No. 125 Jamaica's Maritime Claims and Boundaries

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

No. 125 Jamaica's Maritime Claims and Boundaries 1 This paper is one in a series issued by the Office of Oceans Affairs, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs in the Department of State. The aim of the series is to set forth the basis of national arrangements for the measurement of marine areas by coastal States. It is intended for background use only. This paper does not necessarily represent an official acceptance by the United States Government of the limits claimed. Principal analyst for this study: Robert W. Smith. Requests for additional copies should be addressed to the Office of Oceans Affairs, Room 5805, United States Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20520. LIMITS IN THE SEAS No. 125 JAMAICA’S MARITIME CLAIMS AND BOUNDARIES February 5, 2004 Office of Oceans Affairs Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs U.S. Department of State 2 Introduction This study analyzes the maritime claims and boundaries of Jamaica, an island state situated in the central Caribbean Sea, including its claim as an archipelagic State and related claims to archipelagic straight baselines, territorial sea, contiguous zone, and exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Jamaica’s maritime boundaries with Colombia and Cuba will be discussed. The bases for analyzing these claims is the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS Convention) which Jamaica ratified on March 21, 1983.1 Archipelagic straight baselines and the LOS Convention Article 46 (b) of the LOS Convention states that “archipelago” means a group of islands, including parts of islands, inter-connecting waters and other natural features which are so closely inter-related that such islands, waters and other natural features form an intrinsic geographical, economic, and political entity, or which historically have been regarded as such. Prior to the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III), several States expressed concerns that baselines may be drawn by archipelagic States in such a manner as to incorporate an excessive amount of water. In 1958, for example, the United Kingdom delegation to the first United Nations Law of the Sea Conference responded to a proposal to include archipelago articles by stating, “the application of the principle…to widely scattered groups would enclose huge areas of water wholly out of proportion with the land area. Nor would the position be greatly simplified by the new limit to the length of straight baselines…, for wholly artificial baselines might be drawn between mere reefs and atolls.”2 And, during the UNCLOS III debate leading to the LOS Convention, one country, with a concern similar to the United Kingdom’s, proposed the following for the archipelagic baseline article, 1 The LOS Convention entered into force for those States Parties on November 16, 1994. 2 First Committee, 52nd meeting (1958), para. 38, [First] UN Conference on the Law of the Sea, III Off.Rec. 162, found in UVA Commentary, 400. 3 “…an archipelagic State may employ the method of straight baselines joining the outermost points of the outermost islands of the archipelago, provided that these lines follow the general configuration of the main island or islands and are not drawn to or from isolated islets or reefs. 3 The concern reflected by the above quotes is that by allowing archipelagic baselines to connect isolated reefs, islets, or rocks, a State would enclose waters not forming “an intrinsic geographical, economic and political entity, or which historically have been regarded as such” with the main island(s) of the archipelago. Although the phrase highlighted in the above Cuban proposal was not accepted for the final articles, the drafters placed an area of water to area of land and a baseline length criteria into Article 47 (1) and (2) as an attempt to prevent excessive claims from being made. Article 47 (1) and (2) state, “1. An archipelagic State may draw archipelagic straight baselines joining the outermost points of the outermost islands and drying reefs of the archipelago provided that within such baselines are included the main islands and an area in which the ratio of the area of the water to the area of the land, including atolls, is between 1 to 1 and 9 to 1. “2. The length of such baselines shall not exceed 100 nautical miles, except that up to 3 per cent of the total number of baselines enclosing any archipelago may exceed that length, up to a maximum length of 125 nautical miles.” Jamaica’s Archipelagic Claim Archipelagic straight baselines: Jamaica’s archipelagic straight baselines have been plotted on, and on which this analysis is based, U.S. NGA chart 26120.4 The archipelagic baseline system is depicted on the attached page-sized map for illustration purposes only. Jamaica is comprised of one main island and about a half dozen small rocks, islets and cays generally situated about 60 miles south of the main island.5 Archipelagic straight baselines connect the main island to a rock, Southwest Rock and to a series of small cays, Morant Cays. Morant Cays and Southwest Rock 3 Amendment to document A/CONF.62/C.2/L.70, submitted by Cuba, document A/Conf.62/C.2/L.73, Official Records 237, found in United Nations Archipelagic States: Legislative History of Part IV of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1990, 38.Emphasis added. 4 55th edition, July 26, 1980, 1:300,000. NGA, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency is the former National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) and the former Defense Mapping Agency (DMA). 