COMMISSION ON THE LIMITS OF THE CONTINENTAL SHELF TO HOLD PLENARY

OF TWENTY-SECOND SESSION FROM 18 TO 29 AUGUST

 

NEW YORK, 15 August (Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea) -- The General Assembly at its sixty-second session approved the convening by the Secretary-General of the twenty-second session of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in New York from 11 August to 12 September 2008 on the understanding that the following periods will be used for the technical examination of submissions at the Geographic Information System laboratories and other technical facilities of the Division: 11 to 15 August; and 2 to 12 September.  The plenary part of the twenty-second session will be held from 18 to 29 August.

At this session, the Commission will continue the examination of data and other materials submitted by several coastal States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea concerning the outer limits of their continental shelf in areas where those limits extend beyond 200 nautical miles, namely, the submissions made by New Zealand; the joint submission by France, Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom; and the submissions made by Norway, France and Mexico, respectively.  At this session the Commission will also consider two new submissions, those of Barbados and of the United Kingdom with regard to Ascension Island.

These two submissions, containing scientific and technical data and information on the proposed outer limits of the continental shelf, were delivered to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, respectively on 8 and 9 May 2008, in accordance with the time limit provided for in article 4 of annex II to the Convention.

As required under the rules of procedure of the Commission (CLCS/40/Rev.1), the executive summary of the two submissions, including all charts and coordinates, were made public by the Secretary-General through notes verbales and are available on the website of the Commission at www.un.org/Depts/los/clcs_new/clcs_home.htm.

The submissions to the Commission are made pursuant to article 76, paragraph 8, of the Convention, which provides that, if a coastal State intends to establish the outer limits of its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles, information on such limits “shall be submitted by the coastal State to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.  […]  The Commission shall make recommendations to coastal States on matters related to the establishment of the outer limits of their continental shelf.  The limits of the shelf established by a coastal State on the basis of these recommendations shall be final and binding.”

Article 4 of annex II to the Convention establishes that a coastal State must make its submission “as soon as possible, but in any case within 10 years of the entry into force of this Convention for that State”.  However, as a result of a decision taken by the Meeting of States Parties to the Convention, the time period may be satisfied by the State submitting to the Secretary-General preliminary information indicative of the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles and a description of the status of preparation and intended date of making a submission in accordance with the requirements of article 76 of the Convention and with the Rules of Procedure and the Scientific and Technical Guidelines of the Commission (document SPLOS/183).

As provided by article 5 of annex II to the Convention, “unless the Commission decides otherwise, the Commission shall function by way of subcommissions composed of seven members, appointed in a balanced manner taking into account the specific elements of each submission by a coastal State”.  All submissions currently under examination are being considered by subcommissions.

For information on the history and purpose of the Commission, or any additional information, please visit the website of the Division at www.un.org/Depts/los.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record