Commission on the Limits of Th Ee Continenta Ll Shelf
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United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ____________________________________________________________ CCoommmmiissssiioonn oonn tthhee LLiimmiittss ooff tthhee CCoonnttiinneennttaall SShheellff SUMMARY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMISSION ON THE LIMITS OF THE CONTINENTAL SHELF IN REGARD TO THE PARTIAL SUBMISSION MADE BY THE REPUBLIC OF FRANCE IN RESPECT OF THE AREAS OF THE FRENCH ANTILLES AND THE KERGUELEN ISLANDS ON 5 FEBRUARY 20091 Recommendations prepared by the Subcommission established for the consideration of the Partial Submission made by the Republic of France Adopted by the Subcommission on 23 March 2012 Adopted by the Commission, with amendments, on 19 April 2012 1 The aim of this Summary is to provide information which is not of confidential or proprietary nature in order to facilitate the function of the Secretary-General in accordance with Rule 11.3 of Annex III to the Rules of Procedure of the Commission(CLCS/40/Rev.1). This Summary is based on excerpts of the Recommendations and may refer to material not necessarily included either in the full Recommendations or this Summary. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS............................................................................................ IV I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 1 II. CONTENTS OF THE PARTIAL SUBMISSION .............................................................................. 2 A. Original Submission .................................................................................................................. 2 B. Communications and additional material................................................................................... 2 III. GENERAL PRINCIPLES ON WHICH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BASED ..................... 2 IV. RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................................. 2 A. The French Antilles ................................................................................................................... 2 1. Geographical region description............................................................................................. 2 2. Submerged prolongation of the land mass and entitlement to the continental shelf beyond 200 M..................................................................................................................................... 3 3. The determination of the foot of the continental slope ............................................................ 4 3.1 Considerations................................................................................................................ 4 3.2 Recommendations.......................................................................................................... 4 4. The establishment of the outer edge of the continental margin............................................... 4 4.1 The application of the 60 M distance formula.................................................................. 4 4.2 The application of the sediment thickness and 60 M formulae ........................................ 5 4.3 Configuration of the Outer Edge of the Continental Margin ............................................. 5 4.4 Recommendations.......................................................................................................... 6 5. The delineation of the outer limits of the continental shelf ...................................................... 6 5.1 The application of constraint criteria ............................................................................... 6 5.1.1 The application of the distance constraint line ......................................................... 6 5.2 The outer limits of the continental shelf........................................................................... 6 5.3 Recommendations.......................................................................................................... 7 B. The Kerguelen islands Region .................................................................................................. 7 1. Geographical region description............................................................................................. 7 2. Submerged prolongation of the land mass and entitlement to the continental shelf beyond 200 M 8 3. The determination of the foot of the continental slope ............................................................ 8 3.1 Considerations................................................................................................................ 8 3.2 Recommendations........................................................................................................ 10 4. The establishment of the outer edge of the continental margin..............................................11 4.1 The application of the 60 M distance formula.................................................................11 4.2 Configuration of the Outer Edge of the Continental Margin ............................................11 4.3 Recommendations.........................................................................................................11 5. The delineation of the outer limits of the continental shelf .....................................................11 5.1 The application of constraint criteria ..............................................................................11 5.1.1 The construction of the distance constraint line ..................................................... 12 5.1.2 The construction of the depth constraint line ......................................................... 12 5.1.3 Consideration and classification of submarine highs.............................................. 12 5.1.4 The application of the combination of the distance and the depth constraints........ 14 5.2 The outer limits of the continental shelf......................................................................... 14 5.3 Recommendations........................................................................................................ 14 Page ii ANNEX I TABLES OF COORDINATES, FOR THE FOOT OF CONTINENTAL SLOPE POINTS, THE OUTER EDGE OF THE CONTINENTAL MARGIN POINTS AND THE OUTER LIMITS OF THE CONTINENTAL SHELF BEYOND 200 M .................................................................................... 16 ANNEX II FIGURES ........................................................................................................................... 17 Page iii LIST OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS Acronyms DOALOS Division for Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs FOS Foot of the continental slope Abbreviated Terms M Nautical mile 200 M Limit The line at 200 M from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured FOS Foot of the continental slope FOS Points Foot of the continental slope points Critical FOS Points Foot of the continental slope points that generate fixed formula points delineating the line that establishes the outer limits of the continental shelf Relevant FOS point Foot of the continental slope points that generate fixed formula points delineating the outer edge of the continental margin that are necessary for establishing the outer limits of the continental shelf 60 M Formula Points Points determined from the application of article 76, paragraph 4(a)(ii), of the Convention (also informally referred to as Hedberg points) Sediment Thickness Points determined from the application of article 76, paragraph 4(a)(i), of the Formula Points Convention (also informally referred to as Gardiner points) Depth Constraint The constraint line constructed at 100 M from the 2500 metre isobaths in accordance with article 76, paragraphs 5 and 6, of the Convention Distance Constraint The constraint line constructed at 350 M from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured in accordance with article 76, paragraphs 5 and 6, of the Convention The Guidelines The Scientific and Technical Guidelines of the Commission (CLCS/11 and CLCS/11/Add.1) The Commission The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf The Convention The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 The Rules of Procedure The Rules of Procedure of the Commission (CLCS/40/Rev.1) The Secretary-General The Secretary-General of the United Nations Use of Terms Determine the foot of the continental slope Delineate the outer edge of the continental margin (in terms of construction of the outer edge of the continental margin by establishing and connecting fixed points) Delineate the outer limits of the continental shelf (in terms of construction of the outer limits of the continental shelf by establishing and connecting fixed points) Establish the outer edge of the continental margin (in terms of following procedure in the convention for submitting the outer edge of the continental margin as basis for the outer limits of the continental shelf) Establish the outer limits of the continental shelf (in terms of following procedure in the convention including the submission of the outer limits of the continental shelf) Page iv I. INTRODUCTION 1 On 5 February 2009, France submitted to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, through the Secretary-General of the United Nations, information on the limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial