INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
MARITIME DISPUTE
(PERU vCHILE)
MEMORIAL OF THE
GOVERNMENT OF PERU
VOLUME 1
20 MARCH 2009 "States should bem:in mind:
(a) That legal disputes should as a
generalmle be refelTed by the parties
to the International Court of Justice , in
accordance with the provisions of the
Stahlte of the Court.
Recourse to judicial settlement of
legal disputes , palticularl y refen·al to
the Intemational Court of Justice ,
should not be considered an lUlfiiendly
act between States."
Manda Dec/araNon on the Peace/ul
Selflement of International Disputes.
Approved by the United Nations
General Assembly. Resolution
No. 37/10 of 15 November 1982. TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTIO N 1
1. Jurisdiction 2
II. The Maritime Dispute 4
A . A B RIEF HI STORY 4
B. P ERU- C HI LE AN D THE M ODL AWOF THE S EA 5
C. P ERU'S P ROPOSALS TO R EACH AN A GREEMENT ON
M ARITIMED ELIM ITATIOWITII CHI LE 7
D. T HE CHI LEAN AL LE GATI ONS 10
E. S UMMARY 13
III. Outline of this Memorial 14
CHAPTER 1: HISTORICAL BACKGRO UND 19
1. Introduction 19
II. Colonial Times and Early Republican History 20
III. The War of the Pacifie (1879-1883) 25
IV. The 1883 Treaty of ARcon amI the Plebiscite on Tacna
and Arica 28
V. The 1929 Treaty of Lima 33
VI. Peru-Chile Expanding Relations 36
CHAPTER II: THE GEOGRAPHICAL SETTI NG 39
1. The General Configuration of the Peruvian and
Chilean Coasts 39
A . P ERU'S COAST 40
B. C HILE'S COAS T 53 VI
II. The Characteristics of the Maritime Area and Ils
Resources 57
A . T HEC HARACTERlSTICSOF THE S EA -B ED ATHE S UBSOn.. 57
B. T HE FI SHINP OTENT IA LTHE ARE A 58
CHAPTER III: PERU'S MARITIME ENTITLEMENTS UNDER
INTERNATIONAL LAW 61
1. Applicable Principles 62
II. Peru's Maritime Entitlements under General
Principles of the Law of the Sea 64
III. Chile Has Recognised as a Matter ofPrinciple Peru 's
Maritime Entitlements to a His tance of 200 Nautical
Miles from Ils Coast 73
CHAPTER IV: LACK OF AN AGREEMENT ON MARITIME
DELIMITATIO N 83
1. Introduction 83
II. The Maritime Claims 87
A. PHA SE1: :MA RITIME CLA IMS PRIOR T1945 88
1. Peru s Mar;r;me Cla;ms 88
2. Claims of Orher States 91
B. PHASE2: M ARITIMECLAIMS 1945-19 80 95
1. The Backg round fa the Cla;ms of 1947 95
2. The Truman Proclamat ions 99
3. The Mexican and Argenl inean Cla;ms of 1945-1946 104
4. South-East Pacifrc Fishehes in the 1940s 105
5. Ch;/e's 1947 Claim 107
6. Perils 1947 Cla;m 111
7. The 1952 Dec/araNon ofSan Nago 120
8. The ReacNon to the 1952 Dec/ara Non ofSanNago 133
9. The Second Conference on ExploUaNon and
Conse rvaNon of the Mar;ne Resources of the
South Paciflc, 1954 136
l a. The 1954 Complementmy ConvenNon 137 VII
Il . The 1954 Agreement on a Special Zone 139
12. Develop ments belween 1954 and 1968 145
13. The Coasta t Dghts 152
C. PH ASE3: 19 8 0N\VARDS 158
III. Concluding Observati ons 164
CHAPTER V: THE MAP EVIDE NC E CONFIRMS THAT
THERE IS NO PRE-EXISTI NG MARITIME DELIMITATION
BETWEE N THE PARTIES 171
I. Introduction 171
II. Contrary to Chile's Own Practice, There Was No
Delimitati onMap Accompanying the 1952 or 1954
Instruments 172
174
III. The Cartography of the Parties
A .P ERU'S:MAps 177
B. C HILE'S M APS 178
CHAPTER VI : THE PRINCIPLES AND RULES OF
INTERNATIONAL LAW GOVERNING MARITIME
DELIMITATIO N AND THEIR APPLI CATIO N IN THIS CASE 195
1. Introduction 195
II. The Principles and Rules of Maritime Delimitation 196
III. The Relevant Coasts of the Parties and the Relevant
Area 202
A . THERE LEVANTCOASTS 202
B. T HE RE LEVANT AREA 207
IV. The Starting-Point for the Delimitation 208
V. Construction of the Provisional Equidistance Lille 222
VI. The Absence of Any Special Circumstances Calling
for an Adjustment of the Equidistance Line 224
VII. The Equidistance Line Satisfies the Test of
Proportionality 235
VIII. Conclusions 237 VIII
CHAPTER VII: PERU'S MARITIME ENTITLEMENTS
OFF ITS SOUTHERN COAST - THE 'OUTER TRIANGLE' 243
J. Introduction 243
II. The Chilean Claimed Rights in the Area 248
III. The Chilean Claim Is Incolll1patible with Peru's
Exclusive Sovereign Rights Vp to a Distance of 200
Nautical Miles Off Ils Southern Coast 257
A. CHILE'S CLAIMED "PRESENTIAL SEA" E NCROACHES UPON
PERU'S MARITIME DO MAIN 257
B. THEIpso F ACTOSOVEREIGN RIGHTS OF PER U IN THEAREA 260
CHAPTER VIII: SUMMARY 271
SUBMISSIONS 275
LIST OF MAPS AND FIGURES IN VOLUME 1
Figure 1.1 First Official Map ofPeru: Prepared in 18hy order
of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariano Felipe Paz-
Soldan.Mapa deI Perû 23
Figure 1.2 Chile's TelTitOlial Acquisitions Resulting [rom the
War of the Pacific 29
Figure 2.1 General Configuration of the Pemvian and Chilean
Coasts 41
Figure 2.2 Ecuadorian Islands Near Peru's Northern Land
BoundalY & Lack of Pemvian Islands Near Pem 's
Southern Land Boundary 45
Figure 2.3 Pem 'sCoastline and Sh-aight Baselines 49
Figure 2.4 Map Showing the Outer Limit - Southern Sector of
Pem 's Maritime Domain_ Carta deI LimUe Extehor
- Sector Sur - deI Dom;n;o MariNmo deI Penl 51
Figure 2.5 Chile's Coastline andSh-aight Baselines 55
Figure 4.1 200 Mile Limit Using the 'Arcs ofCircles' Approach 121
Figure 4.3 The Coastal Lights Establi:shed by the 1969 Joint
Commission 155
Figure 4.4 Chile's Supreme Decree No _210 165 IX
Figure 5.1 Map No. 1Annexed to the Chile /Argentina Maritime
Delimitation Treatyof 1984. Carla N° l 175
Figure 5.8 Map Published by Instituto Geognifico Militar de
Chile, 1941 179
Figure 5.19 Arica 1973, Chilean Nauhcal Chart No. 101 183
Figure 5.20 Rada de Arica Chilean Nautical Cha11No. 100, May
1979. Chde, Rada de An'ca a Bahia Mejillones deI
Sur 185
Figure 5.22 Chile-Argentina Maritime Boundary Agreement:
1984. 1986 Chilean Nautical Char! No. 1300. Chi/e,
Boea Ohenlal deI Estrecho de Magallanes a Islas
Diego Ramirez 187
Figure 5.23 Rada y Puerto Arica 1989, ChileanNautical ChartNo.
101. Chde, Rada y Puerto Arica 189
Figure 5.24 Rada deArica 1994, Chilean Nautical Chart No. 1000.
Chile, Rada de Ar;ca a Bahia Mejillones deI Sur 191
Figure 6.1 Bathymetry of the Relevant Area 205
Figure 6.2 The Relevant Coasts 209
Figure 6.3 The Relevant Area 211
Figure 6.4 Initial Sector of the Land BOlmdary as Defined by the
1929 Treaty 217
Figure 6.5 'Point Concordia' vs. 'Marker Concordia' 219
Figure 6.6 The Equidistance Methodology 225
Figure 6.7 The Bi-Sector Methodology 227
Figure 6.8 Inequitable Cutoff Effect Caused by Chile's
Delimitation Position& Balanced Cutoff Effect of
Pem's Delimitation Claim 233
Figure 6.9 Prop011ionality Test Applied to The Equidistance
Methodology 239
Figure 6.10 Prop01iionality Test Applied to Chile's Delimitation
Claim 241
Figure 7.1 Chile's Claim to Parts of Peru 'sMaIitime Domain 245
Figure 7.2 Maritime Areas that Pertain to ChileAccording to the
Chilean Navy 253
Figure 7.3 Chile'sMar Presencial , 1992. Chilean Nautical Chart
No. 22. Chile, Mar Presencial , Formas deI ReNeve
Submarino 261
Figure 7.5 Limited Extent of the Continental Shelf in the
Relevant Area 265 x
LIST OF ANNEXES (VOLUMES II AND'III) 277
LIST OF MAPS AND FIGURES (VOLUME IV) 285
LIST OF DOCUMENTS DEPOSITED WITH THE REGISTRY 289 INTRODUCTION
1. This case was brought before the Intemational Court of Justice on 16 Janualy
2008 by means of an Applicatioll filed by the Republic of Pem (hereinafter
"Peru") against the Republic of Chile (hereinafter "Chile"). In its Application
to the Court , Peru requested it -
"to determine the course of the bOlmdary between the maritime
zones of the two States in accordance with internationallaw
.. . and to adjudge and declare that Pem possesse s exclusi ve
sovereign rights in the maritime area sihlated within the limit
of200 nautical miles from its coast but outside Chile's exclusive
economic zone or continental shelf."1
2. The Court , by means of the Order dated 31 Mareh 2008 , fixed 20 Mareh
2009 as the tillle limit for submit1ing the Memorial of the Republic of Peru
in the Case Concern;ng Mar;t;'r.re D;spule (Peru v. Chde). This Memorial
is filed pur suant to that Order.
Application instituting proceedings of the Republic of Peru, filed before the LC.J. on l6 January
2008,pp. 4-5. 2
I. Jurisclictiou
3. In its Application Petu has indicated that:
"The jurisdiction of the Court in this case is based on Article
XXXI of the American Treaty on Pacifie Seulement (Pact of
Bogotà) of 30 April 1948 ..."'.
Thi s Article reads as follo ws :
"In confonnity with Article 36, paragraph 2, of the Statute of
the International Comt of Justice , the High Contractin g Paltie s
declare that they reco gnize, in relation to any other American
State , the juri sdiction of the Court as compulsory ;pso facto ,
without the necessity of any special agreement so long as the
present Treaty is in force , in ail disputes of a juridical nature
that arise among them concerning:
a) The interpretation of a treaty ;
b) Any question of intern ationall aw;
c) The existence of any fact which, if established , wouId
constitute the breach of an intern ational obligation;
d) The nature or extent of the reparation to be made for the
breacll of an international obligation. "3
4. Both Peru and Chile are Palties to the Pact ofBogota. Petu ratified it on 28
Februar y 1967 and Chile did so on 21August 1967. No reservat ion in force
at the present date has been made by either Party under the Pact. Peru notified
the Secretariat General of the Organization ofAmerican States of the withdrawal
4
of its initial reservations on 27 February 2006 •
, Ibid.,p. 2.
Annex 46.
, See Signatories and Ratifications on the Pact of Bogotâ <http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/
sigs/a-42.html> accessed 1 December 2008. 3
5. There cau be no doubt that Alticle XXXI of the Pact of Bogot<iis a sufficient
basis of juri sdiction in case of a legal dispute befween two States Partie s.
The que stion was decided by the Court on the occasion of the case filed by
Nicaragua against Hondura s relating to Border and Transborder Armed Actions.
6. In its Jud gment of 20 December 1988 , on Juhsdichon and Admissibiliry in
that case , the Court made clear that Article XXXI of the Pact -
"is an autonomous cOimnitment , independent of any other which
the partie s may have undertaken or may lUldel1ake by depositillg
with the United Nation s Secretary-General a declaration of
acceptance of compulsory juri sdiction under Article 36,
paragraph s 2 and 4, of the Statute. Not oilly does Article XXXI
not [equire any such declaratïon , but also when such a declaration
is made, it has no effect on the commitment resulting from that
Article ."5
7. The "juri sdictional system of the Pact of Bogota" was considered again by
the Court in the case concerning the Territorial and MariNme Dispute between
Nicara gua and Colombia 6.In its Judgment of 13 December 2007 , the Court
sh·essed "[t]he importance attached to the pacific settlement of disputes within
s
the inter-American sys tem"7 and reiterated its previous interpretation . In
that case the International Court of Justice lacked juri sdiction only in respect
of one part of the Nicara guan cla ims since that part of the dispute had been
settled by a treaty "va lid and in force on the date of the conclusion of the
Pact of Bogota in 1948, the date by reference to which the Court must decide
,
Border and Transborder Armed Actions (Nicaragua v. Honduras), Jurisdiction and
Admissibility, Judgment, I.CJ. Reports 1988, p. 85, para. 36; see also p. 88, para. 41. In the
Case concerning Territorial and Maritime Dispute betll'een Nicaragua and Honduras in the
Caribbean Sea the jurisdietion of the Court was also based on Article XXXI of the Pact of
Bogota (see the l CJ. Jndgment of 8 Oetober 2007, para. 1).
• Territorial and Maritime Dispute (Nicaragua v. Colombin), Preliminmy Objections , I.c.J.
Judgment of 13 December 2007, paras. 53-59.
Ibid., para. 54.
• Ibid., para. 134. 4
on the applicability of the provisions of Article VI of the Pact of Bogota
setting out an exception to the Com1'sjurisdiction lUlderArticle XXXI thereof >.9
Snch a question does Ilotarise in the present case , where the issue of the
extent and limits of the respective maritime zones of the Parties are at stake
and were uot settled in 1948.
8. There cau therefore be no question in the present case that the Com1'sjurisdiction
is established under Article XXXI of the Pact of Bogota.
II. The Maritime Dispute
A. A BRIEF HI STORY
9. Peru and Chile became independent without being neighbouring States. Peru
gained ifs independence [rom Spai n in 1821 and Chile did so in 1818 . Peru
did not have a common border with Chile owing to the fact that lying between
the two countries was the Colonial Spanish territory of Charcas and, as
from 1825, the new Republic of Bolivia .
10. In 1879 Chile declared war against Petu and Bolivia , in what is known
historically as the War of the Pacifi·c. By the Treaty of Peace and Friendship
signed by Chile and Peru in 1883 (hereinafter "the 1883 Treaty of Ancon "),
Peru had to cede to Chi le in perpetuity the coastal province of Tarapaca and
lO
the possession for ten years of the Petuvian provinces of Tacna and Arica .
Further , by a treaty of 1904, Bolivia ceded to Chile ail the territory of its
coastal province of Antofagasta , thus losing its maritime status. That is how
Petu and Chile came to be neighbouring States after , and as a result of, the
War of the Pacific .
• Ibid., para. 81; Article VI of the Pact of Bogota reads: "The aforesaid procedures, furthenllore,
may not be applied to matters already settled by arrangement between the parties, or by arbitral
award or by decision of an international court, or which are govemed by agreements or treaties in
force on the date of the conclusion of the present Treaty." Annex 46.
10 See paras. 1.20-1.31 below. 5
Il. It was ouly after 45 years , in 1929 , that uuder the Treaty for the Settlement
of the Dispute regarding Tacna and Arica, and its Additional Protocol
(hereinafter "the 1929 Treaty of Lima ") Ilthe situation was solved with the
partition of the provinces, so that Tacna was reincorporated to Peru and
Arica (a coasfal province to the south of Tacna which possesses the oilly
nahlfal harbour in the area) was ceded in perpetuity to Chile. Other important
provisions of this Treaty , regarding Peruvian rights and servitudes in Arica,
were implemented by Chile 70 years later , in 1999 12.None of the treaties
over these coastal provinces mentioned the adjacent sea or maritime limits.
B. PERU-CHILE AND THE MODER N LAW OF THE SEA
12. Despite important and delicate tenitOlial questions which remained unresolved ,
in 1952 Petu and Chile, together with Ecuador, embarked on a pro cess of
maritime co-operation with a view to protecting the adjacent sea from the
predatory activities of foreign fleets. This joint action was preceded by the
unilateral claims made in 1947 by Chile and by Petu in relation to new
maritime areas 13, which fonned part ofthe foundations ofthe modern Law
of the Sea. The Declaration on The Maritime Zone of 18 August 1952
(hereinafter "the 1952 Declaration of Santiago "), established the guidelines
for a common maritime policy of the signatory States , stating inter afia:
"II) In the light of these circumstances , the Governments of
Chile, Ecuador and Pem prodaim as a nonn oftheir intemational
maritime policy that they each possess exclusive sovereignty
and jurisdiction over the sea along the coasts of their respective
countries to a minimum distance of 200 nautical miles from
these coasts.
The 1929 Treaty of Lima is Annex 4 to the ApplicationItis joined anew for the convenience of
the Com1as Annex 45.
12 The Execution Act concerning Article 5 of the 1929 Treaty of Lima was signed by the two
cOlmtries in1999.Annex 60.
13 Atmexes 27 and 6, respectively. 6
III) The exclusive jurisdiction and sovereignty over this maritime
zone shaH also encompass exclusive sovereignty and jUlisdiction
over the seabed and the subsoil thereof. "14
Spanish text reads as follows:
"II) Como consecuencia de estos hechos , los Gobiernos de
Chile , Ecuador y Perù proclaman como Honna de su politica
intemacional maritima , la soberania y jurisdicci6n exclusivas
que a cada uno de ellos corresponde sobre el mar que balla
las costas de sus respectivos paises , hasfa una distancia minima
de 200 millas marinas desde las referidas costas .
III) La jurisdicci6n y soberania exclusivas sobre la zona
maritima indicada incluye también la soberania y jurisdicci6n
exclusivas sobre el suelo y subsuelo que a ella corresponde ."
13. The 1952 Declaration of Santiago was the basis of the position adopted by
the signatory States l at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of
the Sea (hereinafter "UNCLOS III"). Thus , in a joint declaration dated 28
April 1982 , they stated the following:
"The delegations of Chile, Colombia , Ecuador and Peru wish
to point out that the univer sal recognition of the rights of
sovereignty and jurisdiction of the coastal State within the
200-mile limit provided for in the draft Convention is a
fundamental achievement of the countries members of the
Permanent Commission of the South Pacific, in accordance
with the basic objectives stated in the Santiago Declaration of
1952.
Those objectives have been eompiled and developed by the
Convention on the Law of the Sea, which incorporates into
intemationallaw principles and institutions which are essential
for a more appropriate and fairer exploitation of the resources
contained in coastal waters, to the bene fit of the over-all
14 Annex 47.
U Colombia had joined the 1952 Declaration of Santiago in 1979. 7
development of the peoples concerned , on the basis of the dutY
and the right to proteet those resources and to conserve and
guarantee that natmal wealth for those peoples ."16
14. Neither the 1952 Declaration of Santiago , nor the varions implementing
agreements signed by the Paltie s relate to maritime delimitatioll . Thus , the
negotiation of a maritime delimitation treaty - which would divide the large
area of sea claimed by means of the 1952 Declaration of Santiago and whose
main outlines were incorporated in the 1982 United Nations Convention on
the Law of the Sea (hereinafter "the 1982 Convention on the Law of the
Sea") - remained outstanding 1.
15. On 27 August 1980, after evaluating the result of the negotiations at UNCLOS
III, Peru stated at that Conference its position on the maritime delimitation
of States with adjacent or opposite coasts . The Head of the Pemvian delegation
stated:
"Where a specific agreement-on the delimitation of the tenitOlial
sea, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf between
States with opposite or adjacent coasts did not exist or where
there were no special circmnstances or historie Iights recognized
by the parties , the median hne should as a general mie be
used , as suggested in the second revision , since it was the
most hkely method of aclüeving an equitable solution ."1S
C . PER U'S PROPO SALS TO REA CH AN AGREEME NT
ON MARITIME DELI MITATION WITH CHILE
16. After the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea had been adopted , the
Pemvian Govemment earried out its first relevant aet vis-à-vis the Chilean
Govenllnent in relation tomariti deli~ itation. The diplomatie Memorandum
annexed to the Note of the Embassy ofPem dated 23 May 1986, smmnarized
16 Almex 108.
17 See paras. 4.80-4.81 below.
18 Almex 107. 8
the presentation made by a Peruvian envoy to the Chilean Minister of Foreign
Affairs . This Memorandum said:
"One of the cases that merits immediate attention is the fonnal
and definitive delimitation of the marine spaces , which
complement the geographical vicinity of Peru and Chile and
have served as scenario of a long and fiuitful joint actioll ."19
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Uno de los casos que merece Ullaimnediata atencion , se refiere
a la delimitaci6n formai ydefinitiva de los espacios marinos ,
que complementan la vecinda d geognifica entre el Perù y Chile ,
y que han servido de escenario a una larga y fructifera acci6n
COlllUll ."
