|
|
ANNEX II. COMMISSION ON THE LIMITS
OF THE CONTINENTAL SHELF
In accordance with the provisions of article 76, a Commission on the Limits
of the Continental Shelf beyond 200 nautical miles shall be established in
conformity with the following articles.
1. The Commission shall consist of 21 members who shall be experts in the
field of geology, geophysics or hydrography, elected by States Parties to
this Convention from among their nationals, having due regard to the need
to ensure equitable geographical representation, who shall serve in their
personal capacities.
2. The initial election shall be held as soon as possible but in any case
within 18 months after the date of entry into force of this Convention. At
least three months before the date of each election, the Secretary-General
of the United Nations shall address a letter to the States Parties,
inviting the submission of nominations, after appropriate regional
consultations, within three months. The Secretary-General shall prepare a
list in alphabetical order of all persons thus nominated and shall submit
it to all the States Parties.
3. Elections of the members of the Commission shall be held at a meeting of
States Parties convened by the Secretary-General at United Nations
Headquarters. At that meeting, for which two thirds of the States Parties
shall constitute a quorum, the persons elected to the Commission shall be
those nominees who obtain a two-thirds majority of the votes of the
representatives of States Parties present and voting. Not less than three
members shall be elected from each geographical region.
4. The members of the Commission shall be elected for a term of five years.
They shall be eligible for re-election.
5. 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. The coastal State concerned shall defray the expenses
incurred in respect of the advice referred to in article 3, paragraph 1
(b), of this Annex. The secretariat of the Commission shall be provided by
the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
1. The functions of the Commission shall be:
- to consider the data and other material submitted by coastal States
concerning the outer limits of the continental shelf in areas where
those limits extend beyond 200 nautical miles, and to make
recommendations in accordance with article 76 and the Statement of
Understanding adopted on 29 August 1980 by the Third United Nations
Conference on the Law of the Sea;
- to provide scientific and technical advice, if requested by the
coastal State concerned during the preparation of the data referred
to in subparagraph (a).
2. The Commission may co-operate, to the extent considered necessary and
useful, with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, the
International Hydrographic Organization and other competent international
organizations with a view to exchanging scientific and technical
information which might be of assistance in discharging the Commission's
responsibilities.
Where a coastal State intends to establish, in accordance with article 76,
the outer limits of its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles, it
shall submit particulars of such limits to the Commission along with
supporting scientific and technical data as soon as possible but in any
case within 10 years of the entry into force of this Convention for that
State. The coastal State shall at the same time give the names of any
Commission members who have provided it with scientific and technical
advice.
Unless the Commission decides otherwise, the Commission shall function by
way of sub-commissions composed of seven members, appointed in a balanced
manner taking into account the specific elements of each submission by a
coastal State. Nationals of the coastal State making the submission who are
members of the Commission and any Commission member who has assisted a
coastal State by providing scientific and technical advice with respect to
the delineation shall not be a member of the sub-commission dealing with
that submission but has the right to participate as a member in the
proceedings of the Commission concerning the said submission. The coastal
State which has made a submission to the Commission may send its
representatives to participate in the relevant proceedings without the
right to vote.
1. The sub-commission shall submit its recommendations to the Commission .
2. Approval by the Commission of the recommendations of the subcommission
shall be by a majority of two thirds of Commission members present and
voting.
3. The recommendations of the Commission shall be submitted in writing to
the coastal State which made the submission and to the Secretary-General of
the United Nations.
Coastal States shall establish the outer limits of the continental shelf in
conformity with the provisions of article 76, paragraph 8, and in
accordance with the appropriate national procedures.
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.
The actions of the Commission shall not prejudice matters relating to
delimitation of boundaries between States with opposite or adjacent coasts.
Previous
Convention on the Law of the Sea: Index
Parts:
I -
II -
III -
IV -
V -
VI -
VII -
VIII-IX -
X -
XI -
XII -
XIII -
XIV -
XV -
XVI -
XVII
Annexes:
I -
II -
III -
IV -
V -
VI -
VII -
VIII -
IX
|