Chilean-Peruvian maritime dispute of 2006-2007
Encyclopedia
The Chilean–Peruvian maritime dispute is a dispute between the Republic of Peru
and the Republic of Chile
on the sovereignty of an area at sea of approximately 37900 square kilometres (14,633.3 sq mi) in the Pacific Ocean
, from the Peruvian version that boundary delimitation
between the two countries is still not fixed. For its part, the Chilean version is that there is no outstanding border issues with Peru, as there are international treaties from 1952 and 1954 in force on the subject.
The dispute concerns an area in the sea between the parallel
that crosses the end point of the land border between Chile and Peru (as Chile, "Hito # 1" and according to Peru "Punto Concordia") and the bisecting line perpendicular to the coast in Chile and Peru, formed by the overlapping of the baselines of both countries to form a trapezoid of 67139.4 square kilometres (25,922.7 sq mi), of which about 38000 square kilometres (14,671.9 sq mi) are considered sovereign by Chile and for which Peru requested an equitable division; secondarily includes the status of a marine triangle to the left trapezius aforementioned 28471.86 square kilometres (10,993 sq mi), which Chile considers the high seas and Peru as part of its maritime domain for the projection of its baselines.
The background of this dispute goes back to the mid-1980s. In 1985, the then Foreign Minister of Peru, Allan Wagner first addressed this issue formally with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile at the time, Jaime del Valle. The following year, the Peruvian Ambassador Juan Miguel Bakula Patino had an interview with Foreign Minister Jaime del Valle on this matter, and handled a diplomatic note, dated May 23 of 1986. By the aforementioned note, issued by the Embassy of Peru in Santiago de Chile, Peru stated its position regarding the necessity of "concluding a treaty on maritime boundaries
", on the premise that it must reach a formal and definitive delimitation of maritime spaces, which complement the geographical proximity between Peru and Chile.
Chile ratified the Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1997 and, according to its text, in September 2000, deposited it with the United Nations
. Its nautical charts indicated the parallel 18º21'00" South
as the maritime boundary between the two countries. Later, Peru formalized its position on the issue, through a note sent to the United Nations on January 7, 2001, which does not recognize the line of latitude as the maritime boundary between the two countries.
Public discussion on this subject was revived in 2005, when the Congress of Peru began to process a bill on determining the baseline of maritime domain, which are sequences of points that determine where it finishes the coastal edge and therefore begins the territorial sea as such, setting the width of the maritime domain of Peru to the distance of 200 nautical miles, using a line bisector in the south, bordering with Chile. The Peruvian law was passed and promulgated on November 3, 2005.
On January 16, 2008, the government of Peru introduced in the International Court of Justice
the "Case Concerning Maritime Delimitation between the Republic of Peru and the Republic of Chile", also called Peru v. Chile. The case is meant to adjudicate the re-delimitation of the maritime border between these two countries.
In the case, Peru argues that the maritime boundary
should run on a southwestern direction from their land border. Chile claims that in bilateral treaties signed in 1952 and 1954, Peru recognized that the boundary runs in a western direction. The Chilean agent to the Court is former Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Albert Van Klaveren. The Peruvian agent is the current Ambassador to The Netherlands, Allan Wagner.
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and the Republic of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
on the sovereignty of an area at sea of approximately 37900 square kilometres (14,633.3 sq mi) in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, from the Peruvian version that boundary delimitation
Boundary delimitation
Boundary delimitation, or simply delimitation, is the term used to describe the drawing of boundaries, but is most often used to describe the drawing of electoral boundaries, specifically those of precincts, states, counties or other municipalities...
between the two countries is still not fixed. For its part, the Chilean version is that there is no outstanding border issues with Peru, as there are international treaties from 1952 and 1954 in force on the subject.