17. This meeting between the Peruvian t:~n vodythe Chilean Minister of Foreign
Affairs was dealt with by the Chilean Government in an official communiqué
dated 13 June 1986, which stated:
"During this visit , Ambassador Bakula expressed the interest
of the Pemvian Government to start fuhlre conversations between
the two countries on their poïnts ofview regarding maritime
delimitation .
The Minister of Foreign Affairs , taking into consideration the
good relations existing betwt:en both countries , took note of
the above stating that studies on this matter shall be carried
out in due time. "20
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Durante esta visita , el Embajador Bakula dio a conocer el
interés dei Gobierno peruano para iniciar en el futuro
19 Anllex 76.
20 Annex 109. 9
conversaciones entre ambos paises acerca de sus puntos de
vista referentes a la delimitaci6n maritima.
El Minish"o de Relaciones Exteriores, teniendo en consideraci6n
las buenas relaciones existentes entre ambos paises , tome, nota
de 10anferior manifestando que oporhmamente se hanlll eshldio
[s;c] sobre el particular. "
18. Several events occupied Pem 's attention during the decades that followed
the adoption of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea.Among others ,
Petu was concerned with the implementation of the 1929 Treaty of Lima
which provided rights and servitudes in Arica in favour of Peru. In 1992 and
1993 Peru and Chile carried out intensi ve, but unsuccessful negotiations on
this matter.
19. In 1995 an anned conflict took place between Peru and Ecuador. With the
co-operation of Argentina , Brazil , Chile and the United States - the four
guarantor countries of the 1942 Rio de Janeiro Protocol between Pem and
Ecuador - both countries focussed their effol1s on reaching a final solution
to their differences regarding the demarcation of the land boundary. This
matter was settled by means of the Presidential Act of Brasilia in 1998 .
Subsequently , in 1999, Pem resumed negotiations with Chile regarding the
rights and servitudes in Arica provided in favour of Pem by the 1929 Treaty
of Lima. This was finally achieved by means of the Execution Act of 1999
signed by Pem and Chile 21 70 yeaTs after the signature of the Treaty of Lima.
20. Meanwhile , in 1997 Chile ratified the 1982 Convention on the Law of the
Sea, stating that it did not accept the application of the procedures provided
for in Part XV -Settlement of Disputes - , Section 2, to disputes concerning
sea boundary delimitation 22.
Atmex 60.
Chile made the following declaration: "In ac:cordancewith article 298 of the Convention, Chile
"
declares that it does not accept any of the procedures provided for in palt XV, section 2, with
respect to the disputes referred to in article 298, paragraph l(a), (b) and (c) of the Convention."
United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Law of the Sen BlIlletin No.
35, p. Il. JO
D. THE CHILEAN ALLEGATIONS
21. Despite the fact that Chile had ac:knowledged in 1986 that the maritime
delimitation with Peru was a matter which remained to be examined, in 2000
itlodged with the Secretary-Genera:l of the United Nations a chalt purporting
to depict the baselines in the northe:rn sector of ifscoast as weil as the outer
limits of the territorial sea , the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic
zone (hereinafter "EEZ ") and the continental shelf. On that chart Chile
unilaterally depicted the parallel 18°21'00" S WGS84 as the international
23
maritime limit with Peru .Peru protested and fonnally objected to the chart.
In a document addressed to and circulated by the Secretary-General of the
United Nations, Peru complained about Chile's behaviour and emphasized
the fact that there is no maritime boundary agreement between Pem and Chile.
It stated clearl y that:
"To date Peru and Chile have not concluded a specific maritime
delimitation t:reatypursuant to the relevant mies of international
law. The mention of parallel 18°21'00"as the maritime boundalY
between the two States is, therefore , without legal basis. "14
22. It should be sh·essed that Pem has constantly reiterated ifs lUlwaveIing position
that it does not accept the parallel of latitude as the international maritime
boundary: Chile's allegation that il:is an international boundary is without
any foundation. At the same time, Pt:m has decided to continue with ifs policy
of caution and moderation in the handling of the dispute concerning the maritime
boundary , in order not to jeopardize compliance with the purposes and
principles of the Cha11er of the United Nations , and particularl y A11icle 2.3
thereof. It was also in accordance with these pm·poses and princip les that
Pem decided to bring this case before the International Com1 of Justice.
23 See Figure 2.6 in Vol. IV. See also the list of geographical co-ordinates deposited by Chile with
the Secretary-Generalof the United Nations, in Annex 110.
24 Note No. 7-I-SG/OO5of 9 January 2001, from the Penllanent Mission of Peru to the Secretary
General of the United Nations . Statement by the Government of Peru concerning paraUe1
18°21'00", referred to by the Goverument of Chile as the maritime bOlUldarybetween Chile and
Pem. Aunex 78. 11
23. Petu decided to approach the Court after a long pro cess during which the
dispute came to a head and in view of the refusai of Chile to negotiate a
maritime delimitation h"eaty . Thus , following the initial proposai made by
Petu in 1986, on 19 July 2004 Peru 's Minister of Foreign Affairs stated in
a formai diplomatie Note addressed to Chile:
"Petu considers that the stability of friendl y and cooperative
bilateral relations with Chile , as weil as the promotion ofshared
interesfs in ail aspects of the bilateral relationship will find a
larger dynamism to the extent that an agreement on the juridical
dispute could be reached , who se solution is still pending.
These considerations, of utmost importance in our bilaferal
relation , lead me to fonnally submit a proposai , to Your
Excellency , for the commt:ncement, as soon as possible , of
bilateral negotiations to solve this dispute . l also suggest that
these negotiations stalt witbin the next 60 days. They could be
carried out in the city of Lima , in the city of Santiago de Chile
or in the city chosen by mutual agreement. The pm·pose of
these negotiations should bt: the establishment of the maritime
limit between Pern and Chile , according to the provisions of
lntemational Law, through a specifie treaty on this issue ."25
Spanish text reads as follows:
"El Peru estima que la estabilidad de las relaciones bilaterales ,
de amistad y cooperaci6n con Chile , aSl como la promoci6n
de intereses compartidos en todos los ambitos de la relaci6n
bilateral encontraran un mayor dinamismo en la medida en
que se pueda obtener un acuerdo sobre esta controversia jlU"idica
cuya soluci6n esta aun pendiente .
Estas consideraciones, de la mayor importancia en la relaci6n
bilateral, me llevan a propOlH!rfonnalmente a Vuest:raExcelencia
el inicio , a larevedad posible , de negociaciones bilaterales
para resolver esta conh·oversia. Propongo , asimismo, que estas
negociaciones comiencen denh ·ode los pr6ximos sesenta dias .
2~ Almex 79. 12
Las mismas podrian llevarse a cabo en la ciudad de Lima , en
la ciudad de Santiago de Chile 0 en la ciudad que se escoja
de comun acuerdo. La finalidad de estas negociaciones debera
ser el establecimiento dei limite maritimo entre el Pen.'!y Chile
de cOllfonnidad con las nonnas dei Derecho Internacional ,
mediante un trafado especifico sobre esta materia. "
24. By means of a Note dated 10 September 2004 , Chile rejected this proposai ,
thus closing definitively the door to the possibility of negotiating a maritime
delimitation h"eaty with Pem 26.
25. Vely shortly afterwards there was a formai acknowledgment by Chile of the
existence ofthe bilateral controversy concerning maritime delimitatioll. In
the Joint Communiqué signed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Pern
and Chile in Rio de Janeiro , on 4 November 2004 , it was stated that:
"We, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs have reiterated that the
subject of maritime delimita tion between both countries , in
respect ofwhich we have different positions , is a question of
juridical nahlre and it strictly constitutes a bilateral issue that
must not interfere in the positive development of the relationship
between Pern and Chile. "27
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Los Cancilleres hemos Œafinnado que el tema de la
delimita cion maritima entre ambos paises , respecto dei cual
tenemos posiciones distintas , es una cuesti6n de naturaleza
juridica y que constituye esh·ictamente un asunto bilateral que
no debe interferir en el desalTollo positivo de la relaci6n entre
Peril y Chile "
26 Anllex 80.
27 Anllex 113. 13
E. SUMMARY
26. To summarize , the guiding principle of the joint intemational maritime poliey,
as it was agreed and eXplained in the 1952 Declaration of Santiago, is that
each State which is a Party to the Declaration has rights over the adjacent
sea out to a distance of at least 200 nautical miles measured [rom its coastline.
Chile's position denies Petu that righf, and the resulting situation is totally
inequitable .
27. Peru has not ceded to Chile ifs sovereignty or its sovereign rights and
jurisdiction over maIitime areas generated by Pem'scoast; nor has any maIitime
area belonging to Petu been transferred to the high seas. Itis absurd to think
that Peru could have given up te:nths of thousands of square kilometres of
sea in favour of a neighbouring countly. It is equally absurd to consider that
Petu has relinquished its sovereign rights to areas that lie within 200 miles
from its shores (approximately 30,000 square kilometres) , and which are
therefore pal1ofPem 'smaritime domain. However, Chile has recently deemed
these areas to be high seas and part of ifs"Presential Sea", a concept mlilaterally
devised by Chile. 28
28. In the course of the present case, Pem will demonsh'ate that it has not concluded
with Chile any agreement establishing intemational maritime limits, nor has
it given up, expressly or tacitly, the maritime zones which belong to it under
international law.
29. Faithful observance oftreaties , compliance with internationallaw , peaceful
settlement of disputes and fulfihnent of the purposes and principles of
the United Nations Charter are the foundations of the Peruvian foreign
policy .
28 See para. 7.if below. 14
III. Outline of this Memorial
30. The present Memorial contains the following chapters:
(a) Chapter 1: Historical Background.
This chapter explains how the agreed land boundary between Peru and
Chile - including the point at which the land boundary meets the sea
was fixed. It begins by eXplaining the relations between Petu and Chile
since Colonial times and their early Republican life. Ifalso examines
the consequences of the War of the Pacifie (1879-1883) as a result of
which Peru lost vast and rich territories and became a neighbour of Chile,
as weil as the Chilean failure to organize the agreed Plebiscite on the
final legal statns of the Peruvian provinces of Tacna and Arica. Itthen
describes the events that led to the 1929 Treaty of Lima which fixed the
land boundary between the two countries and established rights and
servitudes for Peru , the implementation ofwhich took 70 years. It also
records the fruitful co-operation stalted by Peru and Chile in the 1950s,
together with Ecuador and later also with Colombia, for extending their
maritime sovereign rights out to a distance of at least 200 nautical miles
offtheir coasts , and their contribution to the modem Law of the Sea. The
chapter finally underlines the expanding relations between Peru and Chile
and gives the context ofPeru's Application to the Intemational Court of
Justice in 2008 as a means of solving the dispute without affecting the
development of the relationshi ps between both counh ·ies.
(b) Chapter II: The Geographical Setting.
This chapter addresses the geographical setting within which the
delimitation is to be effected by the Court. It also describes the general
configuration of the Peruvian and Chilean coasts , including both count:ries'
baselines. Finally , it discusses the characteristics of the area to be
delimited, the natural resources therein , and the crucial importance of
access to those resources fortht well-being of Peru 's southern provinces
and of the countly as a whole. 15
(c) Chapter III: Peru's Maritime Entitlements under International Law.
This chapter discusses the som"ces of law applicable to the present dispute
uuder Article 38 of the Stahlt ·e of the International Court of Justice , with
reference to the delimitation of the continental shelf and the column of
water. It demonst:rafes that under the gelleral prillciples of the contemporary
Law of the Sea Peru is entitle:d to an exclusive maritime zone extending
to a distance of 200 nautical miles [rom its baselines. Further , it explains
that Chile has recognized these Peruvian maIitime entitlements as a matter
of principle.
(d) Chapter IV: Lack of an Agreement on Maritime Delimitation.
This chapter adopts a chrono:logical approach , eXplaining developments
that fall iuto three natural periods: (i) up to 1945 , before the expanded
daims made in and following the Tmman Proclamations in 1945; (ii)
from 1945 up to 1980, during which time the 200-nautical-mile daims
made by Pem , Chi le and oth(!r States remained contentious and had not
gained general acceptance among the traditional "maritime " States; and
(iii) after 1980 , when developments at the UNCLOS III indicated that
the 200-nautical-mile zone was practically celtain to be a cenh·al element
of the new legal regime then being negotiated at the Conference. This
chapter also describes the dealings by the Parties insofar as they are
relevant to the question of the maritime boundary and explains how ail
those dealings were reactions to the pressure of immediate events , foremost
among which was the refusa i of certain States whose vessels fished off
the coasts of the American South Pacific States to recognize the validity
of the 200-nautical-mile daims made by those States. It further discusses
the key characteIistic ofthose dealings , which is the defence ofanAmerican
South Pacific maritime zone against opposition and violations by third
States. The chapter explains the provisional nature of this maritime zone,
as weil as the intention of the Palties to regulate celtain specific functions
in the vicinity of the coast and the absence ofany intention to divide up
areas of ocean space. The chapter concludes that in the absence of a
maritime agreement between Pem and Chile their maritime boundary
remains to be detennined by the Court. 16
(e) Chapter V: The Map Evidence Confinns that There 1s No Pre-Existing
Maritime Delimitation bet:ween the Parties.
This chapter shows that the offic:ial caltography ofPeru and Chile confinns
that there is no pre-existing maritime delimitation between them. Ifdiscusses
the fact that, contrary to Honnal State practice and to Chile's own delimitation
practice , no map has ever been issued jointly by the Palties depicting a
maritime boundary between th(!lll. It also demonsh "afes that the official
cal10graphy ofboth Parties show:sthat Pem has never published any official
map indicating that a maritime boundalY exists between itself and Chile ,
and that it was ouly in 1992 that Chile began to change ifs cartographie
practice by publishing a map relating to ifs "Presential Sea" claim which
purp0l1ed to show a maritime boundalY between Chile and Peru.
(j) Chapter VI: The Principles and Rules of International Law Governing
Maritime Delimitation and Tht!ir Application in this Case.
This chapter reviews the princip les and mies ofintemationallaw relevant
to maritime delimitation and their application to the geographical and
other circumstances of the present case in order to achieve an equitable
result. It starts by examining the "equitable principleslrelevant
circumstances " mie as the basic mie of maritime delimitation in the
absence of an agreed boundary. Then it identifies the relevant coasts of
the Parties for the purposes of the delimitation , and the relevant area
within which the "equidistance /special circumstances " mie falls to be
applied . If addresses the stal1ing-point for the delimitation , where the
land boundary between the Parties meets the sea, and shows the manner
in which that point was agret!d in 1929-1930 . If then discusses the
constmction of the provisionaI equidistance line and shows that there
are no special or rele vant circumstances characterizing the area to be
delimited which caB for the adjustment ofthat line, and that the equidistance
line itself results in an equal and equitable divisionf the areas appel1aining
to the Parties without any "eut-off 'effect or undue encroachment. Final1y,
it demon strates that a delimi tation based on the application of the
equidistance method satisfies the test ofproportionality and achieves an
equitable result based on the facts of the case . 17
(g) Chapter VII: Peru 'sMaritime Entitlements OffIts Southern Coast - The
'Outer Triangle '.
This chapter describes the rights claimed by Chile beyond its 200-mile
zone through ifs concept of the so-called "Presential Sea", and shows
that Chile's claimed "Presential Sea" encroaches deeply upon Peru 's
maritime domain , well within the 200-mile area to which Peru is entitled.
Finally , it demonsfratesthat snch a daim is clearl y incompatible with
the exclusive sovereign rights appertaining to Peru .
(h) Chapter VIII: Summary.
In accordance with Practice Direction II of the Intemational Court of
Justice , a summar y of Peru 's reasoning is presented in this final chapter.
31. Following the Summary in Chapter VIII , Petu presents its Submissions. In
accordance with Article 50 of tht! Rule s of the Court , Pem 's Memorial also
contains two (2) volumes of documental y annexes (Volumes II and III) together
with a volume of map s and figure s (Volume IV) . A list of the documentar y
annexes and of the maps and figures appears after Pem 's Submissions as
weil as a list of document s filed with the Comt's Regi stry in accordance
with Article 50(2) of the Rules of the Court. CHAPTER 1
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
1. Introdnction
1.1 The Govenllnent of Peru has chosen to submit ifs maritime dispute with Chile
to theInternational Court of Justice so that the matter cau be settled on the
basis of internationallaw, and respecting the sovereign equality of the two
States. This is the method of dispute settlement for which the American States
provided in the Pact ofBogota and is a reflection of the principles of mutual
respect and good-neighbourliness which guide relations between the American
States.
1.2 In order to expia in how the agree.d land boundary between Peru and Chile -
including the point at which the land boundary meets the sea and from which
the maritime delimitation must start - was fixed, this chapter foensesUpOll
sOllleimpOltant historical facfs in the context of the maritime dispute between
Petu and Chile.
1.3 Although Peru and Chile did not share telTitorial boundaries until 1883, they
had a sh·ong relationship during a period in which Peru enjoyed an exceptional
position in the region. Since their independence (Chile in 1818 and Petu in
1821), Chile struggled to achieve a predominant role in the South-East Pacific.
The War of the Pacific (1879-1883) declared by Chile against Bolivia and
Petu was a direct consequence of that objective. 20
lA As a result of territorial losses by Peru and Bolivia in that war , Peru and
Chile became bordering neighbours . With the 1929 Treaty of Lima, Peru and
Chile reached an agreement on outstanding issues arising [rom the war, a
final land border was established and their relationship improved .
1 .5 Starting [rom the 1952 Declaration of Santiago , Petu , Chile and Ecuador
- lafer joined by Colombia - worked together in order to defend their claim
to a maritime zone of 200 nautical miles and took on a pioneering role in the
creation of the modern Law of the Sea.
1.6 The relation ship befween Peru and Chile has continued to develop in many
areas during recent decade s and Pem 's Application to the Court seeks a
solution of the dispute without impeding the development of friendly relations
between the two countries.
II. Colonial Times and E"rly Republican History
1.7 The Viceroyalty ofPeru was the most important Spanish dominion in South
America . During the colonial period the bond between the Viceroyalty of
Peru and the Captaincy-General of Chile was quite strong . Through trade
and the mining industr y, a complex. productive and commercial system that
extended throughout Peru , Boli via, northern Argentina and Chile was
establi shed during the first centuries of that period 29. Trade was carried
out under the control ofLima-based merchant s (the 'Lima Consulate') who
owned the ships and in many ways actually set the rule s of the commercial
exchange 3.
29 Sempat Assadourian, Carlos: El Sistema de la Ecollomia Colonial: Mercado Intemo, Regiones
y Espacio Economico. Lima, IEP, 1982, pp. 11·-17.
JO Flores Galindo, Alberto: Aristocracia y Plebe. Lima, 1760-1830. Lima, Mosca Azul Editores,
1984, pp. 54-59; Vîllalobos, Sergio: Chile y Pen). La historia qlle lias une y nos separa 1535-
1883. Santiago de Chile, Editorial Universitaria, 2002, pp. 13-16; Céspedes dei Castillo,
Guillenllo:Historia de EspaFia. Barcelona, Editorial Labor S.A., 1983, Vol. VI (América
Hispallica), pp. 83, 157. 21
1.8 After its independence , Peru did not share any boundary with Chi le because
Bolivia's territory lay between the two countries (see Figure 1.1). Therefore ,
the relationship between Peru and Chile at that time did not give fise to any
territorial or maritime questions.
1.9 In the 1830s Diego P0l1ales, a prominent Chilean statesman who was Minister
of Interior , Foreign Affairs , Wa:r and Navy, argued for the adoption of a
clear princip le in Chilean foreign poliey: Chile had to prevent Petu from
attaining once more the political and military predominance it had enjoyed
in Colonial tillles. This princip le has been a key element in Chile 's foreign
and security policies since the nineteenth cent ury 31.
