SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, SECTION 4. Also, the Law of the Sea Convention defines "continental shelf" in legal terms, which is not the same as what a geologist would consider continental shelf. Article 76, paragraph 1, provides that the continental shelf . LAW OF THE SEA, ANNEX IX. AND TECHNOLOGICAL CENTRES, SECTION 4. High Sea Territorial sea According to UNCLOS, the territorial sea can be defined as the area which extends up to 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a country's coastal state. [1] It has since been superseded by a new agreement reached in 1982 at UNCLOS . Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) Established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, CLCS is responsible for facilitating the implementation of UNCLOS with respect to the establishment of the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. The provisions of this article are without prejudice to the question of delimitation of the continental shelf between States with opposite or adjacent coasts. RESOURCES OF THE HIGH SEAS, PART X. February 28, 2017. Where an actual continental shelf extends beyond that distance, a state can . RIGHT OF ACCESS OF LAND-LOCKED STATES TO AND FROM CONCILIATION PROCEDURE PURSUANT TO Also, while the maximum extent of the EEZ is 200 nautical miles, the continental shelf may extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the coastline, depending on the depth, shape, and geophysical characteristics of the seabed and sub-sea floor. 6. PARTICIPATION BY INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. Considering that India's continental shelf extends beyond the 200 nautical miles from the territorial sea baselines, the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) . CONDUCT AND PROMOTION OF MARINE It became effective in the year 1994. The conference once again failed to fix a uniform breadth for the territorial or establish consensus on sovereign fishing rights. Coastal countries have exclusive rights to resources located within the continental shelf, which legally is defined as the seabed up to roughly 370 km (200 nautical miles) from shore or to the outer edge of the continental margin, whichever is farther, subject to an overall limit of about 650 km (350 nautical miles) from the coast or about 185 km (100 nautical miles) beyond the 2,500-metre (8,200-foot) isobath, or line connecting equal points of water depth. However, this second conference did not lead to the conclusion of any new treaties. The continental shelf under UNCLOS encompasses the continental margin, which includes the . PROCEDURE PURSUANT TO SECTION3 OF PARTXV, ANNEX VI. The Second United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS II) from March 17 until April 26, 1960. Questions, suggestions or comments regarding the contents of this site should be directed to the UNCLOS UK. The convention also made provision for the passage of ships, protection of the marine environment, freedom of scientific research, and exploitation of resources. A state's continental shelf may exceed 200 nautical miles (370 km) until the natural prolongation ends. 28 December 2020. The continental shelf includes only the seabed and subsoil; whereas the EEZ includes the water column. Continental shelf The continental shelf is defined as the natural prolongation of the land territory to the continental margin 's outer edge, or 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the coastal state's baseline, whichever is greater. UNCLOS (Part VI) gives the coastal state sovereign rights over the resources of its continental shelf. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea art. Tweet. UNCLOS II did not result in any international agreements. OTHER GOVERNMENT SHIPS OPERATED FOR NON-COMMERCIAL PURPOSES, PART III. The author discusses UN thinking behind the possibility of such extension, indicates Danish areas of . 6 A state exercises "sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring [its continental shelf] and exploiting its natural resources" and may exclude other states from doing so . DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES OF THE AREA, SUBSECTION F. FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS OF THE There are 5 important terms which each mariner should know under UNCLOS. Russia has claimed new slices of the continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean in two fresh submissions to the United Nations. Over 160 nations participated in the 9-year convention, which finally came into force on November 14, 1994, 21 years after the first meeting of UNCLOS III and one year after ratification by the sixtieth state. DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSFER OF MARINE TECHNOLOGY, SECTION 3. Although UNCLOS has established procedures for peacefully settling legitimate overlapping claims, [xiii] it has generally been left to the relevant states to delimitate, amongst themselves, their maritime boundaries on the basis of recommended continental shelf delineations. Every coastal state, regardless of the actual presence of a geological continental shelf, is entitled to a legal continental shelf of up to 200 nautical miles, the maximum breadth of the EEZ as defined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The term "continental shelf" is used by geologists generally to mean that part of the continental margin which is between the shoreline and the shelf break or, where there is no noticeable. THE PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT, SECTION 3. The first sixty ratifications were almost all developing states. