DECLARATION OF JUDGE HERCZEGH
[Translation]
The two Parties - Bahrain and Qatar - have asked the Court to
draw a "single maritime boundary" between them. In the southern sector
of the area in question it is solely the delimitation of the territorial sea
between the Parties that is at issue; further to the north, where the coast-
lines of the two States are adjacent, it is the delimitation between the
Parties' continental shelf and economic zone that is at issue. In thesouth-
ern sector, this task bas proved very difficult because of the nature of the
coastlines and the existence of a number of islands and islets with a tiny
surface area at high i:idebut which extend over a considerable area at low
tide. The way in which these maritime features have been represented on
the geographical maps made available to the Court sometimes differs.
Having taken its decision concerning sovereignty over the Hawar
Islands, the Court had to deal with another problem. In accordance
with the relevant provisions of customary international law - which are
contained in Article 12, paragraph 1, of the 1958 Convention on the
Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone and in Article 15 of the 1982
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea - the singlemaritime
boundary that the Court was to draw in fact passes through the narrow,
shallow channel that separates the islands of the Hawar group from
the Qatar peninsula, a channel that is unnavigable. Consequently, local
sea traffic between the southern and northern parts of the western coast
of Qatar must follow routes to the Westof the Hawar Islands.
In viewof this fact, the Court considered it necessary to point out that,
as Bahrain was not entitled to apply the method of straight baselines, the
waters lying between the Hawar Islands and the other Bahraini islands
were not interna1 waters of Bahrain, but the territorial sea of that State.
In point 2 (b) of the operative part of the Judgment, it stated that vessels
of the State of Qatar enjoy in the territorial sea of Bahrain separating the
Hawar Islands frorn the other Bahraini islands the right of innocent
passage accorded b!ycustomary international law.
1take this opportunity to express my agreement on this matter and to
point out that these.very important statements have enabled me to vote
in favour of paragraph 6 of the operative part of the Judgment, which
defines the single maritime boundary that divides the maritime areas of
the two States part!/ to the dispute.
(Signed) GézaHERCZEGH.
DÉCLARATION DE M. HERCZEGH
Les deux Parties - Bahreïn et Qatar - ont prié laCour de tracer
entre elles((une limite maritime unique)). Dans le secteur méridional de
l'espace enquestion est en cause exclusivement la délimitationde la mer
territoriale entre les Parties; plus au nord, où les côtes des deux Etats
sont adjacentes, c'est de la délimitation entre le plateau continental et la
zone économiquerelevant des Parties dont ilest question. Dans le secteur
sud, cette tâche a soulevéde grandes difficultés,du fait du caractère des
côtes et de l'existence de plusieurs îles etîlots d'une surface minime à
maréehaute, mais d'une étendue considérable à maréebasse. Les cartes
géographiques mises à la disposition de la Cour ont fait quelquefois de
ces formations maritimes des représentations différentes.
Ayant pris sa décisionconcernant la souverainetésur lesîles Hawar, la
Cour a dû faire face à un autre problème. Suivant les dispositions perti-
nentes du droit international coutumier - reprises dans le paragraphe I
de l'article 12de la convention sur la mer territoriale et la zone contiguë
de 1958 et dans l'article 15 de la convention des Nations Unies sur le
droit de la mer de 1982 -, la limite maritime unique que la Cour devait
tracer passe en effet dans le chenal étroitet peu profond séparantles îles
du groupe Hawar de la péninsulede Qatar, chenal inutilisable pour la
navigation. En conséquence,la navigation locale entre la partie sud et la
partie nord de la côte occidentale de Qatar doit emprunter des voies pas-
sant à l'ouest desîles Hawar.
Tenant compte de ce fait, la Cour a estimé nécessairede rappeler que
Bahreïn n'étant pas fondé à appliquer la méthode des lignes de base
droites, les eaux s'étendantentre les îles Hawar et les autres îles bahreï-
nites constituent, non des eaux intérieures de Bahreïn, mais la mer terri-
toriale de cet Etat. Dans le point 2b) du dispositif, elle a rappeléque les
navires de 1'Etatde Qatar jouissent dans la mer territoriale de Bahreïn
séparant les îles Hawar des autres îles bahreïnites du droit de passage
inoffensif consacrépar le droit international coutumier.
Je saisis cette occasion pour exprimer mon accord à cet égardet pour
préciserque ces rappels, d'une grande importance, m'ont permis de voter
en faveur du point 6 du dispositif, qui définit la limite maritime unique
divisant les espaces maritimes des deux Etats parties au différend.
(Signé)GézaHERCZEGH. DECLARATION OF JUDGE HERCZEGH
[Translation]
The two Parties - Bahrain and Qatar - have asked the Court to
draw a "single maritime boundary" between them. In the southern sector
of the area in question it is solely the delimitation of the territorial sea
between the Parties that is at issue; further to the north, where the coast-
lines of the two States are adjacent, it is the delimitation between the
Parties' continental shelf and economic zone that is at issue. In thesouth-
ern sector, this task bas proved very difficult because of the nature of the
coastlines and the existence of a number of islands and islets with a tiny
surface area at high i:idebut which extend over a considerable area at low
tide. The way in which these maritime features have been represented on
the geographical maps made available to the Court sometimes differs.
Having taken its decision concerning sovereignty over the Hawar
Islands, the Court had to deal with another problem. In accordance
with the relevant provisions of customary international law - which are
contained in Article 12, paragraph 1, of the 1958 Convention on the
Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone and in Article 15 of the 1982
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea - the singlemaritime
boundary that the Court was to draw in fact passes through the narrow,
shallow channel that separates the islands of the Hawar group from
the Qatar peninsula, a channel that is unnavigable. Consequently, local
sea traffic between the southern and northern parts of the western coast
of Qatar must follow routes to the Westof the Hawar Islands.
In viewof this fact, the Court considered it necessary to point out that,
as Bahrain was not entitled to apply the method of straight baselines, the
waters lying between the Hawar Islands and the other Bahraini islands
were not interna1 waters of Bahrain, but the territorial sea of that State.
In point 2 (b) of the operative part of the Judgment, it stated that vessels
of the State of Qatar enjoy in the territorial sea of Bahrain separating the
Hawar Islands frorn the other Bahraini islands the right of innocent
passage accorded b!ycustomary international law.
1take this opportunity to express my agreement on this matter and to
point out that these.very important statements have enabled me to vote
in favour of paragraph 6 of the operative part of the Judgment, which
defines the single maritime boundary that divides the maritime areas of
the two States part!/ to the dispute.
(Signed) GézaHERCZEGH.
Declaration of Judge Herczegh (translation)