5 All miles in this study, unless otherwise specified, are nautical miles. One nautical mile equals 1, 852 meters. 4 are, in turn, connected by straight lines to Blower Rock. While Jamaica may not be the model archipelagic State the negotiators had in mind when they developed the archipelagic legal regime during UNCLOS III, it nevertheless meets the criteria set forth in Part IV of the Convention.6 The archipelagic straight baseline lengths range from 0.04 miles (segment 7-8) to 89.56 miles (segment 26-27—see table). Nineteen of the 28 baseline segments are less than 8 miles in length. The longest segments are those that Length of Jamaica’s Archipelagic Straight Baseline Segments (nautical miles) 1-2 = 0.30 10-11 = 1.14 19-20 = 0.22 2-3 = 5.38 11-12 = 0.72 20-21 = 16.66 3-4 = 0.68 12-13 = 0.65 21-22 = 32.71 4-5 = 0.19 13-14 = 0.75 22-23 = 0.39 5-6 = 7.09 14-15 = 0.35 23-24 = 0.70 6-7 = 1.67 15-16 = 28.83 24-25 = 0.64 7-8 = 0.04 16-17 = 23.96 25-26 = 1.12 8-9 = 18.78 17-18 = 34.00 26-27 = 89.56 9-10 = 0.64 18-19 1.46 27-28 = 41.54 28- 1 = 88.64 connect the main island to the small Morant Cays, Blower Rock, and Southwest Rock (see map at the end of the study). All baseline segments are within the LOS Convention permissible range. Jamaica would not qualify as an archipelagic State if they did not include the small southern rocks and cays in its archipelagic straight baseline system; in other words, the large main island of Jamaica by itself would not meet the archipelagic criteria. Jamaica has a land area of approximately 10,990 square kilometers and the area of archipelagic waters is approximately 22,200 square kilometers.7 Thus, the land: water ratio created by the claimed archipelagic straight baselines is 1: 2.00, which is within the acceptable 1: 1 and 1: 9 land: water ratio cited in the LOS Convention. 6 For the history of the negotiation of Part IV of the LOS Convention see, UN Office for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Archipelagic States: Legislative History of Part IV of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UN Sales No. E.90, v.2 (1990)); Center for Oceans Law and Policy, University of Virginia, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, A Commentary, Vol. II, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1993 (UVA Commentary). 7 Land area of Jamaica taken from Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook 2001. 5 An interesting issue that arises when one analyzes the Jamaican archipelagic straight baseline system is the role that rocks play in determining whether Jamaica is an archipelagic State. In the south, several of the basepoints are situated on very small features, features that could possibly qualify as Article 121 (3) “rocks”. Article 121 (3) states that; “Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.” While no definition has been given as to what is meant by the ability to “sustain human habitation or economic life of their own”, it is quite possible the negotiators of the LOS Convention intended for this article to apply to features such as those found in the southern waters of Jamaica. However, whereas States do not enjoy the right to claim an exclusive economic zone or continental shelf from an Article 121 (3) rock, there is no provision in the LOS Convention limiting such claims if these same features form a part of the archipelagic baseline system. Due publicity: In accordance with Article 47 (9) of the LOS Convention, the archipelagic State shall give due publicity to the charts or lists of geographical co- ordinates and shall deposit such charts or lists with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. In 1996 Jamaica fulfilled this requirement when it deposited with the United Nations its The Exclusive Economic Zone Act (Baselines) regulations, 12 October 1992, which the United Nations has published in its Law of Sea Bulletin No.
Recommended publications
  • Maritime Indonesia and the Archipelagic Outlook Some Reflections from a Multidisciplinary Perspective on Old Port Cities in Java
    Multamia R.M.T. WacanaLauder Vol. and 17 Allan No. 1 (2016): F. Lauder 97–120, Maritime Indonesia 97 Maritime Indonesia and the Archipelagic Outlook Some reflections from a multidisciplinary perspective on old port cities in Java Multamia R.M.T. Lauder and Allan F. Lauder Abstract The present paper reflects on Indonesia’s status as an archipelagic state and a maritime nation from a historical perspective. It explores the background of a multi-year research project into Indonesia’s maritime past currently being undertaken at the Humanities Faculty of Universitas Indonesia. The multidisciplinary research uses toponymy, epigraphy, philology, and linguistic lines of analysis in examining old inscriptions and manuscripts and also includes site visits to a number of old port cities across the archipelago. We present here some of the core concepts behind the research such as the importance of the ancient port cities in a network of maritime trade and diplomacy, and link them to some contemporary issues such as the Archipelagic Outlook. This is based on a concept of territorial integrity that reflects Indonesia’s national identity and aspirations. It is hoped that the paper can extend the discussion about efforts to make maritime affairs a strategic geopolitical goal along with restoring Indonesia’s identity as a maritime nation. Allan F. Lauder is a guest lecturer in the Post Graduate Linguistics Department program at the Humanities Faculty of the Universitas Indonesia. Allan obtained his MA in the English Language at the Department of English Language and Literature, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore, 1988 – 1990 and his Doctorate Degree in Applied Linguistics, English Language at Atma Jaya University.