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) agreement came into effect on 16 November 1994. . Lesson Summary The continental shelf is the edge of the continent that is covered by ocean water.Most continental shelves gradually slope into the water. If the U.S. becomes a member of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, it will be required to transfer a large portion of the royalties generated on the U.S. extended continental . United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, PART VI CONTINENTAL SHELF, Article 76. and conditions of use of The Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone; The Convention on Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources of the. The continental shelf according to the UNCLOS 1982 is determined either in terms of fixed distance (200 miles from the baselines) or the outer edge of the continental margin. In 2003, Canada embarked on a history-making project to define the outer limits of its continental shelf in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. UNCLOS addresses the issue of jurisdiction over these resources by allocating sovereign rights to the coastal State for exploration and exploitation. Technical questions or comments about this website? The largest of these areas is the extended continental shelf arising from. Contiguous zone 3. LIMITATIONS AND EXCEPTIONS TO MEASURES, PART XIV. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982, PART II. The Continental Shelf Major Topics Unilateral declaration of the US to its continental shelf UNCLOS and the. 1. Aug 01, 1994The Continental Shelf is the area of the seabed and subsoil which extends beyond the territorial sea to a distance of 200M from the territorial sea baseline and beyond that distance to the outer edge of the continental margin as dened in Article 76 of the Convention. Coastal states have the right to harvest mineral and non-living material in the subsoil of its continental shelf, to the exclusion of others. Footnote 16 However, in the establishment of a continental shelf that extends beyond 200 nm within the UNCLOS framework, the concept of 'natural prolongation' is . Convention on the Continental Shelf, Convention on the High Seas, Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone. Payments and contributions with respect to the By the end of the 18th century, it was understood that states had sovereignty over their territorial sea. From the break, the shelf plunges toward the profound ocean floor in what is known as the continental incline. About UNCLOS: Adopted and signed in 1982. 0000084542 00000 n LEGISLATION TO PREVENT, REDUCE AND CONTROL POLLUTION OF THE MARINE This is not an official document. 76, the default length of the continental shelf is a minimum of 200 nautical miles from the coastal state's baselines. The shelf may extend beyond a distance of 200 nautical miles, but may not exceed 350 nautical miles (650 kilometres; 400 miles) of the baseline. According to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea a coastal state can claim a continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles (nm) out to a maximum of 350 nm depending on the geographic and geologic 0000003220 00000 n EQUIPMENT IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT, SECTION 6. %PDF-1.3 % 0000005113 00000 n Main Menu; by School; by Literature Title; by Subject; by Study Guides; 21 December 2020. COOPERATION AMONG INTERNATIONAL The relatively flat surface and shallow waters make the continental shelf a good place to harvest seafood and set up oil rigs or renewable energy resources. A country with a continental shelf that extends farther than 200 nautical miles from its shoreline has 10 years from the date it ratified UNCLOS to submit a claim on the part of the shelf that occurs beyond the 200-nautical-mile limit. This is enveloped with a comparatively shallow zone of water (approximately 150-200 meters deep). The meaning of 'natural prolongation' Since it was first introduced by the ICJ in the North Sea Continental Shelf cases, 'natural prolongation' has long been accepted as the basis of entitlement to a continental shelf. The definition and criteria for the establishment of the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. RULES APPLICABLE TO ALL SHIPS, SUBSECTION B. Indonesia - in the area Southwest of Sumatera. Information on the limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured shall be submitted by the coastal State to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf set up under Annex II on the basis of equitable geographical representation. STRAITS USED FOR INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION, SECTION 2. . The Convention on the Continental Shelf. The latter basis is the one being advocated by Russia. The treaty, after entering into force 10 June 1964, established the rights of a sovereign state over the continental shelf surrounding it, if there be any. According to its March 31 submissions, Russia is . The continental margin comprises the submerged prolongation of the land mass of the coastal State, and consists of the seabed and subsoil of the shelf, the slope and the rise. Article 76 is important as it defines a country's continental shelf consisting of the seabed and subsoil of its submarine regions that extend beyond its territorial sea throughout the natural spread of the land topography to the outer limits of the continental . Secondly, due to the ten year deadline for submissions to the CLCS after a state's ratification of UNCLOS, combined with the enormous amount of ratifications in the mid-late . 