1.10 The application of this principle was evident when Bolivian President Andrés
de Santa Cruz organized the Pem-Bolivian Confederation in 1836. This raised
the concerns of Diego Portales , who advised the Chilean President to take
action against the Confederation. Portales recorded his thoughts about the
Confederation in the following way:
"The Confederation must forever disappear from the American
scene. By ifs geographical extent ; by its larger white population ;
by the combined wealtll ofPenl and Bolivia, until now scarcely
touched ; by the mie that the new organization wou Id tly to
exel1 in thePacifie , taking it away from us .. the Confederation
wou Id drown Chi le" 32 .
See Collier, Simon and Sater, William F.: A History ofChile 1808-1994. Cambridge, Cambridge
University Press, 1996, pp. 63-69; Gongora, Mario: Ensayo Historico Sobre la Nocion de
Estado en Chile en los Siglos XIX-XX. Santiago de Chile, Editorial Universitaria, 1998, pp. 68-
71.
32 De la Cmz, Emesto and Feliù Cmz, Guillemlo: Epistolario de Don Diego Portales 182/-1837.
Santiago de Chile, Direccion General de Prisiones, 1937, Vol.III, p. 453. On this point, Robert
BUlT's interpretation of Portales thought is noteworthy: "Chile's dominant political figure thus
proved himselfto be the possessor of a thoroughly sophisticated concept of power ... And in his
sense of Chile's inferiority to the fonner viceregal capital, Portales reflected the attitudes of
Chilean leaders as they confronted the growing power of Santa Cruz, and decided that tbatpower
mnst be defillitively destroyed." See Burr, Robert N.: By Reason or Force. Los Angeles,
University of Califomia Press, 1965, pp. 38-39. 22
Spanish text reads as follows:
"La Confederaci6n debe desaparecer para siempre jamas dei
escenalio de AméIica. Por su extension geografica ; por su mayor
poblaci6n blanca ; por las riquezas conjuntas deiPen.'y Bolivia ,
apenas explotadas ahora; por el dominio que la nue va
organizaci6n trataria de ejercer en el Pacifieo , anebatandonoslo
... la COllfederaci6n ahogaria a Chi le".
1.11 Bemardo O'Higgins , considered the "[ather of the Chilean Nation ", at that
tiille in exile inu, warned about the possibilit y that Diego Portales would
use a pretext to declare war against the Peru-Bolivian Confederation. Backing
theeff0l1s displayed by the Confedt:~ roavoiionthe war, O'Higgins wrote
to Argentine General Joséde San Nlartiu , with whom he had collaborated in
the independence of Peru: "... Minister Portales ... having disposed himself
for war, fears his fall in times of peace "3, adding:
" ... [Portales] should repent himself of kindling wars and
enmities that lead to the ultimate ruin of our common Nation!
To those to whom nothing has cost and wish to elevate themselves
on the ruin of those who sacrifice themselves for their dear
homeland , national honour, the prosperity of America and public
peace are of small regard, because lacking entitlement to govern
and unleash their aspirations , they want to prevail by force
over reason and justice. "34
Spanish text reads as follows:
" que [Portales] se arrepienta de encender guerras y
enemistades que conducen a la ùltima ruina de nuestra comùn
patria! A los que nada les ha costado y quieren elevarse sobre
la ruina de los que se sacrifican por su caro suelo , poco les
importa el honor nacional , la prosperidad de la América y la
J3 Archivo Nacional: Arc hivo de don Berna rdo O'Higgin s. Santiago de Chile , Imprenta
Universitaria,1951, Vol. IX, p. 33. (Spanislktext: el Ministro Portales ... habiéndose
dispuesto para la gnerra, teme su caida en la paz.").
,4 Ibid. 23
FIRST OFFICIAL MAP OF PERU
Prepared in 18by order of the
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariano Paz-Soldan
~ lllrnUH JflalrfrirH.
Il.IU~f!l '.l!·.Q
Figure 1.1 25
pùblica tranquilidad , porque no teniendo titulo para gobemar
y dar anchura a sus aspiraciones , quieren por la fuerza
sobreponerse a la razon y a la justicia. "
1.12 Nevertheless , Chile decided that a political entity like the Pem-Bolivian
Confederation was a threat for Chilean security. Chile therefore organized
two military expeditions against the Confederation. The first expedition failed,
but the second defeated the COllfederation 's anny in 1839 35resulting in the
break-up of the Confederation.
1.13 With the introduction of steamships in the 1840s , the passage of merchant
ships from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacifie Ocean through the Strait of
Magellan and Cape Horn increased substantially , allowing Chile to develop
its own trade policies36.In the niIH:~t eeehuyththere was sh·ong competition
between the ports of Callao (Peru) and Valparaiso (Chi le), which vied for
the role ofhub in the South-East Pacific Ocean . This competition focused on
37
tariffs and tax policies .
III. The War of the Pacifie (1879-1883)
1.14 The War of the Pacifie (1879-1883) fundamentally ehanged the relationship
between Petu and Chile . In 1879, Chile asserted that Bolivia had breaehed
an international treaty signed by the two eountries in 1874, which had set
out conditions for the exploitation of Bolivian nitrates by Chile. On 14 FebmalY
1879, Chile invaded the Bolivialll province of Antofagasta , where Chile had
signifieant investments in nih·ates 3S.
3~ Fernandez Valdés, Juan José:ChUe-Perll. Historia SilSRelaciones Diplomaticas entre 1819-
1879. Santiago de Chile, Editorial &alCanto, 1997, pp. 91-120.
36 Querejazu Calvo, Roberto: Guano, Salitre, Smlgre. Historia de la Gllerra dei Pacifico (La
Participacion de Bolivia). La Paz, Libreria Editorial "Juventud", 1998, pp. 28, 32.
37 Wagner de ReYlla, Alberto: Historia Diplolluitica dei Perû 1900-1945. Lima, Fondo Editorial
dei Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores deiu, 1997, p. 31.
38 The Bolivian province ofAntofagasta and the Pemvian southem province of Tarapacâ were rich in
nitrates and guano. Nitrates were uso manufacture gunpowder and also as a fertiItwas a
lucrative business dtuing the second halfhe nineteenth and early twentieth century. Guano is
a natural feltilizer produced by seabirds. 26
1.15 Peru was a Party to a Defence Alliance Treaty with Bolivia and tried to find
a peaceful solution to the dispute between Chile and Bolivia. These efforts
were unsuccessful , and on 5 April 1879, Chile declared war on Petu and
Bolivia.
1.16 When the war broke out Chile had far more and better weapons and ships
than both Peru and Bolivia. The bmden of the war fell mainly on Peru because
Bolivia had lost most of ifs anny early in the cOllflict. Despite the military
handicap , the Peruvian Admirai Miguel Grau succeeded in holding back the
Chilean Navy for several months , but Chile won control of the sea and then
initiated the land campaign. Pemvian Colonel Francisco Bolognesi and a
handful of Peruvian patriots died on 7 June 1880 defending the Morro de
Arica , in a key battle on Pemvian soil. By 1881 , despite a staunch defence
- particularly in the highlands , under the command of Andrés Caceres -
Chile had occupied a great expanse of the Peruvian territOlY, including Lima ,
the capital.
1.17 The effects of the war were trauma tic for Pemvians. There were thousands
of civilian casualties and cities were destroyed. Many public buildings and
institutions, including San Marcos University and the National Library in
39 40
Lima , were plundered .In addition, Chile unde1100k control of guan0 and
nitrate production ; fU11hennore, sel: tire to the coastal sugar plantations and
41
their modern refineries. As a result , the Pemvian economy was destroyed .
,9 Pradier Fodéré, Paul: Le Chili et le droit des gens. GandL. de Busscher, 1883, pp. 4-10. Some
of the books and archives taken from Lima were rettuned to Pem as recently as 2008.
40 Guano was used as fertilizer since ancient times, as shown by the discovery of pre-Inca
(Mochica) tools in deep layers of fossilized guanoIt was also used as fertilizer by the Incas and
later, during colonial times, by native Peruvians. Peruvian guano had been shldied in Europe since
1804 and attracted pal1icular attention from tilt: time of the industrial revollltion. In London its
priee reached 25 pmmds per ton, and many businessmen tried to get pelmits from the Pemvian
Government for its extraction and sale. See Querejazu Calvo, RObeI10 , op. cit., pp. 27-28.
41 Basadre, Jorge: Historia de la Repûblica dei Perû 1822-1933. 7'b ed. Lima, Editorial
Universitaria, 1983, Vol.VI. pp. 214-216; also Pradier Fodéré,Paul, op. cit., pp. 4-6. 27
1.18 Petu signed and ratified the 1883 Treaty of Ancon while Chilean troops
were still occupying its territory. With the militarvictOly in the War of the
Pacifie ,hile's international pH~-emine inctee area increased 4.
1.19 Mario Gongora, a well-known Chilean historian , understood that war was
the means by which the Chilean State consolidated in the nineteenth centmy.
Conquering wars expanded ifs h:rritorial domaiu. G6ngora wrote:
"Weil then, in the nineteenth century war also becomes a key
historical factor ... along the cenhuy, the 1836-1839 war against
the Pem-Bolivian Confederation of Santa Cruz, the naval war
against Spain (1864-1866) , the War of the Pacific (1879-1883)
- which was lived as a national war - follow one another.
The last century is, thus, marked by war.
Sta11ingwith the wars of Independence , and after the successive
victorious wars of the nineteenth century, a sentiment and a
properly 'national' conscience - 'Chileanness' - has been
progressively under constllJction. "43
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Pues bien, en el siglo XIX la guerra pasa a ser también un
factor historico capital ...se suceden, a 10largo dei siglo , la
guerra de 1836-1839 contra la Confederacion Penl-Boliviana
de Santa Cruz, la guelTa naval contra Espafia (1864-1866) , la
guelTa dei Pacifico (1879-1883), vivida como guelTa nacional.
El siglo pasado esta pues marcado por la guerra.
A partir de las guerras de la Independencia, y luego de las
sucesivas guerras victoriosas dei siglo XIX , se ha ido
constituyendo un sentimiento y una conciencia propiamente
'nacionales' , la 'chilenidad'. "
" Collier, Simon: "From Independence to the War of the Pacific". In: Leslie 8ethell ed., Chile
Since Independence. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1993, p. 31.
Gongora, Mario, op. cit., pp. 66-67, 72. 28
IV. The 1883 Treaty of Ancon and the Plebiscite
on Tacna alnd Arica
1.20 The tenDS of the 1883 Treaty of Ancon were very harsh for Pem. By this
Treaty ,Peru lost the coasfal province ofTarapaca , rich in natural resources.
Besides guano , the areas obtained by Chile had nitrate mines which were of
great significance for its economy. Much later, copper mines - many of them
in the conquered territories - would become the source of the key export
item of the Chilean economy. At the same time, social and economic interaction
was broken between the provinces conquered by Chile and southern Peru.
1.21 Furthenllore , Article 3 of the 1883 Treaty of Ancon stated that:
"The tenitory of the Provinces of Tacna and Arica ... shaH
continue in the possession of Chile ... during a period often
years ... After the expiration of that tenn a plebiscite will
decide by popular vote whether the territory of the above
mentioned Provinces is to remain definitely lUlderthe dominion
and sovereignty of Chile or is to continue to constitute a part
of Peru."44 (See Figure 1.2).
Spanish text reads as follows:
"El territorio de las Provincias de Tacna y Arica ... continuara
poseido por Chile ... durante el ténnino de diez alios ... Expirado
este plazo, un plebiscito decidira en vota cion popular si el
territorio de las Provincias referidas queda definitivamente
dei dominio y soberania de Chile 0 si continua siendo parte
dei territorio peruano."
1.22 Chile occupied not only Tarapaca , Arica and Tacna but also the province of
Tarata , acting contrary to the 1883 Treaty of Ancon. Peru unsuccessfully
demanded the return of Tarata on the grounds that Chile had no right to that
province under the Treaty45.
44 Annex 43.
45 Garcia Salazar, A11uro:Historia Diplomatica dei Peril 1884-1927. Lima, ImprentaJ.Rivas
Benio , 1928, p. 136; Rios Gallardo, Comado: Chile y Peril..Los Pactos de 1929. Santiago de
Chile, Editorial Nascimento,59, pp. 77, 149-151.CHILE'S TERRITORIAL ACQUISITIONS '_
RESULTING FROM THE WAR o~= PERU
OF THE PACIFIC
""_.:....,:O
JO .. ~.... '" , ..
"-"__ ....__ M...',...._M .."...' ...
- ",-......-.
BOLIVIA
"'lTltOr(1883)hllo by "'ru
PACIFIC t ANTOFAGASTA
.. F'
OCEAN
M __
CH 1LE
.! 0fI_ ARGENTINA
Figure 1.2 31
1.23 For seve ral decade s, problem s concerning the implementation of the 1883
Treaty of Ancon gave fise to great difficultie s in the relation ship between
Petu and Chile.
1.24 In spite ofPeruvian demand s, Chile did not hold the plebi scite in 1894, as
it was obliged to do uuder article 3 of the Treat y. If dela yed the plebi scite
in order to create pro-Chilean sentiment in the provinces of Tacna and Arica,
through a process known as "C hi]enization "46. When, finally, itwas ready to
discuss the possibilit y of holding a plebi scite, Chile sought to impo se
unacceptable conditions on the proce ss 47.
1.25 In the twentieth century , Petu sev ered diplomatie relations with Chile
twice : in 1901, and again in 1910, becau se ofChile's failure to convene the
plebi scite and becau se of the worsening of the "Chilenization " polic y in
Tacna and Arica.
1.26 By 1919, the Peruvian Governme:nt came to the conclusion that any solution
of the dispute with Chile would probably have to involve a proce ss of
arbitration in which the President of the United States would be a key actoI".
1.27 In 1922 Peru and Chile accepted the participation of the United States
Government in the search for a solution to the dispute. Under the auspices of
the United States Secretaly of State , both countries signed a Protocol of
Arbih·ation, with Supplementaly Act, under which the President of the United
States was to act as arbitrator 48.
46 Garcia Salazar, Arturo, op. cit ., pp. 84··86, 96-105; Ulloa , Alberto: Para la Historia
Internacional y Diplol1uitica deI Peril: Chile. Lima, Editorial Atlantida, 1987, pp. 318-326;
Gonzalez Miranda, Sergio: El dios Ca/divo. Las Ligas Patrioticas en la Chileni =acion
COII/puisiva de Tarapaca (1910-1922). Santiago de Chile, Lom edieiones, 2004, pp. 47-112.
For a detailed aeeolUltof the poliey applied by Chile in those territories, see also the ''Taena
Ariea question (Cltile, Pem)", United Nations, Reports of International Arbitral Awards, Vol.II,
pp. 935-944 <http://untreaty.un.org/eod/riaaJeases/vol_II/921-958.pdi> aecesed 5 December
2008.
47 Garcia Salazar,AffilIO,op.cit., pp. 166-171.
48 Ibid., pp. 295-329; Rios Gallardo, Conrado, op. cit., pp. 68-76. 32
1.28 On 4 Mareh 1925 , the Award of the President of the United States ordered
the following measures:
(a) A11icle 3 of the 1883 Treaty of Ancon related to Tacna and Arica (quoted
above, paragraph 1.21) was to remain in force.
(b) A Plebiscitary Commission with conti"ol over the plebiscite was to be
creafed.
(c) The province of Tarata was to return to Peru 4.
1.29 Alticle 3 of the 1883 Treaty ofAncôn stipulated that the plebiscite had to be
held after 10 years, a deadline whicll ,by 1925, had long expired. The President
of the United States determined that Article 3 nonetheless remained valid
because Peru and Chile had been m:gotiating ifs implementation throughout
the preceding decades. In accordance with the ruling of the Arbitrator , a
Plebiscitary Commission was appointed consisting of three members - one
appointed by Peru , one appointed by Chi le, and one , who chaired the
COimnission, appointed by the President of the United States. The COimnission
had two successive chainnen: Genl~r Jahn J. Pershing and Major General
William Lassiter.
1.30 General Pershing resigned in January 1926. The Commission continued under
Major General William Lassiter , ending ifs work unsuccessfully a few months
later with the adoption of a Resolution by which he proposed the tennination
of the plebiscitary proceedings in the following tenns:
"Pm·suant to the tenns of the Treaty of Ancon ... the creation
and maintenance of conditions proper and necessary for the
holding of a free and fair plebiscite ... constituted an obligation
restingupon Chile ... the Commission finds as a fact that the
failureofChile in this regard has frustrated the efforts of the
Commission to hold the plebiscite as contemplated by the Award.
The Plebiscitary Commission accordingly decides ,
49 See para. 1.22 above. 33
First, That a free and fair plebi scite as requireby the Award
is impracticable of accompli sillnent ".50
1.31 Lafer, General Pershing and Majo r General Lassiter made a joint report to
the Arbitrator regarding the conditi ons for the plebiscite.hat report pointed
out-
"the hu e cause ofthi s delay, as weil as the real reason ofthi s
lack of greater progress, is none other than the conduet of the
Chilean authorities in the control of the plebi scitarytelTitOly,
who in disregard of the Tre aty of Aneon, the Protocol of
Arbitr ation, and the Award of the Arbitr atof,and in flagrant
[rand of their provisions, have since the date of the submission
of the Counter Cases to the Arbitrat of,April 18, 1924, and the
date of the Award, MardI 9, 1925, maintained a veritable reign
of terror in the plebiscitary territor y."51
v. The 1929 Treaty of Lima
1.32 Peru and Chile re-established diplomatie relations in September 1928. From
October 1928 to May 1929 a complex and rapid process of negotiation took
place. On 3 June 1929 , Peru and Chile signed the Treaty of Lima and its
Additi onal Protocol, solving the outstanding issues concerning Tacna and
Arica.
1.33 Under this Treaty, Tacna returned to Pem while Chile retained Arica, thus
dismptin g the nahlfal economic unit fonn ed by the two provinces. Peru kept
some rights and servitude s in Arica, such as the use of the Uchusuma and
Mauri wa ter channels, and rights on the railway from Tacna to Arica. The
Treaty provided that Chile would build substantial railway and pOlt facilities
50 Joint Report to the Arbitrator, Tacna-Arica Arbitration, by General J.Pershing, First
President , and Major General William Lassiter, Second President , of the Plebi scitary
Commission , Tacna -Arica Arbitration , "Text of Resoluti on to Termin ate Plebiscitary
Proceedings", pp. 364-365. Annex 86.
51 Ibid., "True Cause of Delay", pp. 152-153. 34
for the exclusive use of Peru in Arica's harbour. The result of the Treaty was
that although Tacna wouId remain in Peru, while ifs city-harhour of Arica
would henceforth belong to Chile , Tacna and Arica would both maintain
strong connections in order not to deprive Tacna from access to its natural
port and allow both provinces to develop.
1.34 Article 2 of the 1929 Treaty of Lima stipulated how the border befween the
two countries was to be drawn:
"The telTitory of Tacna and Arica shaH be divided iuto two
portions of which Tacna , shall be allotted to Peru and Arica
to Chile. The dividing hIle befween the two portions, and
consequently the [rontier beh;veen the territories of Chile and
Peru , shaH start from a point on the coast to be named
'Concordia' , ten kilometres to the north of the bridge over the
river Lluta. It shall continue eastwards parallel to the hne of
the Chilean section of the Arica La Paz railway and at a distance
of ten kilometres therefrom, with such sinuosities as may be
necessary to allow the local topography to be used , in the
demarcation , in such a way tha.tthe sulphur mines of the Tacora
and their dependencies shall r emain within Chilean territory.
The hne shall then pass through the centre of the Laguna Blanca,
so that one portion thereof shall be in Chile and the other in
Penl." 52
Spanish text reads as follows:
"El territorio de Tacna y Arica sera dividido en dos paites ,
Tacna para el Peril y Arica para Chile. La linea divisoria entre
dichas dos partes y, en com:ecuencia , la frontera entre los
territorios dei Peril y de Chile , partira de un punto de la costa
que se denominara 'Concordia' , distante diez kil6metros al
Norte dei puente dei Rio Lluta, para seguir h.kia el Oriente
parai ela a la via de la secci6n chilena dei FerrocalTil de Arica
a La Paz y distante diez kil6meh·os de ella, con las inflexiones
necesarias para utihzar , en la demarcaci6n , los accidentes
n The Treaty of Lima of 3 JlUle1929 is included as Allnex 4 to the AppItis joined anew for
the convenienceof the Court as Allnex 45. 35
geognificos cercanos que pennitan dejar en territorio chileno
las azufreras dei Tacora y sus dependencias , pasando luego
por el centro de la Laguna Blanca , en forma que Ullade sus
partes quede en el Pen.'!y la otra en Chile."
Additionally , Article 5 of that Treaty stipulated that:
"For the use ofPenl , the Govemment ofChile shaH, at ifs own
costs, construct within one thousand five hundred and seventy
five metres of the Bay of Arica a landing stage for fair-sized
steamships , a building for the Pemvian Customs office , and a
terminal station for the Tacnarailway . Within these zones and
establishments the h"ansit traffie ofPem shaHenjoy the freedom
that is accorded in free ports uuder the mûst liberal régime."S3
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Para el servicio dei Peru el Gobierno de Chile constmini a
su costo , dentro de los mil quinientos setenta y cinco metros
de la bah la de Arica un malecon de atraque para vapores de
calado, un edificio para la agencia aduanera peruana y una
estacion terminal para el FerrocalTil a Tacna, establecimientos
y zonas donde el comercio de tninsito dei Peru gozani de la
independencia propia dei mas amplio puelto libre. "
1.35 Pem received back the provin cft:acna on 28 August 1929, before the
demarcation process stalted.
1.36 During the demarcation process, delegates could not agree on the exact location
on the ground of point "Co ncordia ", the starting-point on the coast of the
land border. This disagreement was resolved by the Peruvian and Chilean
Ministers of Foreign Affairs, who agreed to inshllct their delegates that point
Concordia was to be the point of intersection between the Pacific Ocean and
an arc with a radiusoften kilometres having its centre on the bridge over the
River Lluta. It was also agreed that "[a] boundalY marker shaH be placed at
53 Ibid. 36
any point of the arc , as close to the sea as allows preventing it from being
destroyed by the ocean waters ."S4
1.37 The commitments that Chile had made towards Peru were finally fulfilled
seven decades later , in 1999, when the Execution Act concerning Article 5
of the 1929 Treaty of Lima was signed by the two countries 55.
VI. Peru-Chile Exp,anding Relations
1.38 Notwithstanding the difficulties in relations between the Parties discussed
above, itis sh"iking that Peru and Chile (together with Ecuador) subsequently
became pioneers in the development of a number of key elements of the
modem Law of the Sea. In 1947 Peru and Chile proclaimed maritime rights
extending out to a distance of200 nautical miles from their coasts . This was
followed by the 1952 Declaration of Santiago pursuant to which Pem , Chile
and Ecuador acted jointl y to declare their rights out to a minimum distance
of 200 nautical miles from their coasts , in order to protect and preserve
their natural resources adjacent to their territory .
1.39 In addition , the tluee counh ·ies siglled a furtller Convention by which they
created the Permanent Commission for the South Pacific , a new subregional
organization that conh ·ibuted to shape the world's modern vision of the
international Law of the Sea. The Commission had the task of co-ordinating
political joint action in defence of the 200-mile zone and supporting the
scientific and economic co-operati on among the member States.
1.40 At the time , these three countries knew that they were creating the basis for
a new Law of the Sea, and it is no understatement to say that their efforts
changed the way in which much of the rest of the world wou Id come to
~4 Instmctions from the Chileall Govemment to its delegation with the Agreement of the Minisnies of
Foreign Affairs (of Pem and Chile) are reproduced in Brieba, ELimites entre Chile y Pen/.
Santiago de Chile, Instituto Geognifico Militar, 1931, Vol. 1: Estudio técllicoy documento s, p. 39.
(Spanish text: "[s]e colocani lm hito en cualquier plUlto dei arco, 10 mas proximo al mar posible,
donde quede a cubiel10 de ser destmido las aguas dei océano."). See Atmex 87.
~5 Anllex 60. 37
understand and approach the extt: o~antoastal State's rights over maritime
areas situated off the coast. While these initiatives did meet with opposition
at the time, they were the clear precursor to severalimpOltant princip les
fonning the basis of the modern Law of the Sea.
1.41 From the First United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, heId in
Geneva in 1958, Peru, Chile and Ecuador worked together in an effort to
change illtemationallaw. Nonetheless , at that time they did not get the necessaly
support from otIler delegations in favour of the 200-mile zone. The fundamental
contribution subsequentlymade by the three countries at UNCLOS III, which
gave birth to the modem Law of the Sea, is weIl recognized.
1.42 Relations between Peru and Chile have strengthened and extended , notably
during recent decades , in spite of their complexity and sometimes difficult
situations. Several common actions in issues of foreign policy at the bilateral
and multilaterallevel, economic co-operation , high level visits, mutual good
will gestures and confidence-building measures by both Parties have ail
contributed greatly to the enhancement oftheir relations. Trade and investment
have also substantially increase:d between the two countries , as weil as
migration.
1.43 Peru and Chile share interests in the Latin AmeIican region and in international
relations. Chile recently rejoined the Andean Community as an associated
member, both countries particip acttv,~yin the South American integration
process and continue to strengthen their co-operation in the framework of
the Permanent Commission for the South Pacific. Peru and Chile are also the
only South American members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Forum (APEC) , and are jointly promoting the establishment of an association
of the Latin American countries facing the Pacific Rim.
1.44 In that context Peru's request to the Internationalmt of Justice to settle
the maritime dispute is intended to keep the controversy strictly on legal
grounds without affecting the developmentof the relationships between both
countries. CHAP'TER II
THE GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING
2.1 This chapter addresses the geographical setting within which the delimitation
is to be effectuated. Section l de scribes the general configuration of the
Parties ' coasts, including the Partie s' baselines . Section II discus ses the
characteristics of the delimitatioll area including the incidence of natural
resource s in the area and the importance of having access to snch resources
forPeru .
10The General Configuroation of the Peruvian and
Chileau Coasts
2.2 As cau be seen from Figure 2.1, the continental coasts ofPeru and Chile are
situated on the west coast of South America. Peru is located about one-third
of the way down the Pacifie coast. To the north ofPenllies Ecuador while ,
to the south , Petu share s a land boundary with Chile that meet s the sea at a
point named Concordia , whose co-ordinate s are 18°21'08" S, 70°22'39" W
WGS84 56.The coast ofChile complises the southem half of the Pacifie littoral
of South America. Ifstretche s from the land border with Peru to the southem
tip of Cape Hom where Chile's border with Argentina is loeated .
56 See para. 2.13 below. 40
2.3 It cau also be seen from Figure 2. .1 that the general direction of the west
coast of South America changes markedly very close to the point where the
starting-point of the Peru-Chile land boundary is sihmted. North of the Peru
Chile boundary , the orientation of the coasts of Peru, Ecuador and Colombia
assumes a convex configuration with Pem's coast , south of approximately
the 5° S latitude , trending in a northwest-southeast direction down to the
land boundary with Chile. This general trend ends abmptly near where the
PelU-Chile land boundary meets the sea. The Chilean coast , to the south ,
thereafter milS in an ahnost due north-south direction.
2.4 In other words , the land boundary between the Parties meets the sea close
to the deepest point in the conca vit y formed by the Peruvian coast to the
north , which trends in one direction , and the Chilean coast in the south ,
which extends in another. Ifis this geographical configuration which gives
rise to overlapping maritime entitlements and is thus central to the present
dispute.
A. PERU'S COAST
2.5 Peru's coastal front spans a length of2 ,905 kilometres. For the most part ,
Peru's coast is uncomplicated. From the stalting-point on the land boundary
with Chile , it extends in a north-westerly direction to the city of San Juan
situatedjust below the 15° S latitude. From here the coast tracks more in
a north-northwest direction past the capital city of Lima , which is the only
South American capitallying on the Pacific Ocean , to a point (Punta Falsa)57
situatedjust south of the 5° S latitude. At that point, Peru's coast tums to
the north for a short stretch before it recedes back to the northeast into the
Gulf of Guayaquil where the land boundary between Pem and Ecuador
termina tes.
H These locations can be seen in Figure 2.3. 4 1
VENEZUELA
COLOMB lA
PACIFIC
BRAZIL
OCEAN
BOLIVIA
,•-----+----------------t----------------+ -------------------t---------------
··-----+--------------+--- --------------1-_+---,L~-----~-1-
GENERAL CONFIGURATION OF THE
PERUVIAN AND CHILEAN COASn
MWCS.UOotumon
(k<>I=lo......
• ,.. ~
No.,tiul MiJe.
• '.~ '.~
~_dby: Intem atiorY/ Mapping
Figure 2.1 43
2.6 There are a number of Ecuadorian islands in the vicinity of Ecuador's land
boundary with Peru. These include Isla Puna and the smaller island of Santa
Clara situated within the Gulf of Guayaquil , and the Isla Pelado, Isla Salango
and Isla de la Plata , located a short distance to the Horth. These feahlres are
depicted on Figure 2.2. While none ofthese islands has any bearing on the
delimitation of maritime zones bl~twe Pentu and Chile , they are mentioned
here because their location is relevant to the interpretation oftwo inshl.unents
enfered iuto by Peru , Chile and Ecuador relating to their maritime zones
the 1952 Declaration of Santiago and the 1954 Agreement relating to a Special
Maritime Frontier Zone (hereinafter "the 1954 Agreement on a Special Zone")
- discussed in Chapter IV below.
2.7 For its part , Peru possesses a modest number of islands , such as the Lobos
Islands located just south of Punta Falsa , and a few small islands lying off
Peru's northern coast , between the 10° and 15° S latitudes. However , there
are no Peruvian islands in the vicinity of the land boundary with Chile
and , consequently , no Peruvian islands that are relevant for delimitation in
this case , as can be seen on the map of the two border areas appearing as
Figure 2.2.
2.8 The land boundalY between Pem and Chile meefs the sea at Point Concordia ,
the co-ordinates ofwhich , as noted above , are 18°21'08" S, 70°22'39" W
WGS84. While this aspect of the case is addressed in more detail in Chapter
VI, suffice it to note here that the initial segment of the land bOlUl, including
the point where it meets the sea, was established pursuant to the 1929 Treaty
of Lima entered into by Peru and Chile on 3 June 1929 58.
2.9 The reference to Tacna andAIica in the 1929 Treaty of Lima is to two provinces
and towns bearing these names located close to the land bound aryS9.As can
58 Almex 45.
59 See paras. 1.32-1.35 above. 44
be seen on Figure 2.3, the city of Tacna is located in Peruvian territory
scme 40 kilomeh "es inland [rom the coast. The port-city of Arica (originally
a Peruvian town and Tacna 's natural harhour) is now situated in Chile and
lies a few kilometres south of the boundar y. The 1929 Treaty of Lima also
refers to Concordia as the point on the coast [rom which the land boundary
60
starts .
2.10 Figure 2.3 also shows how the initial point on the land boundary lies almost
exactly at the point where the configuration of the Pacifie coast of South
America changes direction. The Peruvian coast north of the land boundary
mus in a southeast-uOlthwest direction while Chile 's coast to the south adopts
a north-south orientation.
2.11 On the Peruvian side, there are thŒe departments 61which border the sea in
this area. From south to north these are the depaltments of Tacna, Moquegua
and Arequipa. The principal Peruvian fishing port along this part of the coast
is Ilo, located within the department ofMoquegua and depicted on Figure
2.3. If lies about 120 kilometres northwest of the initial point of the PelU
Chile land boundaly. Figure 2.3 also shows the location of a number of
other Peruvian coastal towns and fishing ports situated within the three
departments mentioned above.
2.12 Peru 's coast north of the land boundalY is relatively smooth with no distinct
promontories , offshore islands or other distinguishing feafures until the st:retch
of coast north of the 15° S latitude is reached.
60 See paras. 1.34-1.36 above.
61 The territory of the Republic of Pem is divided :indepartments which are, in hml, subdivided inta
provmces. ",
~ i 6 • ... u! •
Oz 1 • 1 • :z: ! "
~;:"> ! " ~ u ! •
"z111 !" • ,l ,
5 :::H i _~l t •
c.~C jJI'' ". J} ! 1
o~:3Z - !l1
Uzw •
:s i ~"~ i
"
,
;:)
!t II:
,! LU
II..
,
,
loi •
... q;!: 1
loi
0"i
, , ~ , 47
2.13 Pem 's baselines are set out in Law No. 28621 dated 3 November 2005
(Peruvian Maritime Domain Baselines Law, hereinafter "Pem's Baselines
Law "). This law includes , in Annex 1 thereto , the geographical co-ordinates
of the varions points which determine Peru 's baselines 62. There are 266
snch points, starting in the nOl1hwith Point 1, which is the stalting-point on
the land boundary with Ecuador , and ending in the south with Point 266
(18°21'08" S, 70°22'39" W WGS84) , which coincides with Point Concordia ,
where the Peru-Chile land boundalY meels the sea. In compliance withArticle
54 of the Pemvian Political Constitution of 1993 and in accordance with
intemationallaw , Peru 's Baselines Law establishes the baselines [rom which
Pem's 200-mile maritime domain is measured. In this respect , Article 4 of
the Law provides:
"In accordance with the Political Constitution of the State , the
outer limit of the maritime domain ofPem is traced in such a
manner that every point of the mentioned outer limit is at a
distance oftwo hundred nautical miles fi:omthe nearest baselines
point , pm·suant to the delimitation criteria established in
International Law."63
Spanish text reads as follows:
"De confonnidad con la Constitucion Politica dei Estado el
limite exterior dei dominio maritimo deI Peril es trazado de
modo que cada punto deI citado limite exterior se encuenh ·e a
doscientas millas marinas deI punto mas pr6ximo de las lineas
de base en aplicaci6n de los criterios de delimitacion
establecidos por el Derecho InternacionaL "
62 Law No. 28621, Pemvian Maritime Domain Baselines Law of 3 November 2005 is Annex 5 to
the ApplicationItis joined anew for the cOIhvenience of the Com1 as Annex 23.
63 Ibid. 48
2.14 For the mûst part , Peru's baselines are constituted by "normal " baselines
that follow the low-water mark along ifscoast. However , as depicted on
Figure 2.3, there are a few limited areas along Pem 's coast where a system
ofstraight baselines is provided for. Ali of these areas lie close to, or north
of, the 15° S latitude and thus more than 200 nautical miles from the land
boundary with Chile. Accordingly , they fall oufside the area of concern for
purposes of this case. As noted above, within 200 nautical miles of the initial
point on the land boundary with Chile , Petu 'scoast is relatively smooth and
uncomplicated and there are no islands in this area.
2.15 Article 5 ofPem 's Baselines Law provides that the Executive BrandI of
the Peruvian Government is responsible for issuing Pem's cartography
depicting the limit of ifs maritime domain as set out in Article 4. On Il August
2007 , Supreme Decree No. 047-2007-RE M was enacted in furtherance of
Pem 's Baselines Law. That Decree provides that the cartography depicting
Pem's maritime domain would be elaborated in three sectors: a northern
sector between base points Nos. 1 to 74, a central sector from base points
74 to 146, and a southern sector from base points 146 to 266. Attached to
the Decree is a chart illustrating the outer limit - southern sector - of the
maritime domain of Pem - the sec:tor that is relevant to delimitation with
Chi le.
2.16 A copy of the chart in question is reproduced as Figure 2.4. Itshows the
200-nautical-mile maritime domain claimed by Peru in the southern sector.
Also depicted on the chart is the "Area in Dispute " between Pem and Chile
- a "kite" shaped area of about 68,000 square kilometres which , for purposes
of comparison, is more than twice the size of the territory of Belgium.
64 Supreme Decree No. 047-2007-RE is Annex 7 to the Application. It is joined anew for the
convenienceof the Com1as Allllex 24. 49
COLOMBIA
1dl'M.. .
ECUADOR
T.,.,.
Putrt."",_
·----------~cc_--.------------------....'-------------_c---------,.,
"'~
BRAZIL
0------------------~-_--------+_--------._--_-----.,------
\
-...
PERU
lin....
,. Son l.oNn<d
Punt.lobo>
PACIFIC \
OCEAN L Indopende nci
1------------------ -."~~--"-~--~__l- --_--------l-----1--C
B..-J"~._o'n
~ M'"y",
""~I.Oco...iko
PERU'S COASTLINE AND
STRAIGHT BASELINES ,.: T:~~;.
Mo ruto r Pl<'joction
(ko.1o-.l.S-84 -~
J:.t;''
• .
llos
(""n" b0Po"...x:.10Q1.>... 100, 200 ..._..-CHILE
CNI000;.od ku.oooi . n<l>.... ,00, lOI, lOI, !OJ, 1001,10'1,1061107 .
CKopillo
Figure 2.3 N
j
1.
;
.,
.", 53
2.17 This area in dispute comprises the maritime area between (0)a hue drawn
[rom Point 266 on Peru's baselines situated at the initial point of the land
boundalY with Chile (Point Concordia) perpendicular to the general direction
of Peru's southern coast to a distance of 200 nautical miles corresponding to
Peru's 200-mile maritime domain, and (b)a hue drawn along a parallel of
latitude from the land boundary to a distance of 200 nauticallIules , conesponding
to the hue that is claimed by Chil(! as the maritime bOlUldaly between the two
counhies. The dashed hile that ruus south on the chart from the end ofChile 's
daim hile corresponds to the 200-nautical-mile limit of Chile's continental
shelf and EEZ entitlement without prejudice to the issue of delimitation.
2.18 To the west , or seaward , of the "Area in Dispute " is a triangular-shaped
area of about 28,350 square kilometres (equivalent to the size of Albania)
which lies further than 200 nautical miles from Chile's coast but within 200
nautical miles ofthe coast ofPeru. This is the area refelTed in paragraphs 1,
12 and 13 of Peru's Application , with respect to which Petu requests the
Court to adjudge and declare that Peru possesses exclusive sovereign rights
given that it does not fall within 200 nautical miles ofChile 's baselines - in
other words, it constitutes an area over which Chile , contrar y to ifs daims ,
has no legal entitlement. Peru 's exclusive rights with respect to this area are
discussed in greater detail in Chapter VII below.
B. CHILE' S COA ST
2.19 Chile 's coast is aligned in a general north-south orientation from the land
boundary with Peru, in the nOl1h, to Cape Horn , in the south. The northern
two-thirds ofChile 's coast is relatively smooth with no marked promontories
or other defining features. South of the 40° S latitude , Chile's coast becomes
more complex, and is characterized by a series of indentations and island
fringes. However , this stretch of coast lies far to the south of the relevant
area which is the focus of the pn:~s eelititation , and is thus not genTIane
6S
to the case .
See Chap. VI, Sec. III. 54
2.20 WeIl to the south of the maritime area lying off the land boundary with Peru ,
there are a number of isolated features, snch as the islands of San Félixand San
Ambrosio , and the Juan Felmindez group which cau be seen on Figure 2.5.
None of the se islands has any bearing on the delimitation in this case given
their distance from the stalting-po ïnt of the Peru-Chile land boundar y and
[rom the coasts of the Parties that are relevant to the delimitatioll .
66
2.21 In 1977 , Chile enacted a system of straight baselines .As cau be seen on
0
Figure 2.5, these baselines oilly apply between the 41 and 55° S latitudes
where Chile 's coast is deeply indented - in other words , weil south of the
relevant area in the present case . In the vicinit y of the land boundar y at
Point Concordia , Chile 's coast exhibits no special geographical circumstances ,
and Chile 's baselines are "normal' ''baselines constituted by the low-water
mark along its coast. On 21 September 2000 , Chile deposited with the United
Nations charts showing its baselines , territorial sea , contiguous zone ,
EEZ and continental shelf67.Chile claims a 200-nautical-mile continental
shelf and EEZ measured from its baselines , as weil as a so-called "Presential
Sea " beyond this limit , the ill-founded nature of which is discussed in
Chapter VIL
66 Chilean Decree No. 416 of 14 July 1977. Annex 34.
67 See Figure 2.6 in Vol. IV. See also the list of geographical co-ordinates deposited by Cltile with
the Secretary-Generalof the United Nations in A.nnex 110. That list of co-ordinates indicates that
point No. 1 of the Chilean baselines is located at 18°21'00" S WGS84. TIle 18°21'()()"S WGS84
parallel of latihlde corresponds to Marker No. 1 of the land bOlUl, located to the northeast of
the point where the land bOlUldarybetween bolth cOlmtries meets the sea according to the 1929
Treaty of Lima (Point Concordia, at the 18°21'08" S WGS84 parallel of latitude) . Chilean
cartography will be futther discussed in Chap. V, Sec. III. 55
.~
BOLIVIA
2--------------------f------t---------------r----------
PACIFIC
i[ ~
OCEAN
! ~
3--------------------t----------- -""'---!_---------1e----------------
Juan F..m an aez:Grou p
Santiago
'~ r"·Z-RGENTINA
Mx"' ,
r"'o"""
~-------------------+---------------, :'-o-t----1--~,-----------
1-a
~
Chile·sBase lines
CHILE'S COASTLINE AND STRAIGliT
BASELINES
MWGS.a4 Dalumection
(<>IwUIo<I" "'",) ATLANTIC
. 2S0 500
N.<>tÎ<.1Mile. OCEAN
1,500
• '.~
Coo1000&000,7000, 8000, 9000, 10000, 11000. llOOO,'ro llOOO.....lu. ch.. " 1000. 1000,
--
Figure 2,5 57
II. The CharacteristÏ<:s of the Maritime Area
aod Its Resoorces
2.22 The maritime area subject to delimitation befween Peru and Chile is
characterized by a Humber of distinct geological and geomorphological feahu"es,
which limit the physical (as opposed to legal) continental shelves of the
Parties , and by oceanographical elements which contribute to making the
area rich in fishing resources. These will be discussed below.
A. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SEA-BED AND THE S UBSOIL
2.23 The area offshore Peru and Chile represents a convergence zone befween
two tecfonic plate boundaries: the Nazca Plate , which is a sub-set of the
more extensive Pacifie Plate lying uuder the Pacifie Ocean , and the South
American Plate underlying the continent of South America. The process of
convergence between these two plates , with the former subducting under the
latter, has resulted in the formation of a plate boundary and an offshore trench
- the Peru-Chile trendl - which parallels the coastline of the two countries
and passes just offshore the point where the two counh ·ies ' land boundary
meets the sea 6S.
2.24 Due to the geological and geomorphological characteristics ofthis offshore
region , up to now the maritime area in dispute has not been the subject of
hydrocarbon exploration. However , with advances in drilling technology ,
and with exploration being able to be carried out in increasingly deep
ocean areas, this may very weil change in the future. Moreover , the shelf
area is also of interest for the presence of sedentary species and minerai
resources.
68 This can be seen on Figul"t'6.1 in Chapter VI of this Memorial. 58
B . THE FI SHING P OTE NTIA L OF THEAREA
2.25 In contrast , the areas lying off the coasts ofPeru and Chile are rich in marine
reSOlU"cesT. he particular area of coneem in this case is located in the Humboldt
CUITentLarge Marine Ecosystem - a system driven by the Humboldt CUITent
which flows in a southeast-northwest direction from the southem tip ofChile
to the vicinity of the land bOlUldaryhetween Petu and Chile and thence offshore
Petu 's coast.
2.26 The Humboldt CUITentis one of the major upwelling systems of the world
supporting an abundance of marine life and constituting a highl y producti ve
ecosystem in terms ofbiomass and overall biodiversity. Approximately , 18-
20% of the world 's fish catch COlnes from the Humboldt CUITent Ecosystem ,
with particular pelagic specie s such as anchovies , sardines, jack mackerel
and chub mackerel being amongst the most important. In the past , whaling
was also impOltant , but is now prohibited .
2.27 Ifwas the enonnous whaling and fishing potential of the areas situated off
the coasts of Penl , Chile and Ecuador that lay at the root of their initiati ve
in 1952 to proclaim 200-nautical-mile zones to protect and preserve the
marine resources located therein under the 1952 Declaration of Santiago.
While the species and quantit y of fish caught in this area has varied over the
years due to climatic changes , such as the El N;no phenomenon , access to
the fish resources of the area remains critical to Pem 'seconomy as a whole,
and in palticular to the economic well-being of the Pemvian population living
in the coastal region s of the depaltments of Tacna, Moquegua and Arequipa
where fishing repre se nts a central segment of the economy both in tenn s of
employment and of food production . Pem 'ssouthern port s account for 15%
of the total fishing product of the countl y 69.
69 Percentages derived from the total unloading in the pOIts of Atico, La Planchada, Mollendo,
Matarani and 10. See Ministerio de la Produccion: Peril: Desembarque Total de Recursos
Maritimos seglin Puerto, 1998-]007 <http://www.produce .gob.pe/RepositorioAPS /3/jer/
DESEMSUBMENU02/01_14.pdf> accessed 20 January 2009. 59
2.28 As in the past,ClUTent PelUvian fishelY activities in ifs southern waters continue
to be vital to its people and both to its regional and national economies.
Their main component , industrial fishery, has been pal1icularly active in the
tluee above-mentioned southern Pt:~IU depaatn ents since 1939 °,palticularly
in Ilo (in the department ofMoquegua) and Mafarani (in the department of
Arequipa). In Moquegua, for example , the fishing indusny is the second mûst
important economic activity , after mining , and 110represents one ofPeru's
main fishing ports and the mûst important fishing centre in southern Petu.
Ilo also supports a fisluneal and oil industry , plus a significant developing
frozen fish industty. There are cunently 12 frozen fish plants in the southern
region of Pem.
2.29 This southern maritime region is one of the four Pemvian fishing regions
(the other three regions correspond to those of the coast ofPaita , Chimbote
and Callao). Itis also part of the so-called "Pemvian-Chilean elbow area'>7,l
an ictiologically rich maritime space which both countries share.
2.30 In addition to industrial fishing, there is an important artisanal fishing activity
(some 475 craft) in southern Peru. Most of the artisanal fleet operates off the
departments of Tacna and Moquegua.
2.31 Access to the waters off the coast ofsouthern Peru is therefore ofcritical
importance to the local population and the country as a whole. However ,
this access has been hampered by the absence of a delimited maritime boundary
with Chile , and the fact that, to avoid friction and incidents between the two
countries, Pemvian fishennen's activities have been limited on a provisional
70 Alvarez Velarde , Félix: La Pesqlleria en 110 SilConrexto Nacional. Lima , Centro de
Investigaci6n, Educaci6n y Desarrol1984"p. 24.
Alvarez Velarde, Félix:"Pesqueria Industrial delUpeligro amUlciado". (Pesca Responsable,
Rel'ista Insrihlcional de la Sociedad Nacional de Pesqueria,V, No. 15, Lima, 2000, May,
p.19). Quoted in Agüero Colunga, Marisol: Consideraciones para la Delimitacion Maririma
deIPenl. Lima, Fondo Editorial dei Congreso dei Peru, 2001, p. 225. 60
basis to the hue of latitude and the zone oftolerance established in the 1954
Agreement on a Special Zone. In this respect , Peru has exhibited considerable
self-restraint , but the need for a definitive delimitation is now critical.
2.32 This is one of the key reasons why a delimitation is now sought by Petu in
order to provide the counfries with a well-defined and stable maritime boundary
and Peru'scoasfal population with an equitable access to the marine resources
of the disputed area. CHAPTER III
PERU'S MARITIME ENTITLEMENTS UNDER
INTERNATIONAL LAW
3.1 One of the main aspects of the present case is that Chile denies to ifsu
entitlements to sovereignty or sovereign rights in and over important parts
of the sea adjacent tifscoasts.
3.2 Inifs Application , Peru's submission to the Court was set out in the following
tenns:
"Petu requests the Court to detennine the emu·se of the boundary
between the maritime zone:s of the two States in accordance
with internationallaw, as indicated in Section IV above , and
to adjudge and declare that Peru possesses exclusive sovereign
rights in the maritime area situated within the limit of 200
nautical miles [rom its coast but outside Chile's exclusive
economic zone or continental shelf. "
The pm"pose of the present chapter is to briefl y explain, in general tenDS,
Petu 's entitlements in this respect. The precise limits of this maritime area
will bediscussed and justified in the next chapters of this Memorial.
3.3 It will be apparent that because they arise by virtue of the applicable
princip les of the internatioLaw of the Sea accepted by Chile (Section
lof this chapter) , Pem 's entitlementto an exclusive maritime domain
(Section II) have been recognized by Chile as a matter of principle (Section
III) , even if, concretely , Chile refuses to accept the conseqof such
a recognition. 62
1.Applicable Principles
3.4 It is appropria te to begin with a brief discussion of the app licable law.
Peru is not a Party to the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea. Chile is
a Party to the Convention , having ratified it on 25 August 1997 72. With
respec t to the source s of law applicable to the present dispute under Article
38 of the Statute of the Intern ational Court of Ju stice, theref ore, the main
source of law is customary internationall aw as prin cipally developed by
the case -law of this Court , and by intern ational arb itral tribun als. Also
rel evant are the provisions of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea
dealin g with the definition of the varion s maritime areas on which coasta l
States have particular entitlements and with maritime delimit ation, which ,
although not applicab le as treaty law per se , largely reflect customary
international law.
3.5 As recently recalled by the Court, "the 'land dominates the sea ' in such a
way that coastal projections in the seaward direction generate maritime daims
(North Sea Conhnental Shelf (Federal Repllblic of Germany /Denmark ;
Federal Republic ofGermanylNetherlands ), JlIdgment, I.C] Reports 1969,
p. 51, para. 96)""-
3.6 As defin ed by Article 76 (1) of the 1982 Convent ion on the Law of the
Sea:
" The continent al shelf of a coas tal State compri ses the seabed
and subsoil of the subm arine areas that extend beyond its
territ orial seahrou ghout the natural prolongation of its land
72 Chile made the following declaration: "In accordance with al1icle 298 of the Convention, Chile
declares thatt does not accept any of the procedures provided for in part XV, section 2, with
respect to the disputes referred to in article 298, paragraph I(a), (b) and (c) of the Convention."
United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Law of the Sea Bulletin, No.
35, p. Il.
73 Case Concerning Maritime Delimitation in the Black Sen, I.c.J . Judgment of 3 February
2009, para. 99. 63
territory to the outer edge of the continental margin , or fo a
distance of 200 natlfiea! miles fram the basehnes fram which
the breadth a/the territor;al sea ;s measured where the outer
edge of the continental margin does no1 extend up to rhat
distance " (emphasis adde d).
3.7 It must be noted in this respect that the coasts ofboth Chile and Peru plunge
rapidly iuto the vely deep Peru-Chile trench, with the consequence that both
counfries have in the area in dispute a reduced continental shelf in the
geomorphological meaning of the expression. But this of course does not
imply that they are not entitled to a 200- nautical-mile continental shelf in
the legal sense.
3.8 The sovereign rights belonging to the coasfal State over ifs continental shelf
"for the pUl]Jose of exploring it and exploiting its natural resources " (A11icle
77 (1)) -
"are exclusive in the sense that if the coastal State does not
explore the continental shelf or exploit its natural resources ,
no one may undertake these activities without the express consent
of the coastal State.
3. The rights of the coastal State over the continental shelfdo
not depend on occupation, effective or notional, or on any express
proclamation " (Article 77 (2) and (3)).
3.9 This prompted the International Court of Justice to decide in its 1969 Judgment
in the North Sea Conr;nental Shelf cases that -
"the Iights of the coastal State in respect of the area of continental
shelfthat constihltes a natural prolongation ofits land telTitory
into and under the sea exist ;pso facto and ab ;n;r;o, by virtue
of its sovereignty over the land, and as an extension of it in an
exercise of sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring the
seabed and exploiting its natural resources. In short , there is
here an inherent right. In order to exercise it, no speciallegal
process has to be gone through , nor have any special legal
acts tobe perfonned. Hs existence can be declared (and many 64
States have done this) but does not need to be constituted.
Furthennore , the right does not depend on ifs being exercised.
To echo the language of the Geneva Convention , it is 'exclusive '
in the sense that if the coastal State does not choose to explore
or exploit the areas of shelf appertaining to if,that is its own
affair, but no one else may do so without its express consent. » 74
3.10 With respect to the column ofwater , Pem has consistently claimed an exclusive
maIitime domain extending to a distance of200 nautical miles fi:om its baselines ,
which is illline with the geographical extension and the purpose of the institution
of the EEZ as set forth in Article 56 of the 1982 Convention on the Law of
7S
the Sea .
II. Pero's Maritime Entitlements onder General Principles
of the Law of the Sea
76
3.11 As is weil known , Peru (like Chile ) has been a pioneer in the policy of
claims which have led to the general acceptance of maritime rights in favour
of the coastal State extending up to a distance of 200 nautical miles from its
coasts . Thus, as early as 1August 1947 - and following a similar declaration
by Chile made on 23 June 1947 77-- Peru's Supreme Decree No. 781 78 was
74 North Sea Continental Shelf, J/ldgment , I.c.J. Reports 1969, p. 22, para. 19; see also p. 29,
para. 39; and Aegean Sea Continental Shelf, J/ldgment, I.CJ Reports 1978, p. 36, para. 86.
15 According to Article 56 (I)(a ), "In the exclusive economic zone, the coastal State has: (a)
sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring and exploiting, conselVingand managing the natural
resources, whether living or non-living, of the waters supeIjacent to the seabed and of the seabed
and its subsoil, and with regard to other activities for the economic exploitation and exploration
of the zone, such as the production of energy fr"Olthe water, currents and winds".
76 See below, paras. 3.24 ff below.
77 Declaration by Chile of 23 Jooe 1947. Annex 27.
78 According to the Pemvian legal system, the hierarchy regarding nonns issued by the Executive
and Legislative branches consists of tluee levels, which are, in decreasing order of authority:(a)
Constitutional stahls,(b) Law status, and (c) Regulation status. Law status is accorded to laws,
legislative resolution s by Congre ss, legislative decree s (laws issued by the Executive by
delegation from Congress) and treaties. Regulation status is given to the ordinary acts illlder the
competence of the Executive expressed usually as supreme decrees or supreme resolutions. 65
adopted. This important instrument stated "[t]hat the continental submerged
shelf fonns one entire morphological and geological unit with the continent"79
- but asse11eda daim of200 miles, which meant that the geographical extension
of maritime rights claimed by Pern bore no relation with the continental
shelf in ifsgeomorphological dt:~fin .i ti ocnpe of that extension was
detailed in Article 3 by which Petu declared -
"fhat it will exercise the saille control and protection on the
seas adjacent to the PelUvian coast over the area covered
befween the coast and an imaginalY parallel hIle to it at a
distanceoftwo hundred (200) nauticalmiles measured following
the hue of the geographica 1parallels "gO
Spanish text reads as follows :
"que ejercenJ dicho controy proteccion sobre el mar adyacente
a lascos tas dei territorio pemano en una zona comprendida
entre esas costas y una linea imaginaria paralela a ellas y
h·azada sobre el mar a una distancia de doscientas (200) millas
marinas , me di da siguiendo la linea de los paralelos
geognJficos. "
3.12 A few years later, the Pemvian Pdroleum Law No. 11780 of 12 March 1952
declared in Article 14 (4):
"Co ntinental Shelf. This shall be the zone lying between the
western hmit of the coastal zone and an imaginar y hne drawn
seaward at a constant distance of 200 miles from the low
water hne along the continental coast."Sl
79 Preamble of Peru's Supreme Decree No. 781 in Annex 6. (Spanish text: "[q]ue la platafonlla
submarina 0 zocalo continental forma con el continente una sola unidad morfologica y
geologica").
80 Atmex6.
Almex8.
" 66
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Zona Zocalo Continental.- Es la zona comprendida entre el
limite occidental de la Zona de la Costa y una linea imaginaria
trazada mar afuera a una distancia constante de 200 millas de
la linea [de] baja marea del litoral continental. "
3.13 The Petroleum Law preceded by five months the 1952 Declaration of Santiago ,
by which Ecuador , Peru and Chil(! jointly reiterated their claims to have
rights "over the sea along the coasts oftheir respective cOlUltriesto a minimum
distance of200 nautical miles from these coasts ."82For the present purpose ,
the importance of the 1952 Declaration is twofold in that fir sl, it marks a
shift awa y from unilateral acts to multilateral instruments; and second , as
will be shown in more detail in the next section of this chapter , the Declaration
evidences the recognition by Chile of the validity ofPeru 's claim to exclusi ve
maritime rights to a distance of not less than 200 nautical miles from the
coast.
3.14 In 1958 , Ml". Enrique Garcia Sayan , delegate of Peru to the First United
Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, stated that the Peruvian Supreme
Decree No. 781 of 1August 1947 (which he had signed as Minister of Foreign
Affairs) and the 1952 Declaration of Santiago "proclaimed that national
sovereignty and jurisdiction extended to the continental shelf and its superjacent
waters and to the adjacent sea to a distance of 200 nautical miles , for the
purpose of conserving and utilizing ail the resources in or below that area ."83
He added that "[i]t was the absence of any international Illies for the utilization
of the sea as a source of riches that had led to the unilateral adoption of
measures of self-defence ."84
82 Para. II of the 1952 Declaration of Santiago. Atmex 47. See paras. 3.29-3.30 below. The 1952
Declaration of Santiago will be further examined in para.ff.below. (Spanish text: "sobre el
mar que bafia las costas de sus respectivos paises, hasta una distancia minima de 200 millas
marinas desde las referidas costas.").
83 Statement by Peruvian Delegate , Mr. Enrique Garcia Sayan, at the First United Nations
COIûerenceon the Law of the Sea, 13 Mareil 1958, para 33. Almex 101.
84 Ibid., para. 34. 67
3.15 The 1952 Declaration of Santiago was followed by a great Humber oflaws
and regulations based on the 200-nautical-mile zone over which Peru claimed
exclusive rights. They dealt with a broad range of activities , including those
of an economic nature and the protection of living resources . Those laws
and regulations included:
Supreme Resolution No. 23 of 12 Janualy 1955 (Article 1)85;
Law No . 15720 of 11 Novem ber 1965 on Civil Aeronautics (Article
2)" ;
General Law on Waters, issue d by virtne of Decree Law No. 17752 of
24 July 1969 (Article 4 (a))"';
Decree Law No. 18225 of 14 April 1970, providing for the adoption of
the General Mining Law (Article 2)88;
General Fisherie s Law s, issued by virtne of Law Decree s No . 18810
of 25 March 1971 (Article 1)", and No. 25977 of 7 December 1992
(Article 7)" ;
Law No. 26620 of30 May 1996 on the Control and Supervision of Maritime,
Fluvial and Lacu strine Activitie s (Article 2 (a))91;
Law No. 27261 of 9 May 2000 on Civil Aeronautics (Article 3)92; and
Supreme Decree No . 028-DE /MGP of25 May 2001 on Regulation of
the Law on the Control and Surper vision of Maritime , Fluvial and
Lacu strine Activitie s (Preliminary Section , Scope of Application ,
paragraph (a))"-
8~ Atmex 9.
86 Almex 12.
87 Almex 13.
8S Almex 15.
89 Almex 16.
90 Atmex 18.
91 Atmex 20.
92 Almex21.
93 Almex 22. 68
3.16 At the highest legal level , Article 98 of the Peru vian Politic al Constitution
of 1979 stated that:
"The maritime domain of the State comprises the sea adjacent
to ifs coasts , as weil as its seabed and subsoil up to a distance
of two hundred nautical milt:s measured from the baseline s
established by law. In its maritime domain , Peru exercises
sovereignty and jurisdiction , without prejudice to the freedom
of international communications , pur suant to the law and the
treatie sratified by the Republi c. " 94
Spanish text reads as follow s:
"El dominio maritimo dei Estado comprende el mar adyace nte
a sus costas , aSI como su lecho y subsuelo, hasta la distancia
de doscientas milla s marin as medida s desde las linea s que
establece la ley. En su dominio maritimo , el Perù ejerce
soberania y juri sdicci6n , sin perjuicio de las libertade s de
comunicaci6n int ernacional , de acuerdo con la ley y los
convenios interna cionale s ratificados por la Repùblic a."
3.17 The same principle can be found in Article 54 of the Politic al Constitution
of 1993 according to which:
"The maritime domain of the State comprises the sea adjacent
to its coasfs , aseil as its seabed and subsoil up to a distance
of two hundred nauti cal milt:s measured from the baseline s
established by law.
In its maritime domain , the State exercises sove reignty and
juri sdiction, without prejudi ce to the freedom of international
communications , pm·suant to the law and the treatie s ratified
by the State.
The State exercises sovereignty and jurisdiction over the airspace
above ifs tenitory and adjacent sea up to the limit oftwo hlUldred
nautical mile s, without prejudice to the freedom of international
94 Anllex 17. 69
communications , pursuant to the law and the treaties ratified
by the State. "9S
Spanish text reads as follows:
"El dominio maritimo dei Estado comprende el mar adyacente
a sus costas, asicomo su lecho y subsuelo , hasta la distancia
de doscienfas millas marinas medidas desde las lineas de base
que establece la ley.
En su dominio maritimo , el Estado ejerce soberania y
jurisdicci6n , sin peljuicio de las libertades de comunicaci6n
illternacional, de acuerdo con la lyycon los hatados ratificados
por el Estado .
El Estado ejerce soberania y jurisdicci6n sobre el espaclO
aéreo que cubre su telTitoriy el mar adyacente hasta el limite
de las doscientas millas , sin peljuiciode las libel1ades de
comunicaci6n internacional, de confonnidad con la ley y con
los tratados ratificados por el Estado ."
