Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Ransford Smith (right) with Joshua Brien, Legal Adviser and Jose Maurel, Director of Special Advisory Services at the Secretariat on 20 March at Marlborough House.
Mauritius and Seychelles prepare for historic submission to the UN
23 March 2009
Countries will have exclusive access to seabed resources
It was a moment of joy at Marlborough House in London on 20 March when a delegation from Mauritius and Seychelles gave a preview of the joint presentation the two countries will make on 26 March 2009 at the United Nations in New York to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. Simply put, the submission will enable the two countries to have exclusive access to additional areas of seabed resources such as crayfish, minerals, oil and gas, among others.
Welcoming the delegation, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Ransford Smith pointed out that the joint submission by the two countries was “ground breaking”.
“It not only represents the first submission to be lodged by any country in the African or Indian Ocean regions, but perhaps more importantly, it is also the first submission to be developed collaboratively by two Small Island States,” he said.
The Commonwealth Secretariat supported the two countries in preparing the submission through provision of legal, strategic and technical experts.
“Happily, the submission that we are celebrating today represents but the first of a series of continental shelf submissions – some joint, others individual – that will soon be made by Commonwealth member countries that have received assistance from the Economic and Legal Section of the Secretariat through the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation,” Mr Smith added.
Raymond Chang Tave from Seychelles stated: “Had it not been through the support of the Commonwealth Secretariat, we would not have been able to be present here to celebrate this milestone.”
Joshua Brien, a Legal Adviser at the Secretariat who managed the Secretariat’s contribution, said: “This is a major achievement for the two countries. The preparation of submission is a significant undertaking that involves a consideration of complex legal and scientific issues. The fact that the two countries have succeeded in lodging this joint submission is unprecedented.”
Guests were shown a virtual representation of the seabed, exploring the underlying shelf.
delicious
digg
reddit
facebook
stumbleupon