南极地区大陆架划界引发的法律制度碰撞

CONFLICTS OF LEGAL SYSTEMS INDUCED BY THE DELIMITATION OF THE CONTINENTAL SHELF IN THE ANTARCTIC REGION

自《南极条约》1961年生效以来,南极地区一直处于以《南极条约》为核心的南极条约体系的约束之下。1982年《联合国海洋法公约》(以下简称《公约》)建立了大陆架制度,要求沿海国应在批准《公约》生效10年内完成200海里以外大陆架外部界限的划定①。1994年《公约》生效后,澳大利亚、挪威、阿根廷和英国在提交各国200海里以外大陆架外部界限划界案时,先后对60°S以南地区的外大陆架提出主张要求。通过解读南极洲领土主张国提交的外大陆架划界案和有关大陆架外部界限的初步信息,跟踪研究大陆架界限委员会审议的有关南极地区的划界案案例,分析沿海国在南极地区的大陆架划界主张的法律依据,进而深入剖析南极条约体系和《公约》两种法律制度在南极地区的矛盾与冲突,并探讨南极地区法律制度的发展走向。

The Antarctic has been under the restriction of Antarctic Treaty System,which includes Antarctic Treaty as its core agreement and other related agreements,since Antarctic Treaty took effect in 1961.Nevertheless,the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea（UNCLOS,hereafter referred to as the Convention） established the legal regime for the continental shelf and requested a study into the coastal state of the shelf to complete the delineation of the outer limits of the shelf beyond 200 nautical miles within 10 years of the ratification of the convention.Since the Convention entered into force in 1994,Australia,Norway,Argentina and the United Kingdom have successively and individually claimed their sovereign rights over the continental shelves in the south of 60°S,namely the Antarctic region.With such background,the paper assesses the continental-shelf submissions and preliminary information provided by seven countries claiming territorial sovereignty or sovereign rights to the Antarctic region,and reviews the considerations and recommendations of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf（CLCS）.Following the above analysis,the paper scrutinizes the legal basis for continental shelf claims to the Antarctic region,and investigates conflicts between the Antarctic Treaty System and the Convention.Additionally,the paper discusses the trend of legal regime development regarding the Antarctic region.