Bangladesh has presented its claim on the continental shelf in the Bay of Bengal at the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni along with members of the delegation led by her on Wednesday (Aug 24) made the presentation on Bangladesh's claim submitted to the United Nations earlier for delineation of its outer continental shelf in the Bay under the provisions of Article 76 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.
The delegation included AK Abdul Momen, Bangladesh ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, Rear Admiral (retd) Md Khurshid Alam, additional foreign secretary (UNCLOS) and experts from home and abroad associated with the submission.
Bangladesh's claim on the continental shelf extends up to 400-460 nautical miles (850 km) southwards from its coastline. Dhaka says it has full rights over the undersea natural resources within this area.
Dhaka submitted its claim to the CLCS on February 25, four months ahead of the deadline for this.
Continental shelf is an undersea extension of a continent which can stretch many miles into the sea. Many nations have asserted mineral and land rights on their continental shelves since these are rich in natural resources.
According to the UN Convention, continental shelf of a coastal state comprises the submerged prolongation of its land territory -- the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea to the outer edge of the continental margin, or to a distance of 200 nautical miles where the outer edge of the continental margin does not extend up to that distance.
The continental margin consists of the seabed and subsoil of the shelf, the slope and the rise. It does not include the deep ocean floor with its oceanic ridges or the subsoil thereof.
According to a foreign ministry press release yesterday, the presentation was aimed at enlightening the CLCS about the critical legal and technical aspects of Bangladesh's rights over the outer continental shelf.
The CLCS, after examination of data submitted by Dhaka will give its recommendations on Bangladesh's rights.
According to officials concerned, it will take around five years to get the UN body's verdict as Bangladesh submitted its claim much delayed compared to Myanmar and India.
Myanmar submitted its claim on continental shelf in the Bay on December 16, 2008, and its serial number for the UN body's recommendation is 16. India submitted its claim on May 11, 2009, and its serial number is 48 while Bangladesh's serial number is 55.
The CLCS will make its recommendations under Article 76 of the UN Convention.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh also lodged two cases concerning maritime boundary claims of Myanmar and India in the Bay with two UN courts. The dispute with Myanmar is likely to be resolved by March next year while it will take 2-3 years to settle the dispute with India.
Source : The Daily Star
