Commonwealth to assist Jamaica in maritime boundary negotiations

The Commonwealth Secretariat has begun providing legal and technical advice to the Government of Jamaica, which is preparing to embark upon maritime boundary negotiations with neighbouring Caribbean and Central American countries.

The establishment of agreed maritime boundaries will be important for the future management of natural resources such as oil and gas by Jamaica, and also for the conduct of maritime law enforcement activity to combat piracy and illicit drug smuggling.

“The Caribbean region is riddled with unresolved maritime boundaries, which has impeded the development of natural resources and law enforcement activity in the region,” said Joshua Brien, Legal Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat, adding that “successful delimitation between Jamaica and neighbouring countries will be crucial to improving ocean governance in the region.”

Mr Brien, who is managing the project, explained that the Government of Jamaica is determined to settle its maritime boundaries as soon as possible, so as to provide a secure basis for the management of its important fisheries and seabed resources such as oil and gas reserves.

The establishment of maritime boundaries is a matter governed by international law, and in particular, the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Convention is a multilateral treaty that establishes a framework of rules and principles to govern all ocean space. The Convention has been ratified by more than 157 countries, including some 47 Commonwealth member countries.

The Convention provides that where rights to ocean space (the water column and the seabed) of coastal states overlap, the countries concerned should seek to delimit maritime boundaries by agreement on the basis of international law in order to achieve an equitable result.

Secretariat Links:

• Country Profile: Jamaica
• Maritime Boundaries