Bangladesh submits claims on Bay to UN CLCS
Bangladesh submitted claim on the extended continental shelf of the Bay of Bengal to the United Nations in New York Saturday (26-02-2011), joining an international legal battle for securing its right to entire territorial waters.
Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni formally presented the historic submission to the Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea of the global body, according to a message received in Dhaka. This would be Bangladesh's most significant claim to the continental shelf in the Bay of Bengal since its independence. The claim of Bangladesh ranges from 400-460 nautical miles (NM) in the seabed of the Bay, which dismisses obtrusive bid by neighbors.
The submission completes the outstanding obligation of Bangladesh under the provisions of the Article 76 of UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to provide scientific and technical information with the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in support of Bangladesh's right to the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.
Bangladesh held extensive consultations with Federal Institute of Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) of Germany, GRID Arendal of Norway, Centre for Coastal and Ocean Mapping of the University of New Hampshire, Scripps Institute of Oceanography and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, USA, for preparation of the submission.
Economic and Legal Section of the Commonwealth Secretariat provided legal and technical assistance in the final documentation of Bangladesh's submission. Bangladesh also received advisory assistance from Dr. Herald Brekke, a member of the Commission on the Limits of the Continentals Shelf.
During the occasion, Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni said, "Seabed has become an important area of economic interests for all nations, and more so for a country like Bangladesh with limited resources and extensive development challenges."
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