December 10, 2007
No. 174
The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today marked the
25th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
(UNCLOS).
“The Convention plays an important role in Canada’s Northern Strategy,” said
Minister Bernier. “UNCLOS contributes to building a stable, rules-based region under
which we cooperate with other circumpolar countries on issues of common concern.
Cooperating with our Northern neighbours will help Canadian Arctic residents realize
their true potential and create a healthy and prosperous region within a strong and
sovereign country. With legal authority recognized by UNCLOS, Canada will continue to
monitor and control its Arctic waters through improved means, including RADARSAT-2,
Canada’s next-generation commercial synthetic aperture radar satellite.
“Some observers have referred to UNCLOS as one of the most significant legal
instruments of the 20th century,” said Minister Bernier. “From Canada’s perspective, it
may also be the most significant of the 21st century, as the Arctic is emerging as a new
nexus of national, regional and global issues.”
UNCLOS sets out the international legal framework for areas in which countries have
sovereign rights and exercise jurisdiction. It provides guidance on navigational rights,
territorial sea limits, economic jurisdiction, legal status of resources on the seabed
beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, passage of ships through narrow straits,
conservation and management of living marine resources, protection of the marine
environment, a marine research regime, as well as a binding procedure for the
settlement of disputes between states.
To date, 155 nations have ratified the Convention; Canada did so on November 7,
2003.
Ratification of UNCLOS opened the door for Canada to secure international recognition
of the full extent of its vast continental shelf. In some areas, this shelf extends beyond
200 nautical miles, and the exclusive jurisdiction over natural resources in the
continental shelf goes beyond 200 nautical miles to the outer limit of the shelf.
Canadian scientists are conducting mapping surveys to establish with certainty where
the country’s continental shelf begins and ends. Particulars of the outer limits of these
continental shelves will be submitted to the UN Commission on the Limits of the
Continental Shelf by the end of 2013—10 years after Canada ratified the convention.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874
http://www.international.gc.ca