    [Show full text]
  • Population Ageing in the Caribbean: a Four Country Study
    ECLAC SUBREGIONAL HEADQUARTERS FOR THE CARIBBEAN S E R I 6 studies and perspectives Population ageing in the Caribbean: a four country study Karoline Schmid Samuel Vézina Statistics and Social Development Unit Port of Spain, November 2007 This document was prepared by Karoline Schmid, Social Affairs Officer, Statistics and Social Development Unit, Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). The views expressed in this document, which has been reproduced without formal editing, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Organization. United Nations Publications ISSN printed version: 1727-9917 ISSN online version: 1728-5445 ISBN: 978-92-1-121660-8 LC/L.2823-P LC/CAR/L.128 Sales No.: E.07.II.G.148 Copyright © United Nations, November 2007. All rights reserved Printed in United Nations Applications for the right to reproduce this work are welcomed and should be sent to the Secretary of the Publications Board, United Nations Headquarters, New York, N.Y. 10017, U.S.A. Member States and their governmental institutions may reproduce this work without prior authorization, but are requested to mention the source and inform the United Nations of such reproduction. ECLAC – Studies and Perspectives series – The Caribbean – No. 6 Population ageing in the Caribbean: a four country study Contents Abstract.................................................................................................7 Introduction ..........................................................................................9
    [Show full text]
  • FSI Insights
    FSI insights VOL. 1, NO. 7 DECEMBER 2014 The Regime of ARCHIPELAGIC STATES IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE* by Prof. Dr. Hasjim Djalal, MA For more than 100 years Indonesia has been preoccupied with the problems of national unity and making use of its enormous natural resources, either on land or at sea, for the benefit of economic development for its population. For a number of centuries its natural resources had been used mainly for the benefit of invaders. In order to do this, foreign occupiers, in most cases, had been antagonizing one component of Indonesia with another following the maxim of “divide et impera”, meaning “divide and rule”. Indonesian social fabrics themselves provided opportunities to this foreign strategic policy in the sense that Indonesia consists of thousands of islands having hundreds of ethnic groups separated by wide bodies of water, different religions, and different conditions of economic development, with demographic as well as geographic differences. Therefore, from the very beginning of its efforts to free itself from foreign occupation, domination and yoke, the achievement and actualization of the principle of national unity through diversity, or Bhinneka Tunggal Ika has been one of its fundamental struggles within the last hundred years or so. The struggle gained its momentum during the birth of “National Awareness” in 1908, reaching its bloom around 1917 with the birth of “Political Consciousness” through the establishment of numerous political parties, either with religious color, nationalist or even socialist orientation. The political awareness came to fruition with the Youth Oath in 1928 when the Youth Congress in Jakarta, attended by youth organizations from all over Indonesia, pledged their loyalty to One Nation, namely the Indonesian Nation, one Country, namely Indonesia, and one Language, namely Bahasa Indonesia.
    [Show full text]
  • The Archipelagic States Concept and Regional Stability in Southeast Asia Charlotte Ku [email protected]
    Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law Volume 23 | Issue 3 1991 The Archipelagic States Concept and Regional Stability in Southeast Asia Charlotte Ku [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/jil Part of the International Law Commons Recommended Citation Charlotte Ku, The Archipelagic States Concept and Regional Stability in Southeast Asia, 23 Case W. Res. J. Int'l L. 463 (1991) Available at: https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/jil/vol23/iss3/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Journals at Case Western Reserve University School of Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law by an authorized administrator of Case Western Reserve University School of Law Scholarly Commons. The Archipelagic States Concept and Regional Stability in Southeast Asia Charlotte Ku* I. THE PROBLEM OF ARCHIPELAGIC STATES For the Philippines and Indonesia, adoption by the Third Law of the Sea Conference in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention (1982 LOS Convention) of Articles 46-54 on "Archipelagic States," marked the cap- stone of the two countries' efforts to win international recognition for the archipelagic principle.' For both, acceptance by the international com- munity of this principle was an important step in their political develop- ment from a colony to a sovereign state. Their success symbolized independence from colonial status and their role in the shaping of the international community in which they live. It was made possible by their efforts, in the years before 1982, to negotiate a regional consensus on the need for the archipelagic principle, a consensus that eventually united the states of Southeast Asia at the Third Law of the Sea Conference (UNCLOS III).
