Maritime Boundary Issues Singapore Workshop: Session 4 How States deal with factors that can affect boundary negotiations Dr. Robert W. Smith Independent Geographic Consultant U.S. Department of State (ret.)
Islands Historic Treaties
Consideration of Islands 1. Dispute over the sovereignty of the island itself. 2. Dispute over the affect the island(s) may have on the delimitation of the adjacent maritime space.
Island Sovereignty Disputes: What is at issue? -- National pride -- Public expectations -- Economic development Living Resources Oil & Gas
Island Disputes
Japan s Island Disputes Kurile Islands Northern Territories (Japan-Russia) Liancourt Rocks [ DokDo/Takeshima ] (Japan- S. Korea) Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands (Japan-China)
LIANCOURT ROCKS Japan vs. South Korea LIANCOURT ROCKS (TAKESHIMA OR DOK DO)
Dokdo / Takeshima Liancourt Rocks: Stamp war 1954 North Korea South Korea
Impact Impact of Liancourt Rocks on Maritime Boundary Delimitation of Equidistant line Liancourt Rocks: Full weight to Japan Full weight to South Korea No weight given
Diaoyu / Senkaku Islands (China vs. Japan)
SPRATLY ISLANDS CLAIMS/ OCCUPATION
Complicated by Multiple Claims to Islands and Adjacent South China Sea China- Taiwan Philippines Malaysia Vietnam - Brunei
Spratly Island (occupied by Vietnam)
China s build up on Fiery Cross Reef
Mischief Reef (China s structure) 15
South China Sea Islands? Acknowledgment to Clive Schofield for photos
Machias Seal Island and North Rock (U.S. v. Canada) U.S. Maine Machias Seal Island Canada North Rock Machias Seal Island
Machias Seal Island (United States v. Canada)
1984 Gulf of Maine ICJ Award Machias Seal Island dispute not considered Machias Seal Island gap remains to be resolved.
Canada Denmark Dispute: Sovereignty of Hans Island Denmark August 13, 2002 Canada July 13, 2005
1973 Canada- Denmark Continental shelf boundary Hans Island
Maritime Boundary Consideration: Equidistant line Positive Aspects Quite popular Objective approach: mathematical construction Calculate on the spheroid (using computer) --not graphically on a chart
Maritime Boundary Consideration: -- Baseline issues Equidistant line Negative Aspects -- Tendency for geographic imbalance, caused by: -- promontories -- islands
1969 ICJ North Sea Continental Shelf Cases ICJ s Decision did NOT establish exact boundary; said that equidistance was not proper method. Note the concavity in Germany s coastline
Influence of Headlands on Equidistant lines
United States (American Samoa)- Niue Geographic balance Equidistant line
Italy - Tunisia Italian islands: 12-mile territorial sea and 1 mile continental shelf for Lampedusa, Linosa, and Pantelleria
Algeria Tunisia: Tunisian islands received less than full consideration in delimitation: boundary situated to the east of an equidistant line
China Vietnam: Less than full consideration for Vietnam island Joint fishery zone
Island Sovereignty Disputes The Law of the Sea Convention DOES NOT address resolution of sovereignty disputes However, numerous Arbitrations have been convened to address sovereignty over islands.
ICJ Decisions on Island Sovereignty 1953: France v. UK (Minquiers and Ecrehos) 1992: El Salvador v. Honduras (Islands in Gulf of Fonseca) 2001: Bahrain v. Qatar (Hawar Islands) 2002: Indonesia v. Malaysia (Pulau Ligitan and Pulau Sipadan) 2008: Malaysia v. Singapore (Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu, Batu Puteh, Middle Eoxks and South Ledge) 2012: Colombia - Nicaragua Arbitral Tribunal on Island Sovereignty 1998: Eritrea vs. Yemen (Hanish Islands)
1953: The Minquiers and Ecrehos Case (France vs UK): UK won
1992 El Salvador and Honduras (with Nicaragua intervening) [Land, Island and Maritime Frontier Dispute]
ERITREA HANISH ISLANDS 1998 Eritrea Yemen [Hanish Islands] Sovereignty issues resolved Maritime boundary delimitation resolved
2001 Bahrain- Qatar Bahrain= Hawar, Qit at Jaradah Qatar= Zubarah, Janan Island, Hadd Janan Source: International Mapping
2002: Sipadan Island (awarded to Malaysia)
2008 Malaysia Singapore Pedra Branca (Singapore), Middle Rocks (Malaysia), South Ledge (?)
2012 Colombia- Nicaragua 1 st Part of the Award, on Sovereignty Court recognized Colombian sovereignty
ICJ Decisions on Impact of Islands on Maritime Boundary Delimitation 2009: Romania v. Ukraine (Black Sea Case Serpent Island) 2012: Colombia v. Nicaragua (San Andreas archipelago and adjacent features) ITLOS Decision on Impact of Islands on Maritime Boundary Delimitation 2012: Bangladesh v. Myanmar (St. Martins Island) Arbitral Tribunal on Impact of Islands on Maritime Boundary Delimitation 1998: Eritrea v. Yemen (Hanish Islands)
2009 Romania- Ukraine Serpent s Island (Ukraine): situated directly offshore from land boundary terminus given 12- mile territorial but discounted in boundary delimitation. Romania Ukraine
2012 Colombia- Nicaragua ICJ Boundary Award
2012 Bangladesh Myanmar ITLOS Decision First maritime boundary case heard by ITLOS Para. 147: The Tribunal notes that neither case law nor State practice indicates that there is a general rule concerning the effect to be given to islands in maritime delimitation. It depends on the particular circumstances of each case.
ITLOS judgment on St Martin s Island Judges found St. Martin s Island NOT to be a special circumstance and it gave it full weight in determining an equidistant line for the territorial sea boundary.
Historic Treaty Convention of 1867 United States purchase of Alaska from Russia
U.S.- U.S.S.R. 1867 Convention Line Claims
U.S. Russia Agreement: Territorial Sea, EEZ, and Continental Shelf Agreement between US & USSR Signed: June 1990 U.S. ratified: Sept 1991 Provisionally applied: June 1990 Longest maritime boundary in the world. the maritime boundary extends north into the Arctic Ocean as far as permitted under international law.
Historic Treaty Convention of 1867 Has also led to 20 th century disputes between the U.S. and Canada
DIXON ENTRANCE: Fishery Issues Alaska (U.S.) A-B LINE EQUIDISTANT LINE Can.
CONCLUSION