Commission on Limits of Continental Shelf Concludes Forty-Ninth Session
NEW YORK, 18 March (Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea) ― The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf held its forty‑ninth session at United Nations Headquarters from 28 January to 15 March. The first plenary part of the session was held from 4 to 8 February and the second from 4 to 8 March. The remaining five weeks were devoted to the technical examination of submissions at the geographic information systems laboratories and other technical facilities of the Division.
The Commission began its first plenary meeting with welcoming of Yong Tang (China), who made a solemn declaration to honourably, faithfully, impartially and conscientiously perform his duties, as required by rule 10 of the rules of procedure of the Commission. Mr. Tang had been elected to the Commission at the resumed twenty‑eighth Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on 15 January 2019, following the resignation of Wenzheng Lyu on 25 July 2018.
Nine subcommissions met during the forty‑ninth session to consider submissions made by: the Russian Federation in respect of the Arctic Ocean (partial revised submission); Brazil in respect of the Brazilian Southern Region (partial revised submission); France and South Africa jointly in respect of the area of the Crozet Archipelago and the Prince Edward Islands; Kenya; Nigeria; France in respect of La Réunion Island and Saint‑Paul and Amsterdam Islands; Côte d’Ivoire; Sri Lanka; and Portugal. Two subcommissions — one that considered the partial revised submission made by Brazil in respect of the Brazilian Southern Region and one established to consider the submission made by Côte d’Ivoire — approved and transmitted draft recommendations to the Chair of the Commission.
In the light of this development, the Commission was in a position to establish a new subcommission. This subcommission began to consider the partial amended submission made by Palau in respect of the North Area. Also, the subcommission that considered the submission made by Brazil in respect of the Brazilian Southern Region will now begin considering the partial revised submission made by Brazil in respect of the Brazilian equatorial margin during the fiftieth session.
At the plenary level, the Commission resumed its consideration of the draft recommendations in regard to the submission made by Norway in respect of Bouvetøya and began consideration of the draft recommendations in regard to the partial revised submission made by Brazil in respect of the Brazilian Southern Region. Following extensive deliberations, the Commission approved both draft recommendations.
The Commission also began consideration of the draft recommendations in regard to the partial submission made by the Kingdom of Tonga in respect of the eastern part of the Kermadec Ridge, which were transmitted to the Commission by the subcommission established to consider this submission at the forty‑eighth session. The delegation of the Kindgom of Tonga, led by Her Royal Highness Princess Angelika Lātūfuipeka Halaevalu Mata’aho Tuku’aho, participated in the proceedings, making a presentation pursuant to the relevant provision of annex III to the Commission’s rules of procedure. Due to time constraints, the Commission decided to defer further consideration of the draft recommendations to its fiftieth session.
Also during the plenary part of the session, Benin and Togo, jointly, and Liberia presented their respective submissions to the plenary of the Commission.
Among other issues on the programme of work of the Commission were matters relating to the condition of service of the members of the Commission. In this regard, the Chair and other members of the Commission met with Anastasia Strati (Greece), one of the Co‑coordinators of the Working Group of the Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which was established to address this matter.
Further details of the forty‑ninth session will be available in the Statement of the Chair (document CLCS/108).
The Commission will hold its fiftieth session from 1 July to 16 August, with plenary sessions to be held from 29 July to 2 August and 13 to 16 August.
Background
The Commission is a body of 21 experts in the field of geology, geophysics or hydrography, which was established pursuant to article 2, annex II to the Convention. Members of the Commission are elected for a term of five years by the Meeting of States Parties to the Convention from among their nationals having due regard to the need to ensure equitable geographical representation. They serve in their personal capacities.
The Convention provides that the State party which submitted the nomination of a member of the Commission shall defray the expenses of that member while in performance of Commission duties. However, the participation of several members of the Commission from developing countries has been facilitated by financial assistance from a voluntary trust fund for the purpose of defraying the cost of participation of the members of the Commission from developing countries.
Under rule 23 of its rules of procedure (Public and private meetings), the meetings of the Commission, its subcommissions and subsidiary bodies are held in private, unless the Commission decides otherwise.
The Commission makes recommendations to coastal States on matters related to the establishment of the outer limits of their continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured, based on information submitted to it by coastal States. These recommendations are based on the scientific and technical data and other material provided by States in relation to the implementation of article 76 of the Convention. The recommendations do not prejudice matters relating to the delimitation of boundaries between States with opposite or adjacent coasts, or prejudice the position of States that are parties to a land or maritime dispute, or application of other parts of the Convention or any other treaties. The Convention also stipulates that the limits of the continental shelf established by a coastal State on the basis of these recommendations shall be final and binding. In the case of disagreement by the coastal State with the recommendations of the Commission, the coastal State shall, within a reasonable time, make a revised or new submission to the Commission.
As required under the rules of procedure of the Commission, the executive summaries of all the submissions, including all charts and coordinates, have been made public by the Secretary‑General through continental shelf notifications circulated to Member States of the United Nations, as well as States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The executive summaries are available on the Division’s website at: http://www.un.org/depts/los/clcs_new/clcs_home.htm. The summaries of recommendations adopted by the Commission are also available on the above‑referenced website.
For additional information on the work of the Commission see the website of the Division at http://www.un.org/depts/los/index.htm.