    [Show full text]
  • Maritime Security Issues in an Arc of Instability and Opportunity Walter S
    University of Wollongong Research Online Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts 2013 Maritime Security Issues in an Arc of Instability and Opportunity Walter S. Bateman University of Wollongong, [email protected] Quentin A. Hanich University of Wollongong, [email protected] Publication Details Bateman, S. & Hanich, Q. (2013). Maritime Security Issues in an Arc of Instability and Opportunity. Security Challenges, 9 (4), 87-105. Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] Maritime Security Issues in an Arc of Instability and Opportunity Abstract The aP cific Arc of islands and archipelagos to the north and east of Australia has been characterised both as an ‗arc of instability' and as an ‗arc of opportunity'. It is the region from or through which a threat to Australia could most easily be posed, as well as an area providing opportunities for Australia to work on common interests with the ultimate objective of a more secure and stable region. Maritime issues are prominent among these common interests. This article identifies these issues and their relevance to Australia's maritime strategy. It suggests measures Australia might take to exploit the opportunities these interests provide. Keywords arc, issues, instability, maritime, opportunity, security Disciplines Arts and Humanities | Law Publication Details Bateman, S. & Hanich, Q. (2013). Maritime Security Issues in an Arc of Instability and Opportunity. Security Challenges, 9 (4), 87-105. This journal article is available at Research Online: http://ro.uow.edu.au/lhapapers/3256 Maritime Security Issues in an Arc of Instability and Opportunity Sam Bateman and Quentin Hanich The Pacific Arc of islands and archipelagos to the north and east of Australia has been characterised both as an ‗arc of instability‘ and as an ‗arc of opportunity‘.
    [Show full text]
  • Archipelagos and Archipelagic States Under UNCLOS III: No Special Treatment for Hawaii Nancy Barron
    Hastings International and Comparative Law Review Volume 4 Article 3 Number 3 Spring 1981 1-1-1981 Archipelagos and Archipelagic States under UNCLOS III: No Special Treatment for Hawaii Nancy Barron Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.uchastings.edu/ hastings_international_comparative_law_review Part of the Comparative and Foreign Law Commons, and the International Law Commons Recommended Citation Nancy Barron, Archipelagos and Archipelagic States under UNCLOS III: No Special Treatment for Hawaii, 4 Hastings Int'l & Comp. L. Rev. 509 (1981). Available at: https://repository.uchastings.edu/hastings_international_comparative_law_review/vol4/iss3/3 This Note is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at UC Hastings Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Hastings International and Comparative Law Review by an authorized editor of UC Hastings Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Archipelagos and Archipelagic States under UNCLOS III: No Special Treatment for Hawaii By NANCY BARRON Member of the Class of 1981. I. INTRODUCTION More than a decade of negotiations among 158 nations has produced a treaty concerning the law of the sea of unprecedented scope and complexity.1 Responding to the mandate of United Na- tions Resolution 3067 "to adopt a convention dealing with all mat- ters relating to the law of the sea . bearing in mind that the problems of ocean space are closely interrelated and need to be considered as a whole," 2 delegates decided to negotiate by consen- sus.' Inherent in this process is the danger of resulting unclarity, as where consensus on a particular issue represents a tenuous major- ity, or where consensus on the language reflects differing construc- tions of material terms.
    [Show full text]
  • The Indonesian Archipelagic State Doctrine and Law of the Sea: "Territorial Grab" Or Justifiable Necessity?
