Somalia is the
first African country to
submit such information.
The submission was
prepared with the
assistance of the
Government of Norway in
consultation with the
Special Representative
of the Secretary-General
(SRSG) for Somalia,
acting on behalf of the
Transitional Federal
Government of the Somali
Republic.
“Somalia has submitted
preliminary information
indicative of the outer
limits of its
continental shelf to the
UN within the deadline
required under the UN
Convention on the Law of
the Sea. This is a
historic step, both in
terms of Somalia’s
national development and
with regard to the
international legal
order,” said Foreign
Minister Jonas Gahr
Støre.
“This clarification
of responsibility and
authority in maritime
areas in accordance with
international law is
decisive for potential
future resource
management and thus for
the welfare of future
generations. The Somali
submission therefore
also sends an important
signal to other States
that developing
countries where there is
protracted armed
conflict can comply with
the requirements of
international law,” said
Minister of the
Environment and
International
Development Erik
Solheim.
Somalia was given
until May 2009 to submit
documentation of the
extent of its
continental shelf beyond
200 nautical miles from
its coastline.
Developing countries
that face particular
challenges in collecting
data may submit
preliminary information
indicative of the outer
limits of their
continental shelf –
thereby meeting the
deadline. Somalia is the
first country to do so.
No final position is
taken on the outer
limits of the
continental shelf in the
information submitted.
However, the
documentation provided
is indicative of a
continental shelf beyond
200 nautical miles from
the coastline. It
establishes that
submissions made by
neighbouring States
shall be without
prejudice to the future
delimitation of maritime
boundaries, which must
be subject to
negotiations.
“The Transitional
Federal Government of
the Somali Republic has
taken a significant step
towards safeguarding the
interests of future
generations of Somalis,”
said Foreign Minister
Støre.
Neither the Norwegian
Government nor Norwegian
companies have interests
of their own in the
area. The assistance
provided by Norway to
the SRSG for Somalia and
the Transitional Federal
Government of the Somali
Republic must be seen in
the context of Norway’s
commitment to a
comprehensive and
lasting settlement of
the situation in the
country, and as an
expression of Norway’s
support to the SRSG in
carrying out his mandate
in accordance with
Security Council
resolutions.
Somalia, which has
one of the longest
coastlines of all the
African countries, has
been plagued by civil
war and widespread human
suffering for nearly two
decades. Moreover, the
waters off the coast of
Somalia have been the
scene of piracy against
international shipping
since 2007.
The submission has
been prepared with the
assistance of
international law
experts in the Norwegian
Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, experts in the
geosciences in the
Norwegian Petroleum
Directorate and experts
from the UNEP Shelf
Programme, represented
by GRID-Arendal. Norway
has a similar assistance
programme in the West
African countries, in
cooperation with the
Economic Community of
West African States
(ECOWAS).
The Transitional
Federal Government of
the Somali Republic and
the President gave their
final approval on 6
April 2009 following
meetings in Mogadishu
attended by Ambassador
Hans Wilhelm Longva of
the Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs.
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