Nam wants to extend waters

CABINET has approved the extension of the economic use of Namibia’s continental shelf zone beyond 200 nautical miles into the Atlantic Ocean and to make a relevant submission to the United Nations.

Namibia is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. A coastal nation has control of all economic resources within its exclusive economic zone, including fishing, mining, oil and gas exploration, and any pollution of those resources.The Convention lays down a comprehensive international legal framework for the use of the oceans and their resources, including those related to the continental shelf, and provides for the extension beyond the 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone.The Brazilian navy provided the expertise for a study on existing geophysical data on the Namibian continental margin to establish whether the country could apply for the extension, according to the latest Cabinet briefing paper.The study concluded that Namibia has a legitimate claim to extend its continental shelf.The Brazilian navy experts then did a hydrographic and geophysical survey of the Namibian continental margin and the Walvis ridge.The data acquired is now being processed, analysed and interpreted for a report to be submitted to the UN.The third phase of the project involves submitting the claim to the United Nations and Defence of Claim.Under the scientific and technical guidelines of the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), a coastal state must submit its continental shelf claim to the UN Secretary General.”He, in turn, shall publicise an executive summary of the claim for three months to enable other nations to comment on the claim,” the Cabinet briefing paper stated.”Thereafter, the coastal state is required to make oral presentations on the claim to the CLCS and answer questions from members of the Committee.”This necessitates setting up a defence team to make oral presentations to the Commission.Cabinet, therefore, mandated the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement to negotiate and conclude an agreement with the Brazilian navy to execute the third phase of the project.Cabinet also approved the submission of the claim to the UN during the second quarter of 2008, and approved the establishment of a defence team for the oral presentations.The defence team is composed of the permanent secretaries of several ministries.A coastal nation has control of all economic resources within its exclusive economic zone, including fishing, mining, oil and gas exploration, and any pollution of those resources.The Convention lays down a comprehensive international legal framework for the use of the oceans and their resources, including those related to the continental shelf, and provides for the extension beyond the 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone.The Brazilian navy provided the expertise for a study on existing geophysical data on the Namibian continental margin to establish whether the country could apply for the extension, according to the latest Cabinet briefing paper.The study concluded that Namibia has a legitimate claim to extend its continental shelf.The Brazilian navy experts then did a hydrographic and geophysical survey of the Namibian continental margin and the Walvis ridge.The data acquired is now being processed, analysed and interpreted for a report to be submitted to the UN.The third phase of the project involves submitting the claim to the United Nations and Defence of Claim.Under the scientific and technical guidelines of the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), a coastal state must submit its continental shelf claim to the UN Secretary General.”He, in turn, shall publicise an executive summary of the claim for three months to enable other nations to comment on the claim,” the Cabinet briefing paper stated.”Thereafter, the coastal state is required to make oral presentations on the claim to the CLCS and answer questions from members of the Committee.”This necessitates setting up a defence team to make oral presentations to the Commission.Cabinet, therefore, mandated the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement to negotiate and conclude an agreement with the Brazilian navy to execute the third phase of the project.Cabinet also approved the submission of the claim to the UN during the second quarter of 2008, and approved the establishment of a defence team for the oral presentations.The defence team is composed of the permanent secretaries of several ministries.