    JACK A. DRAPER* The Indonesian Archipelagic State Doctrine and Law of the Sea: "Territorial Grab" or Justifiable Necessity? Introduction During the Third U.N. Conference on the Law of the Sea meetings in Caracas and Geneva over the past two years, the Indonesian delegation has been pro- ceeding diligently and diplomatically to gain acceptance for an important exception to the heretofore generally recognized maximum limits of national jurisdiction of coastal states. This exception, which has been called the archi- pelagic state doctrine, has caused considerable concern among the major maritime powers as well as Indonesia's immediate neighbors in Southeast Asia, due to its possible impact on international navigation, territorial claims and rights to exploit the living and non-living resources of the sea. Simply stated, the archipelagic state doctrine holds that all waters contained within the baselines drawn around the outer islands of a state which is entirely formed by one or more archipelagoes are the internal waters of that state and subject to its sovereignty. If one considers that Indonesia stretches for approximately 3,200 miles across one of the most strategic and resource-rich stretches of ocean in the world, the possible inclusion of the archipelagic state doctrine in the final result of the U.N. Law of the Sea Conference assumes major importance. Although several other states, notably the Philippines and Fiji, have an interest in the acceptance of the doctrine, Indonesia stands to gain by far the largest benefits from its inclusion in any new convention on the law of the sea.I Thus, Indonesia has been the main proponent and supporter of the archipelagic state doctrine, and it is the Indonesian position to which we should turn for an analysis of the legal and geopolitical import of the doctrine.
    [Show full text]
  • The Emerging Regime of Islands As Archipelagic States
    University of Rhode Island DigitalCommons@URI Theses and Major Papers Marine Affairs 5-1984 The meE rging Regime of Islands as Archipelagic States Frank Gable University of Rhode Island Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/ma_etds Part of the Law of the Sea Commons, and the Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons Recommended Citation Gable, Frank, "The meE rging Regime of Islands as Archipelagic States" (1984). Theses and Major Papers. Paper 83. This Major Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Marine Affairs at DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Major Papers by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE EMERGING REGIME OF ISLANDS AS ARCHIPELAGIC STATES A Major Paper Submitted to the Graduate Faculty Of the University of Rhode Island In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements For the Degree of Master of Marine Affairs in The Department of Geography and Marine Affairs by Frank Gable University of Rhode Island May 1984 Master of Marine Affairs Major Paper: The Emerging Regime of Islands as Archipelagic States by Frank Gable Approved: Faculty Major Professor ·-=L,....e-w---.-i-s-A-.l,....e-x-a-n""""d,....e-r------ University of Rhode Island Kingston 1984 ILLUSTRATIONS Andaman & Nicobar Islands Azores Bahama Islands Bermuda Islands Canary Islands Cape Verde Fiji French West Indies Galapagos Islands New Caledonia Papua New Guinea saint Vincent and the Grenadines Seychelles Solomon Islands Tahiti and Moorea Tonga Islands Western Samoa Maps Provided for Illustrative Purposes Only and Are Not to be Used for Baseline Determinations Introduction The emerging regime of islands as archipelagic states is a study of both geography and International Law.
    [Show full text]
  • LIS-137 Vanuatu: Archipelagic and Other Maritime Claims And
    United States Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Limits in the Seas No. 137 Vanuatu: Archipelagic and other Maritime Claims and Boundaries LIMITS IN THE SEAS No. 137 VANUATU ARCHIPELAGIC AND OTHER MARITIME CLAIMS AND BOUNDARIES March 28, 2014 Office of Ocean and Polar Affairs Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs U.S. Department of State This study is one of a series issued by the Office of Ocean and Polar Affairs, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs in the Department of State. The purpose of the series is to examine a coastal State’s maritime claims and/or boundaries and assess their consistency with international law. This study represents the views of the United States Government only on the specific matters discussed therein and does not necessarily reflect an acceptance of the limits claimed. This study, and earlier studies in this series, may be downloaded from http://www.state.gov/e/oes/ocns/opa/c16065.htm. Comments and questions should be emailed to [email protected]. Principal analysts for this study are Brian Melchior and Kevin Baumert. 1 Introduction This study analyzes the maritime claims and maritime boundaries of the Republic of Vanuatu, including its archipelagic baseline claim. Vanuatu’s Maritime Zones Act [CAP 138], Amendments of the Schedule, Order No. 81 of 2009, took effect July 29, 2009 (Annex 1 to this study), and established the coordinates of the archipelagic baselines of Vanuatu and normal baselines around Matthew Island, Hunter Island, and other features.1 The archipelagic baselines are shown on Map 1 to this study.
