UN Commission on Continental Shelf Limits upholds Argentina's case for 350 miles of maritime rights

[forest444]

Last edited Sun Mar 27, 2016, 08:50 PM - Edit history (1)

Following seven years of deliberations, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) ruled in favor of Argentina's petition to have its maritime rights extended from the current 200 miles to 350 miles. The ruling is based on numerous studies of the country's Atlantic Ocean continental shelf, which upheld the Argentine claim.

Accordingly, the nation's Foreign Ministry will unveil on Monday the outer limit of the Argentine continental shelf in the South Atlantic as ratified by the United Nations.

“This is a special occasion for Argentina,” Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra said. “We have made a great step in the demarcation of the outer limit of our continental shelf, reaffirming the sovereignty rights of our country in a politically, economically, and strategically important zone as the South Atlantic.”

The CLCS, established by way of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, meets at the UN headquarters and is comprised of 21 international experts. They endorsed a report by Argentina's National Commission of the Outer Limit of the Continental Shelf (COPLA), presented in April 2009 by the Foreign Ministry, that determined Argentina’s new maritime limits in the disputed area.

The CLCS determination establishes the continental shelf limits along the entire Argentine territory, which includes the Falklands/Malvinas Islands, the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and the Argentine Antarctic. It thus ratifies the country’s maritime limits as well as its sovereignty rights in the South Atlantic, which Argentina disputes with the United Kingdom.

Tomorrow’s announcement will take place at 11 am in the Foreign Ministry's ceremonial building, the San Martín Palace, and will be headed by Foreign Minister Malcorra, Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Foradori, lawmakers, and Army and Naval Prefecture authorities.

At: http://buenosairesherald.com/article/211476/foreign-ministry-to-unveil-argentinas-continental-shelf-limits-on-monday-

And: http://www.un.org/depts/los/clcs_new/submissions_files/arg25_09/arg2009e_summary_eng.pdf

[COLGATE4]

1. You can almost hear the laughter from

Whitehall from here.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Interesting. Thank you. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

3. Guardian: Falkland Islands lie in Argentinian waters, rules UN commission

Falkland Islands lie in Argentinian waters, rules UN commission

Argentina welcomes decision to expand its maritime territory, despite unresolved dispute with Britain over islands

Associated Press
Monday 28 March 2016 19.43 EDT

Argentina’s government is celebrating a decision by a UN commission to expand its maritime territory in the South Atlantic Ocean by 35% to include the disputed Falkland islands and beyond.

The Argentine foreign ministry said its waters had increased by 1.7 million square km (0.66 million square miles) and the decision will be key in its dispute with Britain over the islands. Argentina lost a brief, bloody 1982 war with Britain after Argentinian troops seized the South Atlantic archipelago that Latin Americans call the Malvinas.

The UN commission on the limits of the continental shelf sided with Argentina, ratifying the country’s 2009 report fixing the limit of its territory at 200 to 350 miles from its coast.

“This is a historic occasion for Argentina because we’ve made a huge leap in the demarcation of the exterior limit of our continental shelf,” foreign minister Susana Malcorra said. “This reaffirms our sovereignty rights over the resources of our continental shelf.”

More:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/mar/29/falkland-islands-argentina-waters-rules-un-commission