Nassau, Bahamas
- The Bahamas and the Republic of Cuba has completed
a “successful round” of preliminary negotiations aimed at delimit the maritime
boundaries between both countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced
July 8.
On June
10, 2009, a
delegation of technical experts from various ministries, accompanied by a
consultant on maritime delimitations met in Havana, Cuba.
They exchanged
views and scientific and legal information that will form the framework for the
determination of an equitable boundary between the parties in accordance with
the relevant principles of international law, stated the Ministry.
Although the
primary purpose of the negotiations to delimit a boundary, other areas of
mutual interest were identified for discussions, many of which are mandated by
the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in the
context of maritime delimitations, the Ministry said.
These include matters such as cooperation in search and rescue, the combating
of illegal trafficking in drugs and migrants, technical cooperation in areas
such as hydrography and maritime scientific research, and in the management of
trans-boundary resources - fisheries, oil and gas deposits.
The recent meeting
was the latest in a series of discussions on delimitation between The Bahamas
and Cuba that began in the 1990s. A further round is scheduled
to take place within months, the Ministry said.
“Both parties
emphasised the long-standing links of friendship, respect and cooperation that
exists between them, and it is within that framework that the parties hope to
eventually conclude an agreement that would be mutually beneficial and
acceptable,” the Ministry said.
The issue of
maritime delimitation has taken on new importance for The Bahamas following the
proclamation of straight archipelagic baselines in December 2008, the Ministry
said.
These have been
deposited with the United Nations, as required by UNCLOS, and enacted into
domestic law by the Archipelagic Waters and Maritime Jurisdiction (Archipelagic
Baselines) Order.
“This means that
the baseline from which the different maritime zones of The Bahamas are now to
be measured is a line encircling all the islands and cays of the Bahamian
archipelago, as opposed to the low-water mark around the individual islands,”
said the Ministry.
“Naturally, where
those maritime zones overlap with those of neighbouring states, UNCLOS requires
the parties to agree their boundaries by negotiations or otherwise according to
international law.”
Other neighbouring
states with which The Bahamas will eventually pursue boundary negotiations
include the United States, the United Kingdom (on behalf of the Turks & Caicos
Islands) and Haiti.