    [Show full text]
  • Ocean Boundaries in the South Pacific*
    OCEAN BOUNDARIES IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC* by Sherry Broder" and Jon Van Dyke,*·· with the assistance of Faye Kimurat and Naomi Hirayasutt CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION..................................... 3 A. National Jurisdiction Over Ocean Space . 3 B. What Is at Stake? . 7 II. TONGA.............................................. 9 A. The Friendly Isles . 9 B. Tonga's Historic Title Claim. 12 1. Background .......................... _. 12 2. The Juridical Regime of Historic Waters . 15 a. Exercise of Authority Over the Area Claimed 17 b. Continuity of the Exercise of Authority . 18 c. Attitude of Foreign Nations. 19 d. Other Considerations . 19 • C Copyright 1982, Sherry Broder and Jon Van Dyke. This paper is a result of research (Projects PP/R-4 and PP/R-5) sponsored in part by the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program under Institutionalized Grants No. NA79AA-DOOO85 and NA81AA-DOOO70 from NOAA, Office of Sea Grant, Department of Commerce. Sea Grant journal contribution UNIHI-SEA GRANT-JC-82-09. Assistance for this work has also been received from the Marine Affairs Coordinator, Department of Planning and Economic Development, State of Hawaii; the Environment and Policy Institute, East-West Center; and the University of Hawaii School of Law. The maps were adapted for this article by Miratul Mahiuddin, Ph.D. candidate, Geography Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa. .. Attorney, Honolulu, Hawaii. B.A. Wellesley College, 1970; J.D., University of Califor­ nia, Berkeley, 1975. Member of the Hawaii and California Bars . ••• Associate Dean and Professor of Law, University of Hawaii at Manoa; Adjunct Re­ search Associate, Environment and Policy Institute, East-West Center, Honolulu.
    [Show full text]
  • Tropical Knowledge: Archipelago Consciousness and the Governance of Excess
    etropic 12.2 (2013): Tropics of the Imagination 2013 Proceedings | 79 Tropical Knowledge: Archipelago Consciousness and the Governance of Excess Paul Carter RMIT University The focus of this address is on the potential of tropical geographies to inform and transform western epistemologies. The Humboldt brothers establish an identification of the tropics with (simultaneously) the origin of evolutionary development and its finest, most diversified realisation. In contrast, an imperial overlay of continentally imagined national territories has, particularly in the Indonesian, Malaysian and Philippine archipelago, imposed a counter-narrative of truncated regional development and exacerbated social disenfranchisement. This paper looks at the scope to reconfigure ocean connections between formerly connected tropical communities. It suggests that such a project does not drive towards a unitary outcome (a new raft of international legislation, for example) but towards a radically different model of coexistence. In this the performance of sociability is indistinguishable from the protocols governing travel. The emergence of ‘archipelago consciousness’ has, it is proposed, direct implications for the formation of creative communities able to cooperate because of their commitment to managing complexity in concrete situations. The communication thus evolved is, like the navigation of the archipelago, dialogical, poetically mediated and fluid. or some time rumours of ‘the oldest pyramid on the planet’ have been coming out of F Java. Supported by Indonesia’s
    [Show full text]
  • The Archipelagic Status Reconsidered in Light of the South China Sea and Düzgit Integrity Awards1
    Indonesian Journal of International Law (2018), Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 306 - 340 http://dx.doi.org/10.17304/ijil.vol15.3.729 THE ARCHIPELAGIC STATUS RECONSIDERED IN LIGHT OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND DÜZGIT INTEGRITY AWARDS1 Alina Miron* * University of Angers, France Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract The archipelagic regime, one of the novel aspects of UNCLOS, is a quartum genris, combining characteristics of internal waters, territorial sea and straits used for international navigation. The present article assesses the relevant UNCLOS provisions, by themselves, and in light of the South China Sea and Düzgit Integrity awards. The former clarifies the conditions under which a State may draw archipelagic baselines, the second postulates that, beyond various obligations expressly provided for in the Convention, the archipelagic State must exercise its sovereignty respecting the principle of reasonabless and proportionality. It remains to be seen if these decisions correctly assess the state of the law and if their progressive development dimension will ripen into consensual interpretation of Part IV UNCLOS. Keywords: Archipelagic state, South China Sea, Düzgit Integrity Award, UNCLOS Submitted : 18 October 2017 | Revised : 20 December 2018 | Accepted : 10 March 2018 I. INTRODUCTION The archipelagic claim and the freedom of the high seas have always entertained a conflictual relationship: the archipelagic status meaning full and unimpaired sovereignty over the large sea areas connecting the islands, it reduces the areas where the principle of mare liberum is applicable. The stakes are high particularly in the waters off South East Asia, where Indonesia’s and the Philippines’ claims include areas of high density of commercial navigation.
    [Show full text]