划界前争议水域油气开发的国家责任问题——以加纳/科特迪瓦海域划界案为素材

Unilateral Hydrocarbon Activities in the Disputed Area Pending Maritime Delimitation and State Responsibility:A Note on the Ghana/Cote d'Ivoire Case

对划界前油气开发活动的国家责任的判定取决于对行为违法性的判定,这特别涉及到《联合国海洋法公约》第83条第3款的解释。在加纳和科特迪瓦间海域划界争端案中,国际海洋法法庭特别分庭对于科特迪瓦所提对方单方开发活动违反其主权权利的主张,判定只要单方开发活动是在双方可以善意主张的重叠区域内,则该主张在法律上不能成立。这宣告了所谓"吸管效应"论的破产。但是,在对上述违反主权权利和违反《公约》第83条第3款下"尽一切努力"这两个义务的责任主张的判断上,主观要素仍然具有重要意义。对于前者,分庭在义务构成中引入"知道或应当知道"这一要素;对于后者,白珍铉法官个别意见中提示的在两国关系框架下考虑包括单方开发活动的性质、实施时间及地点等相关因素的评估方法,具有重要的启示意义。

The ruling of the ITLOS Special Chamber on responsibility issues in the Ghana/C te d Ivoire case does not hold Ghana accountable for the alleged violation of sovereign rights of C te d Ivoire or its obligation in the disputed area pending maritime delimitation.The subjective element remains relevant in the judgment of the above-mentioned accountability of the two breaches of sovereign rights and the obligation to“make every effort”under article 83,paragraph 3,of the Convention.For the former,the Chamber introduced an element of“was or should been aware”in the constitution of obligations,but declined to declare Ghana s hydrocarbon activities wrongful as far as they had been delivered in the area which is subjected to good faith claims of both parties;for the latter,the type,nature,location,timing and manner of the unilateral activities should be taken into consideration as relevant factors in the assessment.This method of assessment introduced by Judge Paik in his separate opinion is believed to have important implications.