The dispute concerns an area in the sea between the parallel
Circle of latitude
A circle of latitude, on the Earth, is an imaginary east-west circle connecting all locations that share a given latitude...
that crosses the end point of the land border between Chile and Peru (as Chile, "Hito # 1" and according to Peru "Punto Concordia") and the bisecting line perpendicular to the coast in Chile and Peru, formed by the overlapping of the baselines of both countries to form a trapezoid of 67139.4 square kilometres (25,922.7 sq mi), of which about 38000 square kilometres (14,671.9 sq mi) are considered sovereign by Chile and for which Peru requested an equitable division; secondarily includes the status of a marine triangle to the left trapezius aforementioned 28471.86 square kilometres (10,993 sq mi), which Chile considers the high seas and Peru as part of its maritime domain for the projection of its baselines.
The background of this dispute goes back to the mid-1980s. In 1985, the then Foreign Minister of Peru, Allan Wagner first addressed this issue formally with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile at the time, Jaime del Valle. The following year, the Peruvian Ambassador Juan Miguel Bakula Patino had an interview with Foreign Minister Jaime del Valle on this matter, and handled a diplomatic note, dated May 23 of 1986. By the aforementioned note, issued by the Embassy of Peru in Santiago de Chile, Peru stated its position regarding the necessity of "concluding a treaty on maritime boundaries
Maritime boundary
Maritime boundary is a conceptual means of division of the water surface of the planet into maritime areas that are defined through surrounding physical geography or by human geography. As such it usually includes areas of exclusive national rights over the mineral and biological resources,...
", on the premise that it must reach a formal and definitive delimitation of maritime spaces, which complement the geographical proximity between Peru and Chile.
Chile ratified the Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1997 and, according to its text, in September 2000, deposited it with the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. Its nautical charts indicated the parallel 18º21'00" South
18th parallel south
The 18th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 18 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Australasia, the Pacific Ocean and South America....
as the maritime boundary between the two countries. Later, Peru formalized its position on the issue, through a note sent to the United Nations on January 7, 2001, which does not recognize the line of latitude as the maritime boundary between the two countries.
Public discussion on this subject was revived in 2005, when the Congress of Peru began to process a bill on determining the baseline of maritime domain, which are sequences of points that determine where it finishes the coastal edge and therefore begins the territorial sea as such, setting the width of the maritime domain of Peru to the distance of 200 nautical miles, using a line bisector in the south, bordering with Chile. The Peruvian law was passed and promulgated on November 3, 2005.
On January 16, 2008, the government of Peru introduced in the International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
the "Case Concerning Maritime Delimitation between the Republic of Peru and the Republic of Chile", also called Peru v. Chile. The case is meant to adjudicate the re-delimitation of the maritime border between these two countries.
In the case, Peru argues that the maritime boundary
Maritime boundary
Maritime boundary is a conceptual means of division of the water surface of the planet into maritime areas that are defined through surrounding physical geography or by human geography. As such it usually includes areas of exclusive national rights over the mineral and biological resources,...
should run on a southwestern direction from their land border. Chile claims that in bilateral treaties signed in 1952 and 1954, Peru recognized that the boundary runs in a western direction. The Chilean agent to the Court is former Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Albert Van Klaveren. The Peruvian agent is the current Ambassador to The Netherlands, Allan Wagner.
See also
- Arica y Parinacota controversy
- Atacama border disputeAtacama border disputeThe Atacama border dispute was a dispute between Chile and Bolivia in the 19th century that ended in the transfer to Chile of all of the Bolivian Coast and the southern tip of Bolivia's ally Peru through the Treaty of Ancón with Peru and the Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1904 between Chile and...
- List of Chilean-Peruvian controversies
- Foreign policy of Ollanta HumalaForeign policy of Ollanta HumalaThe foreign policy of Ollanta Humala concerns the policy initiatives made towards other states by the current President of Peru, in difference to past, or future, Peruvian foreign policy as represented by his Foreign Minister Rafael Roncagliolo...
External links
- Peru v. Chile Maritime Dispute on the docket of International Court of JusticeInternational Court of JusticeThe International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
and Peru Takes Chile to UN World Court of 16 January 2008 and BBC and Peru ICJ Team and Chile ICJ Team and GAR Listing Both ICJ Teams of 16 January 2008