3.18 In the words of the Preamble of the Peruvian Supreme Decree No . 047-
2007-RE of Il August 2007 approving the Chart of the Outer Limit - Southern
Sector - of the Maritime Domain of Peru:
"Article 54 of the Peruvian Political Constitution establishes
that the maritime domain of the State comprises the sea adjacent
to its coasts , as weil as itsab edd subsoil, up to a distance
of two hundred nautical miles measured from the baselines
established by law ;
In compliance with the above mentioned Constitution and
pursuant to international law, Law No . 28621 - Peruvian
Maritime Domain Baselines Law was issued on 3 November
2005 , from which the width of the maritime domain of the
State is measured up to a distance of two hundred nautical
miles ;
9~ Art. 54, paras. 2-4 of the 1993 Political Constinltion of Peru is inc1uded as Annex 6 to the
Application.tis joined anew for the convenience of the Court as AImex 19. 70
Article 4 of said law provides that the outer limit of the maritime
domain of Pem is traced in such a way that each point of the
above mentioned outer limit is at a distance of 200 nautical
miles from the nearest point of the baselines , in application of
the delimitation criteria established by international law "96.
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Que , el articulo 54° de la Constitue ion Politica dei Perù
establece que el dominio maritimo dei Estado comprende el
mar adyacente a sus costas , aSI como su lecho y subsuelo ,
hasta la distancia de doscientas millas marinas medidas desde
las lineas de base que establece la ley;
Que , en cumplimiento dei citado dispositivo constitucional y
de confonnidad con el derec:ho internacional , se expidi6 la
Ley N° 28621 - Ley de Lineas de Base dei Dominio Maritimo
dei Peru, el 3 de noviembre dei 2005 , a partir de las cuales
se mide la anchura dei dominio maritimo dei Estado hasta la
distancia de doscientas millas marinas ;
Que, el alticulo 4° de la citada ley dispone que el limite exteIior
dei dominio maritimo dei Peru es trazado de modo que cada
plmto dei citado limite exterior se encuenh ·e a doscientas millas
marinas dei punto Imis proximo de las lineas de base , en
aplicaci6n de los criterios dt! delimitacion establecidos por
el derecho internacional".
3.19 The map allllexed to the 2007 Decree illush·ates the maritime domain of Peru
thus described. If is reproduced in Figure 2.4 of this Memorial. If goes
without saying that the fact it has indicated on this map the existence of an
"area in dispute " (area en conrrove rs;a) reflecting Chile's claim does not
prevent Peru from claiming a maritime domain extending up to a distance of
200 nautical miles from its coasts .
96 Supreme Decree No. 047-2007-RE of 11 August 2007. Annex 24; Peru's Baselines Law No.
28621. Ailnex23. 71
3.20 Subject to the application of the niles relating to the delimitation of maritime
areas between States with adjacent coasts , which will be further examined
in Chapter VI below , Peru's maritime entitlements are simply a consequence
of the existence - by virfue of the generally accepted principles of
contemporary internationallaw , as briefly described above in Section l
of exclusive sovereign rights of coastal States over maritime areas extending
at least up to 200 nautical miles from the coast , independently of their
geomorphology.
3.21 While fully conscious that Peru 's daim to a 200-nautical-mile zone related
to "aspects still undefined in internationallaw , which are yet at a developing
stage"97, even in the 1950s the Perllvian authOlities did not confIne themselves
to simply claiming rights over that area, they also enforced them. One of the
most weil known and publicized episodes of Peru 's intention to have its
sovereign rights respected in that zone was the seizure on June 1954 by the
Peruvian Navy ofwhalers belonging to the Olympie Whaling Company , which
was owned by Aristotle Onassis 98.
3.22 Admittedly , the various texts prodaiming the rights of Peru over a "maritime
domain " extending up to 200 nautical miles did not use the expression
"exclusive economic zone". Nevertheless, it remains the case that those acts
and declarations clearly attest to the will of the Peruvian Govenllnent to
exercise its exclusive sovereign rights to protect its economic interests and
the environment within that zone. As was aptly eXplained by fonner President
97 Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores: Memoria dei Ministra de Relaciones Exteriores (28 de
Julio de 1954 - 28 de Julio de 1955). Lima, Talleres Grâficos P.L. Villanueva, 1955, p. 279.
Almex 98. (Spanish text: "aspectos alm no defmidos dei Derecho mtemacional que se hallan en
etapa de desarrollo."). See also the Agreement between Ecuador, Pem and Chile for a Joint
Response to the United States and Great B:ritain on their Obselvations to the "Declaration of
Santiago", Lima, 12April 1955.Almex 58; or the Pemvian Notes of 12April 1955 to the United
States(Note No. (M): 6/3/29). Almex 66; or to the United Kingdom (Note No. (N):6/17/14 of
12 April 1955).AImex 65.
98 On this episode, see paras. 4.83-4.85 below. 72
of Peru José Luis Busfamante y Rivero , who later became President of the
International Court of Justice:
"The PelUvian proclamation of sovereignty over the waters of
the new territorial sea or coastal strand oftwo-hundred miles
in the decree of 1947, does not imply a purpose for the absolute
appropriation of that zone, nor for the creation of an exclusive ,
and excluding, domain over it. The decree itself establishes
that ifs dispositions do not affect the right to free navigation
of ships of ail flags.Ifimplicitly conveys the idea ... that the
acls of sovereignty that the Pemvian State perfonns over the
area will be limited to the sole purposes of the proclamation ,
namely , the protection , preservation and defence of the nalmal
resources therein , and hence , to the surveillance and regulation
ofthose national economic interests."99
Spanish text reads as follows:
"La proclamaci6n de la soberania peruana sobre las aguas
dei nuevo mar territorial 0 faja costera de las doscientas millas
en el decreto de 1947, no implica un prop6sito de apropiaci6n
absoluta de esa zona ni la creaci6n de un dominio exclusivo
y excluyente sobre eHa. Ya t: ~rlpio decreto se encarga de
dejar establecido que sus disposiciones no afectan el derecho
de libre navegaci6n de los barcos de todas las naciones. E
implicitamente deja entender, ... que los actos de soberania
que el Estado Pemano realice sobre la zona estaran limitados
a los solos fines de la proclarnaci6n, esto es, a la proteccion ,
conservaci6n y defensa de los recursos naturales alli existentes
y,consiguienternente , a la vigilancia y reglamentaci6n de esos
intereses economicos nacionales."
99 Bustamante y Rivera, JoséLuis: Las Nuems Concepciones Jllridicas Sobre el Alcanee deI Mar
Territorial (Exposicidn de Motivos dei Decreta Supremo Expedido par el Gobierno dei Perll
el 1° de agosto de 1947), Lima, 1955, pp. 6-7. See also: Report of Foreign Affairs Committee
of the Congress of the Republic of Peru of 4 May 1955, on the agreements and conventions
signed by Peru, Chile and Ecuador in Santiago, on 18August 1952; and in Lima, on 4 December
1954, passim but in particular, p. 2, para. 2. Anmex96; and Statement by Representative ofPem,
Alberto Ulloa Sotomayor, United Nations, Official Documents AlCONF.13 /39, Vol. III, Fifth
Meeting, pp. 6-7. 73
3.23 There cau therefore be no doubt tl1atPeru is entitled to an exclusive maritime
domain extending to a distance of 200 nautical miles [rom ifs baselines (as
defmed by Pem 'sBaselines Law 1O) in confonnity with the mûst basic principles
of the contemporary Law of the Sea.
III. Chile Has Recognised as a Matter of Principle Pern's
Maritime Entitlements to a Distance of
200 Nantical Miles from Its Coast
3.24 There is some irony in the fact that , while Chile too has been a pioneer in
claiming for itself an exclusive maritime domain to a distance of 200 nautical
miles from its coast and has vigorously maintained ifs own right to snch a
zone ,and while it has fonnally paid lip service to Peru 's similar entitlement
tosnch a zone , Chile in fact refuses to accept the consequences of snch an
entitlement that should be draw n in favour ofPelU.
3.25 Chile adopted as early as 23 June 1947 a Declaration by which it proclaimed-
"1° ___its national sovereignty over ail the continental shelf
adjacent to the continental and island coasts of its national
ten-itory, whatever may be their depth below the sea, and claims
by consequence ail the natural riches which exist on the said
shelf, both in and under it, known or to be discovered _
[and]
2° ___over the seas adjacent to its coasts whatever may be
their depths,and within those limits necessaly in order to reserve,
protect , preserve and exploit the natural resourcesofwhatever
nahue found on, within and below the said seas, placing within
the control of the govenllnent especially aIl fisheries and whaling
activities with the object ofpreventing the exploitation of natural
riches ofthis kind to the detriment ofthe inhabitants ofChile
and to prevent the spoiling or destruction of the said riches to
thedeh-iment of the counh-y and the American continent.
3° ___Protection and control is hereb y declared immediately
over aIl the seas contained within the perimeter fonned by the
100Atmex 23_ 74
coast and the mathematical parallel projected iuto the sea at a
distance of 200 nautical miles from the coasts of Chilean
territ ory."101
Spanish text reads as follows:
0
"1 El Gobierno de Chile confirma y proclama la soberania
nacional sobre forlo el zocalo continental adyacente a las costas
continentales e insu lares dei territorio nacional , cualquiera
que sea la profundidad en que se encuentre , reivindicando ,
por consiguiente , todas las riquezas nahlfales que existen sobre
dicho zocalo, en ély bajo él, conocidas 0 por descubrirse .
2° El Gobierno de Chile confirma y proclama la soberania
nacional sobre los mares adyacentes a sus costas , cualquiera
que sea su profundidad , en foda la extension necesaria para
reservar,proteger, conservar y aprovechar los recursos y riquezas
naturales de cualquier nahlfaleza que sobre dichos mares , en
ellos y bajo ellos se encuentren , sometiendo a la vigilancia dei
Gobierno especialmente las faenas de pesca y caza maritimas ,
con el objeto de impedir que las riquezas de este orden sean
explotadas en peljuicio de los habitantes de Chile y mennadas
o destruidas en deh·ünento dei pais y dei Continente americano.
3° ... declarandose ... dicha protecci6n y control sobre todo
elmar comprendido dentro dei perimetro fonnado por la costa
con una paralela matematica proyectada en el mar a doscientas
millas marinas de distancia de las costas continentales chilenas. "
3.26 Noting "[t]hat intemational consensus of opinion recognizes the right of evely
country to consider as its national territory any adjacent extension of the
epicontinental sea and the continental shelf'102 , the Declaration flllther stated
that Chile -
"does not disregard the similar legitimate rights of other States
on a basis of reciprocity , uor does it affect the rights of free
navigation on the high seas."103
lOI Annex 27.
102 Ibid., para. 4 of the Preamble. (Spanish text: "Que el consenso intemacional reconoce a cada pais
el derecho a considerar coma tenitorio nacional toda la extension dei mar epicontinental y el
z6calo continental adyacentes.").
103 Ibid., para. 4 of the operative provisions. 75
Spanish text reads as follows:
"no desconoce legitimos dt:rechos similares de otros Estados
sobre la base de reciprocidad, ni afecta a los derechos de
librenavegacion sobre la alta maL "
3.27 Chile clearl y accepts that aU other States possess the saille rights as those
it claims off ifs coasts. In50 doing , it accepted in advance that Peru is entitled
to those very saille rights.
3.28 The idea ofa maritime zone extending up to a distance of200 nautical miles
[rom the coasts is present in man y subsequent legal instruments enacfed by
Chile , e.g.:
Decree No. 332 of 4 June 1963 , issued by the Ministry of Agriculture
Appointing the Authority which Grants Fishing Pennits to Foreign Flag
Vessels (Article 2)104;
Decree No. 453 of 18 July 1963 , issued by the Ministr y of Agriculture
on the Regulation ofPennits for the Exploitation by Factory Ships (Ar1icles
1 and 3)105 ;
Law No. 18.565 of 13 Dctober 1986 amending Article 596 of the Civil
Code , regarding maritime spaces 106.
To give another example , in the "Salta Declaration " of24 July 1971, Presidents
Alejandro Lanusse of Argentina and Salvador Allende of Chile:
"Reaffinn the right ofboth countries to set, as they have done ,
their jurisdictions over the sea adjacent to their coasts up to
a distance of 200 nauticalmiles , primarily taking into account
the preservation and exploitation of the resources of the sea
to the benefit of their peoples ."I07
104 Atmex 31.
IO~ Almex 32.
106 Almex 36.
107 Almex 104. Il should be noted that this was stated at a tilne when maritime delimitation between
Chile and Argentina was still outstanding. See paras. 5.5-5.8 below. 76
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Reafinnan el derecho de ambos paises de fijar, como 10han
hecho , sus jurisdicciones sobre el mar frente a sus costas hasta
las 200 millas marinas , teniendo en cuenta primordiahnente
la preserva cion y exp Iotacion en beneficio de sus pueblos de
los recursos dei mar."
3.29 Very consistently , the Chilean Government fonnally took the saille position
as regards the rights of Peru. The mûst striking example of a reciprocal
recognition of the mutual entitlement to an exclusive maritime domain out to
a distance of - at the time "not less than" - 200 nautical miles from their
respective coasts is the 1952 Declaration of Santiago lO, in Alticle II of
which -
"the Govenunents of Chile , Ecuador and Petu proclaim as a
nonn oftheir international maIitime pohcy that they each possess
exclusive sovereignty and jurisdiction over the sea along the
coasts oftheir respective countries to a minimum distance of
200 nautical miles from these coasts. "109
Spanish text reads as follows:
"los Gobiernos de Chile , Ecuador y Perù proclaman como
nonna de su politica internacional maritima , la soberania y
jurisdiccion exclusivas que a cada unD de ellos corresponde
sobre el mar que barra las costas de sus respectivos paises ,
hasta una distancia minima de 200 millas marinas desde las
referidas costas. "
l OSThe instruments adopted by the Conference on the Exploitation and Conservation of the Marine
Resomces of the South Pacific held in Santiago de Chile in 1952 comprise the 1952 Declaration
of Santiago and the Joint Declaration concerning fishing problems in the South Pacific, in
additionto the Agreement between Chile, Ecu1or and Peru relating to the Organization of the
Pennanent Commission of the Conference on 1JleExploitation and Conselvation of the Marine
Resources of the South Pacific and the Regulations for Maritime Hunting Operations in the
Waters of the South Pacific.
109 Annex 47. 77
3.30 The 1952 Declaration of Santiago was a clear , joint , continuation of the
poliey inaugurated by the Chilean and Pemvian instruments of 1947, which ,
although different in their details , had been adopted in the saille spirit. This
is strikingly apparent in the "Instmctions given by the Minister of Foreign
Affairs Mf. Manuel C. Gallagher to the Chainnan of the Delegation ofPeru ,
Dr. A. Ulloa , for the Signing of the 'Declaration of Santiago' '':
"We know that the declaration of sovereignty over an extension
of two hundred miles over the open sea is objected by the
major powers who will not be able to use the same arguments
in order to challenge a regulation and conti"olmeasures which,
without impl ying full exereise of sovereignty , will be agreed
jointly by the three coastal States, for the purpose of protecting
the resources oftheir sea that they have always used and that
are now at riskof disappeaIing owing to uncontrolled or intensive
fishing which has recently been started by foreigners who se
new fishing methods may easily lead to the reduetion of these
nahu·al resources , with obvious damage for the coastal States."lIo
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Sabemos que la declaracion de soberania sobre tilla extension
de doscientas millas sobre el mar libre es objetada por las
grandes potencias que no podnin usar los mismos argumentos
para oponerse a una reglamentacion y conti·ol, que, sin impliear
pleno ejereieio de soberania, acordaran en eomùn los tres
Estados riberei'ios, a fin de defender la riqueza de su mar que
siempre han utilizado y que"ahora, esta expuesta a desaparecer
por la pesea ineontrolada 0 intensiva que se ha empezado a
llevar a eabo recientemente por extranjeros cuyos nuevos métodos
de pesca pueden llevar faeihnente a la menna de esos recursos
naturales , con dai'ioeviden te para los Estados riberei'ios."
110 "fustructions given by the Minister of Foreign AMr.iManuel C. Gallagher to the Chaitman
of the Delegation of Peru, Dr. A. Ulloa, for the Signing of the 'Declaration of Santiago"', Lima,
July1952. Allnex 91; also reproduced in Bâkula, Juan Miguel: El Dominio Maritimo deI Peril,
Lima, Flmdaci6n M.J. Bustamante de la Fuente, 1985, pp. 89-90. 78
3.31 Again , in the Complementary Convention to the Declaration of Sovereignty
on the Two-Hundred-Mile Maritime Zone adopted in Lima on 4 December
1954 111(hereinafter "the 1954 Comph!mentruy Convention") , the three cOlUltries,
recalling that they-
"have proclaimed their Sovereignty over the sea along the coasts
of their respective countries, up to a minimum distance of two
hundred nautical miles, from the said coasts , including the
corresponding soil and subsoil of said Maritime Zone" ,
Spanish text reads as follows:
"han proclamado su Soberania sobre el mar que bai'ialas costas
de sus respectivos paises , hasfa una distancia minima de 200
millas marinas , desde las referidas costas, incluyéndose el
suelo y subsuelo que a esa Zona Maritima corresponde",
agreed that:
"Chile, Ecuador and Peru shaH proceed by COlmnonaccord in
the legal defence of the pril1ciple of Sovereignty over the
MaIitime Zone up to a minimum distance of200 nautical miles,
including the soil and subsoil thereof. "111
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Chile, Ecuador y Perù , procedenin de comun acuerdo en la
defensa juridica dei principio de la Soberania sobre la Zona
Maritima hasta una distancia minima de 200 millas marinas ,
incluyéndose el suelo y subsuelo respectivos. "
III Again, this Complementary Convention to the 1952 Declaration of Santiago adopted by the Lima
Conference in December 1954 is only part of a complex pattem of legal instruments adopted
jointly, comprising the Convention on the Systf:m of Sanctions; the Convention on Measures on
the SUlVeillanceand Control of the Maritime Zones of the SignatOly Countries; the Convention
on the Granting of Pel1uits for the Exploitation of the Resources of the South Pacific; the
Convention on the Ordinary Arumal Meeting of the Pennanent Commission for the South Pacific
(for Whaling Activities); and the 1954 Agreement on a Special Zone.
112 1954 Complementary Convention, Preamble, Ait. 1. Atmex 51. 79
3.32 Thus, Chile not ouly reiterated its recognition of Peru'srights over a maritime
domain of 200 nautical miles , but it also expressed ifs will to co-opera te
with Ecuador and Peru for the defence of this zone.
3.33 Chile and Peru again took the salIne position on a bilaferal basis in a Joint
Declaration of3 September 1971, drafted on the model of the Salta Declaration ,
in which Presidents Salvador Allende of Chile and Juan Velasco Alvarado
of Peru reaffinned-
"as an inalienable objective oftheir maritime policies the defence
of the inherent right of a coastal State to the full exercise of its
exclusive sovereignty and jurisdiction up to a distance of 200
miles , in order to regulate the conservation and use ofnahlral
resources of the sea adjacent to their coasts, and the soil and
subsoil thereof , as weil as the right within its respective
jurisdiction to adopt tnect:~s m easrres for the preservation
of the marine environment and the management of scientific
research activities , in order to protect the interesfs and promote
the development and well-being of its peoples .
They renew their support to the 1952 Declaration of Santiago
on Maritime Zone ...
They agree to strengthen the System of the South Pacific and
ifs legal, scientific and technical works, consolidate the solidaIity
among the countries that have adopted the 200-mile limit , and
actively promote the establishmentof a Latin AmeIican regional
system that ensures the respect for their rights and a closer
collaboration on this area ofvital interest to their peoples ."ll3
Spanish text reads as follows:
"como objetivo irrenunciable de sus politicas maritimas la
defensa deI derecho inheŒnte dei Estado ribereno al pleno
ejercicio de su soberania y jurisdicci6n exclusivas hasta la
distancia de 200 millas , para regular la conservaci6n y
lB Almex 105. See also the Joint Declaration of 16 Jlme 1978 adopted by the Ministers of Foreign
Affairsof both cOlmtries. Atmex 106. 80
aprovechamiento de los recursos nahlrales dei mar adyacente
a sus costas, y dei suelo y subsuelo deI mismo mar, asi como
el derecho dentro de su respecti va jurisdicci6n a adoptar las
medidas necesarias para la preservaci6n dei medio ambienfe
marino y la conducci6n de las actividades de investigaci6n
cientifica , con el fin de prote:ger los inferesey promo ver el
desarrollo y el bienesfar de sus pueblos .
Renuevan su respaldo a la Declaraci6n de Santiago de 1952
sobre Zona Maritima ...
