Former Member

Guyana makes oral submission to UN on extension of continental shelf

April 11, 2012 By INews Guyana

Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett

Guyana's Minister of Foreign Affairs

Guyana on Wednesday made an oral presentation to support its application to the United Nations Commission of limits on Continental Shelf.

The foreign ministry in a statement said the presentation was made by minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett at the UN headquarters in new York.

“This presentation forms part of the requirements for the consideration of the submissions for an extended continental shelf by States Parties of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea…It will be recalled that Guyana made its submission for an extended continental shelf to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on September 6 2011″ the statement said.

Rodrigues-Birkett was accompanied by Ambassador Elisabeth Harper, Director General of the Foreign Ministry, Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the UN George Talbot, Guyana’s Ambassador to Suriname Keith George, Rudolph Collins, Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Newell Dennison, Manager, Petroleum Division of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and Dr Barton Scotland, Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr Snejana Zaric and Dr Norbert Ott, Scientific Advisers of the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources also formed part of Guyana’s delegation.

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Former Member

Guyana forges ahead with continental shelf extension

Written by Demerara Waves

Wednesday, 11 April 2012 20:55

Source

Guyana on Wednesday made its oral presentation in support of its submission for an extended continental shelf to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.

Venezuela has already raised objections to Guyana’s move to do so, saying that the two countries are yet to settle their more than century-old border controversy. On the other hand, Guyana maintains that the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award is full and final.

Guyana’s Foreign Ministry says Wednesday’s presentation was made by Foreign Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York.

She was accompanied by Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Elisabeth Harper, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations George Talbot; Ambassador of Guyana to the Republic of Suriname Keith George; Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Rudolph Collins,; Manager, Petroleum Division of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission Mr Newell Dennison, and Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Barton Scotland.

Scientific Advisers of the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources Dr Snejana Zaric and Dr Norbert Ott also formed part of Guyana’s delegation.

Guyana wants its continental shelf to be extended with the hope of tapping into rich oil and natural gas reserves.

Guyana made its submission for an extended continental shelf to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on September 6 2011.

The United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf could only rule whether a country is eligible for the extension of its shelf but ultimately negotiations would have to be conducted with neighbouring countries.

Guyana's application, submitted on September 6, 2011 to the CLCS, states that "there are no disputes in the region relevant to this submission of data and information relating to the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles."

4/11/129:48 PM

Former Member

Extension of continental shelf…Guyana makes oral presentation to UN

April 12, 2012 | By KNews | Filed Under News

Source - kaieteur News

From left to right – Mr. Newell Dennison, Manager, Petroleum Division, GGMC, Ambassador Rudy Collins, Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Ambassador George Talbot, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dr. Norbert Ott, Scientific Adviser, German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Honorable Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Barton Scotland, Adviser to the MOFA, Ambassador Keith George, Ambassador to Suriname, Dr. Snjezana Zaric, Scientific Adviser, German Federal Institute, Ambassador Elisabeth Harper, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador to CARICOM

Guyana yesterday made oral presentations before the United Nations (UN) in support of its application to extend the country’s continental shelf by a further 150 nautical miles.

The presentation forms part of the requirements for the consideration of the submissions for an extended continental shelf by State Parties of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Guyana, through Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, made its submission for an extended continental shelf to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on September 6, 2011.

The application would not have come without objections from neighbouring Venezuela who says that its age-old claims on a large part of Essequibo, disqualify Guyana from making the application. Venezuela is also questioning the authority of a section of the United Nations to handle the matter.

Guyana, on the other hand, has insisted that the Essequibo claim was settled since 1899.

The extension of the continental shelf will allow Guyana to widen its search for oil and even expand its fishing grounds.

Minister Rodrigues-Birkett was accompanied by Ambassador Elisabeth Harper, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; George Talbot, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations; Keith George, Ambassador of Guyana to the Republic of Suriname; Ambassador Rudolph Collins, Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Newell Dennison, Manager, Petroleum Division of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and Dr Barton Scotland, Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr Snejana Zaric and Dr Norbert Ott, Scientific Advisers of the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources also formed part of Guyana’s delegation.

Last month, the Guyana Government insisted that a claim by neighbouring Venezuela over a substantial part of Essequibo has long been settled.
This stance was days after the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry restated its claims to western Essequibo while questioning the authority of a section of the United Nations to handle the matter.

According to the Venezuelan government, it is rejecting the fact that the UN’s Commission on the Limits of Continental Shelf (CLCS) is even considering Guyana’s request.

This is because the UN’s Good Officer of the Secretary General is already looking into a number of issues between the two countries.

However, the Guyana Government made it clear that Guyana’s submission to the UN’s Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), pursuant to Article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (the Convention), was done in a manner fully consistent with the provisions of international law, including the Convention.

The Foreign Ministry said the move by Venezuela to object to Guyana’s application for the extension was deeply regrettable.

“The submission itself was made without prejudice to maritime delimitation with other states in accordance with the provisions of Article 76 (10) of the Convention. The decision of the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to object to Guyana’s Submission to the CLCS is therefore deeply regrettable.”

Regarding the issue of western Essequibo, to which Venezuela continues to lay claim, the Foreign Ministry made it clear that the boundary with that neighbouring country was definitively settled by the Arbitral Award of October 3, 1899.

Guyana has also informed the CLCS, in its submission, that “there are no disputes in the region relevant to this submission of data and information relating to the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.

That statement remains legally and factually correct, the Ministry stressed in its response to statements of Venezuela last month.

Following the announcement by Guyana last September that it has applied to the UN to extend its continental shelf, and amidst tensions in Venezuela, the two governments had met in neutral Trinidad and Tobago to agree on the way forward.

Rodrigues-Birkett and her Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro had signed the Trinidad and Tobago agreement in September.

Since the announcement of Guyana’s intention to extend its continental shelf, there have been several statements from groups in Venezuela which felt that an age-old claim by that country on a large portion of Essequibo may be under threat.

The issue even had Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez warning that he will not allow “some sectors there (Guyana) or here (Venezuela) to create internal conflicts. We will not let that happen.”

One fringe group reportedly started its protests to whip up Venezuela’s sentiments by distributing maps of Venezuela showing Essequibo as part of that country’s territory.

The rumblings have been serious enough to persuade the two countries to meet.

4/12/1212:56 PM

Topics

Guyana makes oral submission to UN on extension of continental shelf

Extension of continental shelf…Guyana makes oral presentation to UN

Add Reply

Skip to main content

Topics

Guyana makes oral submission to UN on extension of continental shelf

Extension of continental shelf…Guyana makes oral presentation to UN

Add Reply

Membership Required

Remove From Your Block List

Manage Follow Preferences

Block

Premium Membership Required

GNI VIP Member

Please wait...