Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea Renders Important Decision on Hydrocarbon Activities Carried Out in a Disputed Area
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Key takeaways:
- The Special Chamber reaffirms the primacy of the equidistance/relevant circumstances methodology in maritime boundary delimitation.
- With respect to exploration and development of natural resources in disputed boundary areas, the Special Chamber confirms that “maritime activities undertaken by a State in an area of the continental shelf which has been attributed to another State by an international judgment cannot be considered to be in violation of the sovereign rights of the latter if those activities were carried out before the judgment was delivered and if the area concerned was the subject of claims made in good faith by both States.”