Acuerdan forfalecer el Sistema deI Pacifieo Sur y sus trabajos
juridicos , cientificos y técnicos, consolidar la solidaridad entre
los paises que han adoptado ellimite de 200 millas, y promover
activa mente el esfablecimÏenfo de un sistema regional
latinoamericano que asegure elrespeto de sus derechos y una
mas estrecha colaboraci6n en este campo de vital interés para
sus pueblos ."
3.34 Itis also worth noting that on 14 August 2002, on the occasion of the fiftieth
anniversaly of the 1952 Declaration of Santiago , the representatives of Chile,
Colombia , Ecuador and Petu , adopted a new Declaration in which it was
said that they:
"1.Express their satisfaction and pride in celebrating the fiftieth
anniversary of the Declaration of Santiago which sanctioned
the principle of two hundred nautical miles , which has
generalised in the practice of States , as an essential part of
the Law of the Sea.
2. They pay tribute to the deve]opers of the principles contained
in the 1952 'Declaration of Santiago' , who proclaimed for the
first time a two hundred-mile maritime jurisdictional zone ,
based on economic and conservation grounds, and who were
tasked with defending the recognition of said zone in multiple
international forums up to its sanction in the new Law of the
Sea.
5. They reafflllll , in this sense, the legal authority oftheir States
to exercise their sovereign rights in the 200-mile jurisdictional 81
zone , and to issue the necessary measures for the exploration ,
exploitation , conservation and administration of the resources
found therein , in confonnity with the universa lly accepted
instruments and practices , with special reference to the United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Likewise , they
reiterafe their sovereign rights over their pOlis and the preferential
rights they are entitled to, wbere appropriate , in the highs."114
Spanish text reads as follows:
" 1.Expresan su satisfacciôn y orgullo al celebrar cincuenta
anos de la Declaracion de Santiago que consagro elprincipio
de las doscientas millas marinas , el que se ha universalizado
en la pnktica de los Estados , como paite esencial dei Derecho
dei Mar.
2. Rinden un sentido homenaje a los forjadores de los principios
contenidos en la 'Declarac:ion de Santiago' de 1952, quienes
proclamaron por primera vez tilla zona maritima jurisdiccional
de doscientas millas , con fundamentos economicos y de
conservacion y, a quienes les correspondi6 defender su
reconocimiento en multiples foros internacionales hasta llegar
a su consagracion en el Nuevo Derecho dei Mar.
5. Reafirman en tal senti do la potestad de sus Estados en la
zona jurisdiccional de 200 millas de ejercer derechos soberanos
en ella y dictar las medid as necesarias para la exploraci6n ,
explotaci6n , conservaci6n y administraci6n de los recursos
que en ella se encuent:ran,de confonnidad con los inshl.unentos
y pnicticas universalmente aceptados , con especial referencia
a la Convencion de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Derecho dei
Mar. Asimismo reiteran su derecho soberano sobre sus puertos
y los derechos preferenciales que les cOlTesponden, en su caso,
en la alta mar."
3.35 In contra st to these constant proclamations that ail States - including Peru
enjoy sovereign and exclusive rights over a 200-nautical-mile zone , Chile
now denies such rights to Peru by trying to whittle away the geographical
114 Almexll2. 82
extent of the area over which Peru possesses snch rights . Chile 's position
results not oilly in excessive Chilean daims in respect to the delimitation of
ifs laferal maritime boundary with Peru, but also in the denial by Chile of
the rights of Peru over an area which lies less than 200 nautical miles from
the Peruvian coasts but more than 200 nautical miles [rom the Chilean coasts,
this is to say, over a zone that , in any case , lies oufside the area claimed by
Chile as ifs EEZ. Thus, on 12 September 2007 , the Chilean Govenllnent
issued a statement by which it expressed its disagreement with the
abovementioned Pemvian Suprelm: Decree No. 047-2007-RE of 12 August
2007 and with the map attached to it1S, and protested against the alleged
"jutent " of these instruments "to attribute to Peru a maritime area , which is
fully subject to the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Chile , as weil as an
adjacent area of the High Seas. " " 6
3.36 In any case , the very expression "'exclus;ve economic zone " implies that
only the coastal State may claim tht: "sovereign rights " defined in Article 56
(1) ofthe 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, to the "exclusion " ofall
other States - and this in an area which , in the absence of any competing
claim , extends to a distance of "200 nautical miles from the baselines from
which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured " (Article 57). As a
consequence , even ifno fonnal proclamation of an EEZ is made, the entitlement
to an EEZ opera tes at least negatively in that no other State than the coastal
State can claim such a zone for its own benefit , up to the distance of 200
nautical miles from the coast (except when the claims of two or more coastal
States overlap within this limit - a circumstance in which the generalmles
of delimitation then apply (see Chapter VI below)) .
m See Figul'e 2.4in ChapterII of this Memorial.
116 Annex 114. CHAPTER IV
LACK OF AN AGREEMENT ON MARITIME
DELIMITATION
1. Introdnction
4.1 The Parties differ fundamentally on the question of the existence of a maIitime
boundary between them . Peru's position is solidly based on the absence of
any kind of agreement on maritime boundary delimitation with Chile. Chile 's
position , on the other hand , has been spelled out clearl y in recent years and
is based on the proposition that the 1952 Declarationof Santiago and the
1954 Agreement on a Special Zone settled the maritime delimitatioll .
4.2 For example , in Note No. 76 of 13 September 2005 , the MinistIy of Foreign
Affairs of Chile affinned that-
"the 1954 Agreement relating to a Special Maritime Frontier
Zone , adopted in the framework of the South Pacifie System ,
is precisely a bindingstmment between Peru and Chile which
refers to the existingitime boundary and ifs full enforcement
cannot be put into question "117.
Spanish text read s as follow s:
"el Convenio sobre Zona Especial FronteIiza Maritima de 1954,
adoptado en el ambito dd Sistema dei Pacifico Sur , es
111Note No. 76 of 13 September 2005, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile to the
Embassy ofPeru.Atmex84. 84
precisamente un instrumento vinculante entre el Peru y Chile
que se refiere al limite maritimo exisfenfey su plena aplicaci6n
no puede ser puesta en duda "'.
4.3 And in Note No. 18934 of 28 November 2005, the Govemment of Chile
stated that -
"the 1952 Declaration of Santiago and the 1954 Agreement
relating to a Special Maritime Frontier Zone - both ofwhich
are in force - settle the maritime delimitation befween Chile
and Petu at the geographical parallel ""8.
Spanish text reads as follows:
"la Declaraci6n de Santiago de 1952, y el Convenio sobre
Zona Especial Fronteriza Ma:ritima de 1954 , ambos en vigor ,
establecen la delimitaci6n maritima entre Chile y Peru en el
paralelo geogratico".
4.4 Itis Pem 's case that the 1952 and 1954 instruments show nothing of the
kind. Neither the 1952 Declaration of Santiago nor the 1954 Agreement on
a Special Zone fixed a maritime boundary between Peru and Chile. No other
agreement does so. A provisionalhne has long been used to dehmit Peruvian
and Chilean waters for pohcing purposes , pal1icularly in relation to fisheries;
but that hne was not intended to have and does not have the character of an
international maritime boundary. If was a pohcing limit estabhshed in what
was then the territorial sea and an adjacent area of high seas within which
the States Pal1ies to the1954 Agreement on a Special Zone claimed a hmited
functional jurisdiction in respect of fisheries . The boundary between the
maritime zones ofPem and Chile remains to be settled , and that is the task
now before the Court.
Ils Note No. 18934 of 28 November 2005, from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile to the
Ambassador of Peru. Ailnex 85. 85
4.5 The existence of this dispute has long been evident. Ifwas brought to the
fore in 1986 when Petu approached Chile and proposed the making of an
agreement on the maritime boundalyl1 9.It has also been the subject ofmany
exchanges since thell. For instan in S~ptember 2000 Chile deposited chalts
with the Secretary-General of the United Nations which pmpOlted to identif y
120
a maritime boundary with Peru . On 9 January 2001 Peru wrote to the
Secretary-General in protes t, stating that:
"Tc date Peru and Chile have not concluded a specifie maritime
delimitation treaty pursuant to the relevant mies of intemational
law. The mention of parallel 18°21'00"as the maritime boundary
between the two States is, therefore , without legal basis. "111
4.6 In order to demonstrate Chile's mischaracterization of the provisional pohcing
hne, and to make clear the precise juridical nature of the various inshl.unents
and practical arrangements that have been adopted by the two States over
the years in respect of the waters in the general area of the starting-point of
their land boundary , it is necessary to explain the relevant legal histOly in
some detail. Accordingly , this chapter sets out that histOly and explains its
significance in the context of the present dispute .
4.7 It is aiso necessary to offer a word of caution at this stage. There is a risk
that the natural tendency to reinterpret the past in the light of the present
may distort the evaluation of the historical record . For example , it is often
overlooked that the making of maritime boundary agreements is a relatively
recent phenomenon: more than 95% of maritime boundary treaties were
concluded after the First United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea
119 See paras. 4.132-4.133 below.
120 See Figure 2.6 in Vorv See also the list of geographical co-ordinates deposited by Chile with
the Secretary-General the United Nations, in Annex 110.
121 Note No. 7-I-SG/OO5of 9 January 2001, from the Pennanent Mission of Pen! to the Secretary
General of the United Nations. "Statement by the Govenuuent of Peru conceming parallel
18"21'00", refened to by the Govemment of Cltile as the maritime bomuiary between Chile and
Pem". Annex 78. 86
in 1958 12.If was very rare for States to make snch agreements in the 19405
and 19505 (or earlier). So, no matter how commonplace snch agreements
may appear today it would have been unusual and remarkable if the two
States had made an agreement on the maritime boundary in the 19505.
Similarly, there is a danger that the well-established 200-mile zones of the
present day may be assumed to have sprung , fully-fonned , iuto existence in
the lafe 19405. That, too, would he a fundamenfal historical error. For much
ofthat period - prior, that is, to the clinching of the 'package-deal' that was
the 1982 Convention on the Law ofthe Sea - the 200-nautical-mile claims
of the American South Pacifie States were vigorously opposed by States
outside the region, and the main concern was to secure the survival of the
daims. Questions of intra-regional boundaries were not of immediate concern.
4.8 This chapter aecordingly adopts a chronological approaeh, eXplaining
developments in the eontext in which they actually oeeulTed. It describes the
dealings by the Parties in so far as they are relevant to the question of the
maritime boundaly. Those dealings were ail reaetions to the pressure of
immediate events , foremost among whieh was the refusai of certain States
who se vessels fished off the coasts ofthe American South Pacifie States to
reeognize the validity of the 200-mile daims made by those Ameriean States.
4.9 The key eharacteristics of those d· ealings that are relevant in this context
are -
(a) that the primaly focus ofthe Parties was not upon the establishment of
separate national zones but upon the defence of an AmeIican South Pacifie
maritime zone aga inst opposition from third States at a time when the
122 D. M. Johnston: The Theory and History of Ocean BOllndary-Making . Kingston, McGill
Queen 's Univer sity Press. 1988, p. 213:"Prior to the Second World War relatively few
delimitation agreements were concluded: most sources refer to only two tenitorial sea bmUldary
agreements - between Denmark and Sweden ... and between Italy and Turkey, both concluded in
1932. Significantly, the fust "early modem" ocean bmUldarytreaty, concluded ten years later by
Venezuela and the United Kingdom (for Trinidad and Tobago), concemed the delimitation of the
continental shelf. In the following twenty-two years only six more ocean boundary agreements
were negotiated." 87
Law of the Sea had not yet developed finn and universally-accepted
mIes on the extent ofa coastal State's maritime rights beyond the tenitOlial
sea ;
(b) that the arrangements made befween the Parties were provisional;
(c) that the arrangements made befween the Parties were intended ouly to
regulate certain specifie fundions and not to divide up areas of ocean
space ;
(d) that their purpose and effect- was confined to a range of very specifie
fisheries matters , and in particular to the prevention of incursions iuto
the fishing grounds off the coasts of Peru and Chile by foreign fishing
vessels , and iuto their maritime zones more generally; and
(e) that the anangements were exdusively concemed with areas in the vicinity
of the coast.
4.10 The main point made here is that while both Peru and Chile made various
provisional maritime claims and arrangements for vely specific purposes ,
there has as yet been no agreement between Pem and Chile fixing the boundalY
between theu·maritune zones. The maritime bOlUldalyremains to be detennined
by the Court in accordance with the applicable princip les of international
law.
II. The Maritime Claims
4.11 The maritime claims of Pem and Chile fall into three nahlral periods. The
first is the period up to 1945, before the expanded claims made in and followulg
the Truman Proclamations of 1945. The second is the period from 1945 up
to 1980, during which time 200-mile claims remained contentious and had
not gained general acceptance among traditional "maritime States " such as
the United States , the Soviet Union , and many European States. The third is
the period after 1980, when developments at UNCLOS III indicated that the
200-nautical-mile zone was prachcally celtain to be a central element of the
new legal regime then being negotiated at the Conference. 88
A. PHASE 1: MARITIME CLAIMS PRIOR TO 1945
4.12 Prior to 1945, the maritime daims ofPenl and Chile were modest , and varied
in their geographical extent according to the purpose for which they were
established.
1. Peru s Maritime Cla;ms
4.13 As was the commOll practice , Peru did Ilot draw a crude distinction between
a single unified zone of sovereignty over coasfal waters and the high seas
beyond. Pem 's tenitOlial sea was not a single integrated zone which defennined
the limits ofPemvianjurisdiction for ail purposes. There were other zones
which coexisted with Peru 's territorial sea. Pem exercised ifs right to legislate
over coasfal waters from tiille to time and within varions distances from the
shore , as particular maritime interesfs appeared to require.
4.14 For example , the question of the limits of criminal law jurisdiction at sea
was addressed by the First South American Congress on Private International
Law held in Montevideo in 1888-89. The Congress adopted the 1889 Treaty
on International Penal Law and this was enacted into law in Petu by virtue
of the legislative approval of 4 November 1889. Article 12 of the 1889
Treaty on International Penal Law stipulated that:
"For pm·poses of jurisdiction , territorial waters are declared
to be those comprised in a beIt five miles wide running along
the coast , either of the mainla.nd or of the islands which fonn
part of the territory of each State. " 123
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Se declaran aguas territoriales , a los efectos de la jurisdiccion
penal , las comprendidas en la extension de cinco millas desde
la costa de tierra firme e islas que forman parte dei territorio
de cada Estado. "
123 Anllex44. 89
Thus , Pem had a five-mile territorial sea for the purposes of criminallaw
jurisdiction.
4.15 In contrast , Pem 's Supreme Decree of 13 November 1934 , Regulation on
Visits and Stay ofWarships and Military Aireraft in Pemvian POlis and Pemvian
Territorial Waters in Times of Peace, established in paragraph 9.1 thaf:
"The territorial waters of Peru extend up to three miles from
the coasts and islands , starting from the low tide lines ".I24
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Las aguas territoriales dei Pen.'!, se extienden hasta tres millas
de las Costas e Islas , confadas a partir deI limite de las Illas
bajas mareas. "
4.16 Similarly , the Regulation of Capta ïncies and National Merchant Navy (General
Order of the Navy No. 10), dated 9 April 1940, stated in Article 4 that:
"The telTitorial sea ofPenl extends up to three miles from the
coast and islands , measured from the lowest tide lines. "125
Spanish text reads as follows:
"El mar territorial dei Perù , se extiende hasta 3 millas de la
costa e islas ,contadas a partir de las mas bajas mareas. "
4.17 Pem's claim to control maritime airspace was different yet again. Supreme
Decree of 15 November 1921 asserted in its Preamble that:
"The State has , theoretically , absolute right of ownership on
the air space over ifs tenitOly , and that, in practice , it is essential
for the State to exert sovereignty over its use , at least , up to
where its rights of self-preservation and security demand ". 126
124 Almex 4.
ln Almex 5.
126 Atmex3. 90
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Que el Estado tieue , teoriçamente , derecho absoluto de
propiedad sobre el espacio aéreo que domina su territorio , y
que , en la pnktica es indispensable que ejerza la soberania
de su empleo , pOl" 10 menos , hasta doude sus derechos de
conservaci6n y seguridad 10 · exijan".
The Supreme Decree proceeded to stipula te in Article 1 that:
"Air navigation in balloons , airships or airplanes , of public
or private propel1y, arriving from other countries , isforbidden
in less than three thousand metres over any pait of the national
territor y and over the protection zone , constituted by a belt of
twelve thousand metres [6.5 nautical miles approximately] from
its coasts or [rom its defence installations huilt on ifs maritime
shores or river banks. "127
Spanish text reads as follows:
"La navegaci6n aérea, en globo s, dirigibles , 0 aviones de
propiedad pùblica 0 particular , procedente , de otro pais, queda
prohibida a menos de ti·es mil metros sobre cualquiera de las
partes dei t.erritorio nacional y sobre la zona de proteccion ,
constihlida por una faja de doce mil metros a contar de sus
costas , 0 de las obras de defensa instaladas sobre sus riberas
maritimas 0 fluviales ."
4.18 It will readily be seen that, through into the 1940s, Peru maintained a number
of daims to maritime jurisdiction , out to distances which varied according
to the interest protected by the particular daim in question .
127 Ibid. 91
2. Cla;ms of Other States
4.19 Peru was by no means exceptional in this respect. Chile, for instance , adopted
the saille approach. Thus , Article 593 of the 1855 Chilean Civil Cod e128,
stipulated that :
"The adjacent sea, up to a distance of one marine league [tlll"ee
nautical miles], measured from the low-water mark, constihltes
the territorial sea and belongs to the public domain ; save that
the right of policing , with respect to matter s concerning the
security of the country and the observance offiscallaws , extends
up to a distance of four marine league s [12 nautical mile s J,
measured in the saille manneL "129
Spanish text reads as follow s:
"El mar adyacente , hasfa la distancia de una legua marina ,
medida desde la linea de mas baja marea , es mar telTitorial y
de dominio nacional ; pero el derecho de policia , para objetos
concemientes a la seguridad dei pais y a la observancia de
las leyes fiscales , sextien hals~ala distancia de cuah·o leguas
marina s medida s de la mis ma manera ."
A similar provi sion, setting a three-mile territorial sea and a 12-mile limit
for national security purpose s, was included in Chile's Supreme Decree
(M) No. 1.340, of 14 June 1941"'. Article 3 of Law No. 8.944 , Chilean
Water Code of 1948, on the other hand , provided that:
"The adjacent sea, up to a distance of 50 kilomeh ·es, measured
fi:omthe lowest water hne, is telTitorial sea of national domain ;
however , the right ofpolicing for pUl]Joses regarding national
security and the compliance of fiscallaw s shaH extend up to
the distance of one hundred kilometre s measured in the same
Inanner."131
128 The 1855 Chilean Civil Code entered into force1857. Annex 25.
129 This Article was amendedbyLaw No. 18.565 of 13October 1986 (Art. 1)Annex 36.
130 Almex 26.
13\ Annex 28. 92
Spanish text reads as follows:
"El mar adyacente , hasfa la distancia de 50 kilometros , medida
desde la linea de Imis baja maŒa, es mar territOlial y de dominio
nacional; pero el derecho de policia , para objetos concemienfes
a la seguridad dei pais y a la observancia de las leyes fiscales ,
se extiende hasfa la distancia de cien kil6mefros medidos de
la misma marrera ."
In 1953, Chile adopted a I2-mile limit for the competence of the Directorafe
General of Maritime Ten"itOlYand 1vlerchant Marine, which had responsibility
for navigational safety and the protection of human life at sea, as weil as
policing Chilean waters 132.
4.20 Ifwas also a common practice among other Latin American States in the
firststage of the twentieth century to esfablish different maritime zones for
specifie pm·poses . Among the better-known examples are the following 133:
(a) Brazil: In 1914 issued a Circular Note No. 43 sanctioning a three-mile
neutrality zone equivalent to the provisional extent of the territorial sea.
According to Law Decree No. 794 of 1938, (Fishing Code), Brazil
considered a 12-mile zone for fishery pmpose s.
(b) Colombia: According to Law No. 14 of 1923, "telTitorial sea" as referred
to in Law No. 120 of 1919, Law on Hydrocarbons , and Law No. 96
of 1922, Conferring Powers upon the Government to Regulate Fishing
in the Waters of the Republic , shall be understood to extend up to 12
13
nautical miles . Customs Law No. 79 of 1931 \ however , established a
20-kilometre jurisdiction zone.
U2 Decree with Force of Law No. 292 of 25 JUlly 1953, Fundamental Law of the Directorate
General of Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine. Atmex 29.