76. These royalties will likely total tens or even hundreds of billions of . Lev Fedoseyev / TASS. According to UNCLOS Art. 8. The continental shelf beyond 200 NM is known as the "Extended" Continental Shelf (ECS). 10. A continental shelf is a term that refers to the ledges that protrude from the continental land mass into the ocean. IMMUNITIES, SUBSECTION H. SUSPENSION OF THE EXERCISE OF (ii) a line delineated in accordance with paragraph 7 by reference to fixed points not more than 60 nautical miles from the foot of the continental slope. Text of the treaty http://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/closindx.htm, List of countries that have ratified LOS conventions http://www.un.org/Depts/los/reference_files/chronological_lists_of_ratifications.htm, http://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/closindx.htm, http://www.un.org/Depts/los/reference_files/chronological_lists_of_ratifications.htm, Disclaimer, copyright and usage conditions. The limits of the shelf established by a coastal State on the basis of these recommendations shall be final and binding. NATIONAL AND REGIONAL MARINE SCIENTIFIC 756 0 obj << /Linearized 1 /O 758 /H [ 802 2441 ] /L 937054 /E 86408 /N 236 /T 921815 >> endobj xref 756 18 0000000016 00000 n 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. 0000034942 00000 n Developments in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, 1982) 1 regarding the jurisdictional structure of maritime space is culminating with the States concerned using a complex technical procedure to delimit the outer edge of the continental margin when this exceeds a breadth of 200 nautical miles (nm). Canada's submission for the Arctic Ocean was filed in May 2019. 1. International and Strategic Partnerships Office, National Oceanography Centre, SHIPS AND GOVERNMENT SHIPS OPERATED FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES, SUBSECTION C. RULES APPLICABLE TO WARSHIPS AND UNCLOS remains a relatively new piece of international law and the entitlement to an extended continental shelf is at the cutting edge of international legal debates. They were considered as legitimate undertakings in implementing Article 76 (8) of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS) as well as the Rules of Procedure of the Commission of the Limits of the Continental shelf (CLCS). A state's continental shelf may exceed 200 nautical miles (370 km) until the natural prolongation ends. PREAMBLE . trailer << /Size 774 /Info 755 0 R /Root 757 0 R /Prev 921804 /ID[] >> startxref 0 %%EOF 757 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Pages 728 0 R /JT 754 0 R /PageLabels 716 0 R >> endobj 772 0 obj << /S 4523 /L 4596 /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 773 0 R >> stream This article was most recently revised and updated by, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. THE SEA AND FREEDOM OF TRANSIT, SECTION 3. 4. 2 Convention on the Continental Shelf Done at Geneva on 29 April 1958 The States Parties to this Convention Have agreed as follows: Article 1 For the purpose of these articles, the term "continental shelf" is used as referring (a) to the seabed andsubsoil of the submarine areas adjacent to the coast but outside the area of the territorial sea, to a depth of 200 OBLIGATIONS UNDER OTHER CONVENTIONS ON 23. DECISIONS, SECTION 3. On 16th November 2004 Denmark ratified the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and now has ten years to put claims for extension of its continental shelf in accordance with Article 76. The Commission shall make recommendations to coastal States on matters related to the establishment of the outer limits of their continental shelf. The continental shelf is the stretch of seabed adjacent to the shores of a particular country to which it belongs. 7. ORGANIZATIONS, SECTION 2. Coastal states can claim an extended continental shelf up to 350 nautical miles from its baselines by proving that this area is a natural prolongation of the state's land territory. Functions of the Law of the Sea Dual Role - International Law of the Sea divides the ocean into multiple jurisdictional zones, such as internal waters, territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), archipelagic waters, the continental shelf, the high seas and the Area. View IL Session 20 UNCLOS and Continental Shelf from GOV 178 at Claremont McKenna College. The treaty was one of three agreed upon at the first United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS I). STATUTE OF THE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL FOR THE 0000006310 00000 n For States exceptionally endowed by nature, the continental shelf can extend right up to 350 miles from the baselines or 100 nautical miles from the 2500 metre .