongation of its land territory to the outer edge of the continental margin, or to a distance of 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured where the outer edge of the continental margin does not extend up to that distance. (Source: UN)
“Submissions concerning the outer limits of the continental shelf have important development implications for small island nations such as the Maldives, which stand to benefit from additional ocean territory,” said Joshua Brien, a Legal Adviser and leader of the Secretariat’s Maritime Boundary Programme.
“It is also important to the broader international community, as it will impact upon the manner in which the ocean resources of the world are managed and exploited.”
Commonwealth Secretariat assistance will take the form of specialised legal and technical advice concerning the preparation of a submission in accordance with the relevant provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). UNCLOS is a multilateral convention that sets out a framework of rules and principles to govern the management of all ocean space. It has been ratified by 157 countries, including 47 Commonwealth member states.
Under UNCLOS, a coastal state seeking to claim extended areas of continental shelf beyond the traditional 200 nautical miles limit must make a submission to the Commission.
For many developing countries, and small island nations in particular, the making of a submission involves significant challenges, due to the cost and expertise implicated in such an endeavour. A Decision of the States Parties to the Convention made in June 2008 recognises the challenges facing many developing countries, especially small island states, that are seeking to prepare submissions, and established special measures to ensure that countries facing difficulties are not disadvantaged.
To date, the Secretariat has assisted 15 countries to lodge submissions for additional areas of continental shelf covering, in total, an area of approximately 1.5 million square kilometres of seabed.
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