(English version) Australia Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973, as amended by the Maritime Legislation Amendment Act 1994

  • Summary

This legal document contains Australia's Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973, as amended by the Maritime Legislation Amendment Act 1994. This amended act provides information mainly related to term definitions, interpretation, and other regulations regarding the sovereignty and/or sovereign rights of Australia as a coastal state in its territorial sea, contiguous zone, EEZ, and continental shelf.

by Tran Nguyen Quan

(English) Australia Proclamation of the inner limits (the baseline), 4 February 1983, pursuant to section 7 of the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973

  • Summary

This legal document contains the English version of Australia's Proclamation of the inner limits (the baseline) of 1983, pursuant to section 7 of the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973, promulgated on 4 February 1983. The documents include the term definition and regulations regarding the definition of the basepoints, territorial sea baseline, and internal water of Australia, including the mainland of Australia, the State of Tasmania, and islands off the coast of the States and the Northern Territory. Both low-water baseline and straight baseline are used as stated in the document.

Specific coordinates constituting the baseline of the three areas are mentioned above are listed in Tables 1, 2, and 3 respectively.

by Tran Nguyen Quan

(English version) Australia Continental Shelf (Living Natural Resources) Act 1968-1973

  • Summary

This legal document contains Australia’s Continental Shelf (Living Natural Resources) Act 1968-1973. This Act includes laws and provisions mostly regarding the term definitions. regulations, and penalties for violations regarding the matters of natural resources in the continental shelf and water columns there-above of Australia and its external territories (Norfolk Island, the Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Island, and Coral Sea Islands Territory).

by Tran Nguyen Quan

(English & French) (Amended version) Treaty between Micronesia and Papua New Guinea concerning Maritime Boundaries and Cooperation on Related Matters, 7 September 2015

  • Summary

This legal document contains the English and French versions of the Amended version of the Treaty between Micronesia and Papua New Guinea concerning Maritime Boundaries and Cooperation on Related Matters, signed on 7 September 2015 (the original one was signed on 29 July 1991.)

The Amended version of 2015 only replaces Annex I of the Treaty of 1991 with its Annex I-A, which includes specific coordinates. constituting the maritime boundary between Micronesia and Papua New Guinea. Besides changes in coordinates constituting the maritime boundary (delimitation of EEZ and seabed/continental shelf between the two states), the agreed regulations regarding the exploitation of, protection of, cooperation on, and management of marine living/non-living resources and  other agreements are remained as stated in the Treaty of 1991 between the two states.

Treaty between Micronesia and Papua New Guinea concerning Maritime Boundaries and Cooperation on Related Matters, 7 September 2015

by Tran Nguyen Quan

(English version) Solomon Islands Legal Notice No. 41 of 1979: Declaration of Archipelagic Baselines

  • Summary

This legal document contains Solomon Islands’ Legal Notice No. 41 of 1979: Declaration of Archipelagic Baselines (The Delimitation of Marine Waters Act (No. 32 of 1978)), promulgated in 1979.

This Legal Notice provides specific coordinates that constitute the straight baseline that determines the outermost limit of Solomon Islands' archipelagic water and the innermost limits of Solomon Islands' territorial sea of the archipelagos of Solomon Islands mentioned in sections 4(2) of Act No.32 of 1978. There are three areas included in this Legal Notice, which are the main group archipelago, the Ontong Java group archipelago. and the Duff Islands archipelago.

by Tran Nguyen Quan

(English version) Solomon Islands Delimitation of Marine Waters Act, 1978 (Act No. 32 of 21 December 1978)

  • Summary

This legal document contains Solomon Islands' Delimitation of Marine Waters Act, 1978 (Act No. 32 of 21 December 1978) promulgated in 1978. This Act includes, inter alia, the definition of, the demarcation of, the legal characteristics of, and regulations regarding the internal water, archipelagic water, territorial sea, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf of Solomon Islands and the rights and responsibility of Solomon Islands as well as other states in the mentioned maritime zones of Solomon Islands.

Notably, regarding the delimitation of the territorial sea, this Act specifies that as the median line between Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea is less than 12 nm from each state's territorial sea baseline, the territorial sea of Solomon Islands in the said area "shall be those declared by the Minister by order published in the Gazette." Moreover, this Act also clarifies that Solomon Islands opts for the use of median line for the delimitation of EEZ with adjacent/opposite states.

Specific coordinates constituting the straight baselines that determine the outermost limit of Solomon Islands' archipelagic water and the innermost limits of Solomon Islands' territorial sea of the archipelagos of Solomon Islands are provided in Solomon Islands' Legal Notice No.41 of 1979. 

by Tran Nguyen Quan

(English & French) Agreement on maritime delimitation between France and Solomon Islands, 12 November 1990

  • Summary

This legal document contains the English and French versions of the Agreement on maritime delimitation between France's territory of Caledonia and the Solomon Islands, signed on 12 November 1990. The description of the maritime boundary and specific coordinates constituting the line are listed in Article 1 of the Agreement.

by Tran Nguyen Quan

(English & French) Treaty Between the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu Concerning Maritime Boundaries, 7 October 2016

  • Summary

This legal document contains the English and French version of the Treaty Between the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu Concerning Maritime Boundaries, signed on 7 October 2016.

Article 1 describes the maritime boundary between the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu and provides the specific coordinates constituting the line.

Notably, the Treaty's Article 5 states that if the basepoints coordinates are shown to be significantly changed by new surveys, both Parties will consult "with the view to agreeing upon any necessary adjustments" to the maritime boundary in this Treaty, and thereby provides provisions for future adjustment of the demarcation line (i.e. due to rising sea level).

by Tran Nguyen Quan

(English) Treaty between Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Concerning Sovereignty, Maritime and Seabed Boundaries between the Two Countries, and Cooperation on Related Matters, 25 January 1989

  • Summary

This legal document contains the English version of the Treaty between Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Concerning Sovereignty, Maritime and Seabed Boundaries between the Two Countries, and Cooperation on Related Matters, signed on 25 January 1989.

The maritime boundary is described in Article 2, and specific coordinates constituting the line are listed in Annex I of the Treaty.

Notably, Article 7 of the Treaty establishes "Special Areas" Within the North Solomons Province of Papua New Guinea and the Western and Malaita Provinces of Solomon Islands to "acknowledge and protect the traditional way of life and livelihood of the traditional inhabitants living in the special areas".

by Tran Nguyen Quan

(English & Tokelauan version) Treaty between the US and New Zealand on the delimitation of the maritime boundary between American Samoa and Tokelau, 2 December 1980

  • Summary

This legal document contains the English and Tokelauan version of the Treaty between the US and New Zealand on the delimitation of the maritime boundary between American Samoa and Tokelau (New Zealand), signed on 2 December 1980.

Specific coordinates constituting the maritime boundary between American Samoa and Tokelau are listed in Article 1 of the Treaty.

Notably, in the commencement section of the Treaty, it is noted that "the United States of America has maintained a claim to sovereignty over the islands of Atafu, Nukunonu, and Fakaofo and that this claim has not been recognized by New Zealand or the people of Tokelau."

In Article 5 of the Treaty, it is stated that "The United States recognizes that sovereignty over the islands of Atafu, Nukunonu, and Fakaofo, together comprising Tokelau is vested in the people of Tokelau and is exercised on their behalf by the Government of New Zealand pending an act of self-determination in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.:

 

by Tran Nguyen Quan