Fiji deposits extended continental shelf claim submissions to the United Nations (UN)

Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations His Excellency Ambassador Filipo Tarakinikini and the Deputy Permanent Representative, Mr. Vueti May deposited three (3) Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) claims to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) – a body established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to review submissions from coastal states regarding the outer limits of their continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.

The submissions cover three areas: the North Fiji Basin, jointly submitted by Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu; the Melanesian Borderland Plateau, jointly submitted by Fiji and Solomon Islands; and the South Fiji Basin, submitted nationally by Fiji. The CLCS will examine the scientific and technical basis of these claims and make recommendations, enabling the countries to define the outer limits of their continental shelves.

The claims grant coastal states sovereign rights over the seabed and subsoil resources beyond their 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which may derive significant economic benefits while protecting our ocean heritage for generations to come.

The Maritime Affairs Coordinating Committee (MACC) chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Fiji (MFA) with members including the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources, Solicitor General’s Office and Fiji Hydrographic Services under the Republic of Fiji Navy have been working on Fiji’s ECS claims since 2006.

The deposit of these submissions was made possible through significant technical support from the Pacific Community (SPC), maritime surveys and other avenues of cooperation with partners like GeoScience Australia, GeoLimits Consulting Canada, University of Sydney, GRID Arendal/UN Environment Program (UNEP), Australia’s Attorney General’s Department and the UK Government.

According to Mr. Malakai Vakautawale, SPC Maritime Boundaries Adviser, “This is a major achievement because it reflects years of scientific cooperation, legal diligence, and the collective vision of the three countries to secure and preserve our shared ocean space for future generations”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to acknowledge all the stakeholders including Government officials, Senior Advisers and Technical Officials across the MACC Member Agencies and partners, who have over the 19 years played an extensive role in the realization of Fiji’s ECS work.