\33 The infonllation was obtained from the United Nations Legislative Series. Lmvs and Regulations
011the Regime of the Territorial Sea, UN Pub. Sale No. 1957 Vol. 2. (STILEG/SER. B/6). When
other sources were used, individual referencesre made.
134 Law No. 79, Organic Customs Law of Colombia of 19 J1Ule1931 <http://www.lexbasecolombia.com /
lexbase/nonnas/leyes/9311L0079deI931.htm> accessed 24 November 2008. 93
(c) Costa Rica: By virtue of Law Decree No. 116 of 1948, Costa Rica asserfed
ifs rights and inferesfs over the seas adjacent to its territory up to the
breadth required for the protection , preservation and rational exploitation
of ifs natural resources. According with Law Decree No. 803 of 1949 ,
l3S
demarcation was to be traced as far as 200 miles offshore .
(d) Cuba: The Code for Social Deferree of 1936 detennined that for ail crimes
and infringements committed in the national territory , territorial waters
should be considered to exfend up to a distance of Huee nautical miles
from shore. The Organic Law of the Anny and Navy, approved by Law
Decree No. 7 of 1942, claimed a three-mile territorial sea, but a zone
extending as far as 12 miles offshore for eus toms purposes.
(e) Dominican Republic: According to Law No. 3342 of 1952, the territorial
sea extended for three miles offshore, but with an additional zone reaching
as far as 12 nautical miles fo)[the purposes of security , customs, fishery
and sanitary regulations.
136
(j) Ecuador :The 1857 Civil Code established a one maritime league (three
miles) territorial sea. It also set a patrolling zone ofup to four maritime
leagues (12 miles). In 1934, by virlue of Executive Decree No. 607,
Ecuador established a 15 mile zone as "territorial waters for fishelY
zones". This nonn was reasserted through Supreme Decree No. 80 of
1938. By vütue of Supreme Decree No. 53 of 1939, Ecuador established
a "Maritime Safety Zone Adjacent to the Ecuadorean Territory " of 250
to 300 miles , while Supreme Decree No. 138 of 1940 and Executive
Decree No. 1693 of 1946 established a 15-mile territorial sea for general
fishery purposes.
ln Law Decrees No. 116 of 27 July 1948 and No. 803 of 2 November 1949. United Nations
Legislative Series.aws and Regulations on the Regime of the High Seas. UN Pub. 1951 (STI
LEG/SER. BII) , pp9-10.
136 Comisi6n Pemlanente dei Pacifico Sur, Sec:retana General: Legislaci6n Maritima y Pesquera
l'igente y atras documentas referentes al Derecha deI Mar - Ecuador. Santiago, December
1974, pp. ll7-118 , 127-130. 94
(g) El Salvador : In acco rdance with the Navigation and Maritime Act of
1933, the national domain induded a maritime zone of one maritime
league (three nautical mile s). That Act also established police , fisca l
and security rights up to a distance of four maritime league s (12 nautical
mile s).
(h) Guatemala: Law of 10 June 1934 claimed a I2-mile territorial sea. Decree
No. 2393 of 1940 established that no belligerent submarine could enter
territorial waters, with these extending up to 12 mile s.
(i) Mexico: According to the General Law of Nat ional Patrimon y of 1941
the territorial sea extended for 16,668 metre s (nine miles) offshore. The
saille law establi shed that Mexico could exe11 the police or defen sive
mea s ures it would deem appropriate in a zone adjacent to the telTitorial
sea, reaching as far as the distance fixed by speciallaw s 137•
4.21 The overall pichlfe was well smmnarized by Judge Alvarez in his lndi vidual
Opinion in the Anglo-Norwegian Fisherie s case in 1951. He said:
"5. States may fix a greater or lesser area beyond their telTitorial
sea over which they may reserve for themselves celtain rights:
customs, police rights, etc.
6. The rights indicated above are of great weight if established
bya group of States, and especially by aIl the States of a continent.
The countries of Latin America have , indi viduall y or
collectively , reserved wide areas of their coastal waters for
specific purpo ses: the maintenan ce of neutralit y, customs'
service s, etc. , and, lastly, for the exploitation of the wealth of
the continental shelf. "138
137 Garcia Robles, Alfonso:La Conferencia de Ginebra y la Anchllra dei Mar Territorial. Mexico,
1959, p. 407.
\3S Fisheries case, lndividllal opinion of Judge Alvarez, I.CReports 1951, p. 150. 95
B. PHASE 2: MARITIME CLAIMS 1945-1980
1. The Background to the Claims of 1947
4.22 States often make maritime daims. The Law of the Sea Bullehn , published
by the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea,
now records many snch daims each year. But the daims made by Chile and
Petu in 1947 were of a very different nature [rom most of the daims now
being recorded in the Law of the Sea Bullehn.
4.23 The crucial difference is that the daims being made by States around the
world now are, ahnost without exception , exercises by States of rights that
are clearly recognized in the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea. If
provides a comprehensive and authoritative account of the maritime zones
to which States are entitled lmder the Convention and, indeed, under customruy
internationallaw. Cun·entclaims are lUlcont:roversialimplementations at national
level of rights the entitlement to which is weil recognized in international
law.
4.24 The 200-mile claims made prior to 1980 were quite different , in three respects.
Firsl ,they were made against a:legal background which was still in the
making. It is now weil established that maritime claims are divided into
zones of sovereignty (the territorial sea), and zones of limited functional
jurisdiction or sovereign rights exercisable for certain pm·poses specified
by intemationallaw (the contiguous zone, the continental shelf, and the EEZ).
That is, however, a position that has been reached only in recent years. In
1945 there were , as was eXplained in the preceding paragraphs in relation
to Pem and Chile 13,many claims that did not fit within this simple classification.
Rather thrulestablish a rigid distinction between a tenitorial sea rulda contiguous
zone , for instance , many States claimed just so much maritime jurisdiction
139 Paras. 4.12-4.21 above. 96
as they needed for practical purpost leadisg, to a sihlation in which varions
zones of different breadths were established for different purposesl 4. The
200-mile daims were a further, pragmatic , addition to these bundles ofmaIitime
competences claimed by States , rather than a monolithic extension of the
State's maritime 'territory'.
4.25 Second , the 200-mile daims were radically innovative , in as lUnch as they
extended for distances far beyond the very widest daims to maritime
jurisdiction previously existing , and were resisted by scme of the major
'maritime' States , snch as the United States , the Soviet Union and several
European States.
4.26 Third, the modern Law of the Sea, developing [rom the Tnunan Proclamations ,
included a new element which provided the impulse for the extension of
maritime claims beyond their previously accepted limits: the socio-economic
factor. This was evident in the 1947 200-mile claims ofChile and Petu and
the 1952 Declaration of Santiago. The Chilean Proclamation referred to "the
object of preventing the exploitation of natural riches of this kind to the
detriment of the inhabitants ofChile "14I;and the Petuvian Supreme Decree
stated that "the shelf contains certain nahu·al resources which must beproclaimed
as our national heritage " and that--
"in defence of national economic interests it is the obligation
of the State to detennine in an irrefutable manner the maritime
domain of the Nation, within which should be exerted the
protection , conservation and vigilance of the aforesaid
resources "142.
140 This is evident from the responses of States to the League of Nations codification efforts in
relationo the Law of the Sea. See Garcia Robles, Alfonso, op. cit., p. 64. See also Lowe, A.V:
"The Development of the Concept of the Contiguous Zone". (British Yearbook of International
Lnw, Vol. 52, 1981, pp. 109-169).
141 Annex 27.(Spanish text: "con el objeto de impedir que las riquezas de este orden sean explotadas
en peIjuicio de los habitantes de Chile").
142 Annex 6. 97
Spanish text reads as follows:
"en resguardo de los intereses economicos nacionales , es
obligaci6n dei Estado fijar de una manera inconfundible el
dominio maritimo de la Naci6n , dentro dei cual deben ser
ejercitadas la protecci6n , conservaci6n y vigilancia de las
riquezas naturales antes aludidas ".
The Declaration of Santiago was even more explicit , stating:
"1. Governments have the obligation to ensure for their peoples
the necessaly conditions of subsistence, and to provide them
with the resources for their economic development.
2. Consequently , they are responsible for the conservation and
protection oftheir natural resources and for the regulation of
the development ofthese resources in order to secure the best
possible advantages for their respective countries.
3. Thus, it is also their dutY to prevent any exploitation of
these resources , beyond the scope of their jurisdiction , which
endangers the existence, integrity and conservation of these
resources to the deh·ünent of the peoples who, because oftheir
geographical situation , possess irreplaceable means of
subsistence and vital economic resources in their seas. "14 3
Spanish text reads as follows:
1. Los Gobiernos tienen la obligacion de asegurar a sus pueblos
las necesarias condiciones de subsistencia , y de procurarles
los medios para su desalTollo economico.
2. En consecuencia , es su deber cuidar de la conservacion y
proteccion de sus recursos naturales y reglamentar el
aprovechamiento de ellos a fin de obtener las mejores ventajas
para sus respectivos paises.
14, Almex 47. 98
3. Por 10 tanto , es también su deber impedir que una
exp Iota con de dichos bienes , fuera dei alcance de su
jurisdicci6n , ponga en peligro la existencia , integridad y
conservaci6n de esas riquezas en perjuicio de los pueblos
que , por su posici6n geografica , poseen en sus mares fuenfes
insubstituibles de subsistencia y de recursos economicos que
les son vitales.
4.27 For these reasons, the 200-mile daims must be seen not as simple extensions
of the maritime domain of States within limits already clearly permitted by
internationallaw , but as palticular extensions of functional jurisdiction which
had to be maintained and defended in the face of hostility from sc me parts
of the international community. Ifis important that this be understood. Had
the 200-mile claims ofPenl and Chile been straightfOlward and lUlconh·oversial
extensions of maIitime tenitOly , or even ofuniversally-recognized continental
shelf or EEZ rights , one might have expected the question of the precise
bOlUldaIiesofthose claims, including the boundaIies with neighboming States,
to be a question of considerable importance. Such a view wou Id, however ,
rewrite history according to the template of the present , and it wou Id be
incorrect.
4.28 The focus of the attention of the Parties was not upon the relationship between
the parts of the American South Pacific 200-mile zone that each of them
claimed, but upon the increasing threat which both of them faced from the
distant water fishing fleefs belonging to third States that were exploiting the
resources of the waters adjacent to Pem and Chile. The reaction to that
threat was coloured by the example of the United States in lUlilaterally asserting
itsown rights over important marine resources adjacent to its coasts , as
against third States which might otherwise have sought to exploit those
resources. The account of this period must, therefore , begin with the Tmman
Proclamations of 1945. 99
2. The Truman Proc/amahons
4.29 The trigger for the maritime daims made by Peru and Chile in 1947 was the
Proclamation concerning fisheries made by the President of the United States,
144
Harry S. Tmman on 28 September 1945 .This Proclamation, and the
Proclamation on the Continental Shelf adopted on the saille day, are very
familiar to internationallawyers ; but it is important to read them in full in
order to see the remarkable similarity between the concerns and solutions
adopted by the United States and those adopted shortly afterwards by Chile
and Peru. The material parts of the Fisheries Proclamation read as follows:
"Polie y of the United States with Respect to Coastal Fisheries
inCertain Areas of the High Seas
WHEREAS for scme years the Govemment of the United States
of America has viewed with concern the inadequacy of present
alTangements for the protection and perpetuation of the fishery
resources contiguous to its coasts , and in view of the potentially
disturbing effect of this situation , has carefully studied the
possibilityof improving the jmisdictional basis for conservation
measures and intemational co-operation in this field , and
WHEREAS such fishery resources have a special importance
to coastal communities as a source of livelihood and to the
nation as a food and indus trial resource; and
WHEREAS the progressive development of new methods and
techniques contributes to intensified fishing over wide sea areas
and in cel1ain cases seriously threatens fisheries with depletion ,
and
WHEREAS there is an urgent need to protect coastal fishery
resources from destructive exploitation , having due regard to
conditions peculiarto eachn:~gi and sihlation and to the special
144 Proclamation No. 2668, Policy of the United States with Respect to Coastal Fisheries in Cel1ain
Areasof the High Seas, 28 September 1945. TIle Proclamation was accompanied by Executive
arder No. 9634, Providillg for the Establishment of FishelY ConselVation Zones, 28 September
1945. Annex 88. 100
rights and equities of the coastal State and of any other State
which may have established a legitimate interest therein ;
NOW, THEREFORE , l, HARRY S. TRUMAN , President of
the United States of America , do hereby proclaim the following
poliey of the United States of America with respect to coasfal
fisheries in celtain areas of the high seas:
In view of the pressing need for conservation and protection
offishelY reSOlU"ce,sthe Government of the United States regards
it as proper to esfablish conservation zones in those areas of
the high seas contiguous to the coasts of the United States wherein
fishing activities have been or in the future may be developed
and maintained on a substantial scale. Where snch activities
have been or shaH hereafter be developed and maintained by
its nationals alone the United States regards it as proper to
establish explicitly bounded conservation zones in which fishing
activities shallbe subject to the regnlation and control of the
United States. Where snch activities have been or shaH hereafter
be legitimately developed and maintained jointly by nationals
of the United States and nationals of other States, explicitly
bonnded conservation zones may be established nnder
agreements between the United States and such other States ;
and ail fishing activities in snch zones shall be snbject to
regnlation and control as provided in snch agreements. The
rightofany State to establish conservation zones offits shores
in accordance with the above principles is conceded , provided
that corresponding recognition is given to any fishing interesfs
of nationals of the United States which may exist in snch areas.
The character as high seasof the areas in which such conservation
zones are established and the right to their free and nnimpeded
navigation are in no way thus affected. "
4.30 The Fisheries Proclamation thus rested control over coastal fisheries partly
upon agreement with other interested States. That was, however, emphatically
not the case with the United States ' 1945 Continental Shelf Proclamation 14
W Proclamation No. 2667, Policy of the United States with Respect to the Natural Resources of
the Subsoil and Sea Bed of the Continental Shelf, 28 September 1945. The Proclamation was
accompanied by Executive Order No. 9633, Reserving and Placing Certain resources of the
ContinentalShelf under the Control and Jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior, 28
September 1945.Annex 88. 101
which accompanied the Fisheries Proclamation on 28 September 1945. The
Continental ShelfProclamation and Executive Order constitufed an explicit
and unilateral assertion of exclusive United States rights over the resources
of the continental shelf. The Proclamation read as follows:
"Policy of the United Sta.tes with Respect to the Nafural
Resources of the Subsoil and Sea Bed of the Continental Shelf
WHEREAS the Govemment of the United States of America ,
aware of the long range world-wide need for new sources of
petroleum and other minerais , holds the view that efforts to
discover and make availab le new supplies of the se resources
should be encouraged; and
WHEREAS ifs competent experts are of the opinion that snch
resources underlie many parts of the continental shelf off the
coasts ofthe United States of America , and that with modern
technological progress their utilisation is already practicable
or will become so at any early date ; and
WHEREAS recognized jurisdiction over these resources IS
required in the interest of their conservation and prudent
utilisation when and as development is undel1aken; and
WHEREAS it is the view of the Govenunent of the United
States that the exercise of jurisdiction over the nahual resources
of the subsoil and sea bed of the continental shelf by the
contiguous nation is reasonable and just, since the effectiveness
of measures to utilise or conserve these resources would be
contingent upon cooperation and protection from the shore,
since the continental shelf may be regarded as an extension of
the land-mass of the coastal nation and thus nahlrally appm1enant
to it, since these resources fi:equently fonn a seaward extension
of a pool or deposit lying within the territory , and since self
protection compels the coastal nation to keep close watch over
activities off its shores which are of their nahlre necessary for
utilisation of these resources;
NOW , THEREFORE , l, HARRY S. TRUMAN, President of
the United States of America , do hereby proclaim the following
policy of the United States of America with respect to the nahlral
resources of the subsoil and sea bed of the continental shelf. 102
Having concern for the m"gency of conserving and pmdently
utilizing its natural resources , the Govenllnent of the United
States regards the natural resources of the subsoil and sea bed
of the continental shelfbeneath the high seas but contiguous to
the coasts of the United Stah:s as appertaining to the United
States , subject to its jurisdictioand control. In cases where
the continental shelf extends 1:0the shores of another State , or
is shared with an adjacent State, the boundary shaHbe detennined
by the United States and the State concerned in accordance
with equitable principles . The characfer as high seas of the
waters above the continental shelf and the right to their free
and unimpeded navigation are in no way thus affected."
4.31 There are two points to be made about the Truman Proclamations of 1945.
The firstis that neither Proclamation was expressed as a claim to jurisdiction
over the seas within a specified distance of the shore l46.Both Proclamations
were assertions of the right of tIlt: United States to exercise jurisdiction
over undefined adjacent marine areas for specific plU]Joses; and both, plainl y,
were motivated by the need to ass· ert the jurisdiction necessary to prote ct
an identified interest of the United States in those adjacent marine areas.
4.32 Thus , the Truman Proclamations were essentially funchonal rather than
zonal in nature . They aimed not at the creation of precisel y delimited zones ,
but at the assertion of acompeten o ex~ercise jurisdiction over undefined
areas of the sea and sea-bed and subsoil adjacent to the coast for specified
purposes.
4.33 The second point is that the Continen tal ShelfProclamation, lmlike the Fisheries
Proclamation , asserted exclusive United States rights over valuable marine
resources adjacent to its coasts. In essence , the United States identified the
major source of wealth in the waters adjacent to its coasts , and asserted
146 The press release accompanying the Proclamations did, however , state that "Generally ,
submerged land which is contiguous the continent and which is covered by no more than 1DO
fathoms (600 feet) of water is considered as the continental shelf ' <http://www.presidency.
ucsb.edu/wslindex.php?pid=12332> accessed 21 November 2008. 103
ownership of it. As the United States daim s were presented not as exception al
measures in breach of internationall aw '47but as measures consonant with
the development of internation all aw, itfollowed that other States could (in
the eyes of those who accepted the validity of the Tmm an Proclam ations)
make similar d aims themselves. For Peru and Chile, the major maritim e
resources were at the time fish and whales, not petroleum . For them, fish
and whales were as lUnch a strategie resource as peh"oleum, and it was natur al
that they sho uld emul ate the Unit ed States in assel1illg rights over the fisheries
o ff their coasts.
4.34 The natur al and the intended effect of the Truman Fisheries Procl amation
was that many of the fishing vess els that had previously been fishing off the
United States coasts would be for ced to look for fish beyond the new United
States fishing zones. Inevitabl y, much ofthat effort was diverted southwards,
to the fisheries off the coas ts of Latin Am erica. Thus, the result of a unilateral
measure by a powerful State claimin g exclusive right s over the most valuable
ma rine resources (hydrocarbons) off its own coas ts was to redu ce Petu and
Chile 's share of the one marin e resour ce (fisheries) which benefited the
Pac ific States of Latin Ameri ca. If was in the face of this very large, long
tenn , increas e in the press ure on their coas tal fish stocks that Petu and Chile
(and Ecuador ) took steps to exte nd their maritime juri sdiction, pre cisely in
o rder to offer some possibilit y of controllin g access to their coastal fisheries,
l48
thu s prote cting both the fisherie s and the Stat es' own interests in them .
4.35 In these ways the Ttum an Procl amati ons simultaneou sly provided a precedent
for the unil ateral assertion of exclu sive rights by State s over valuable marine
res our ces in the seas adjacent to their coasts, put increased pre ssure upon
141 In contrast ta, for example, the UK action in bombing the stricken Liberian tanker, the T017ey
Canyon, in 1967, which was presented as a necessary action lUlinhibited by intemationall aw. See
the UK House of COll/liions Debates, 4 April 1967, Vol. 744, at colll 38-54.
148 See, for example, Auguste, Barry B.L.:The Continental Shelf: The practice and policy of the
Latin American States with special reference to Chile, Ecuador and Peru, Paris, Librairie
Minard and Geneva, Librairie E. Droz,1960" pp. 155-165; Scully, Michael: "Peru goes fishing".
(Amé ricas, Vol. 3, No. 7, 1951, July, pp. 7-9, 42). 104
the fish stocks that were already uuder commercial exploitation in the high
seas off the Pacific coast of South America, and created a situation in which
it became a matter of urgent nece:ssity that the Latin American claims to
extended fisheries jurisdiction be made.
3. The Mexican and Argenri nean Cla;ms of 1945-1946
l4 9 l 50
4.36 As will be seen, the Chilean and the Pemvian claims of 1947 were
explicitly based upon the Tmman Proclamations and upon the claims made
by Mexico and Argentina in 194:5 and 1946. The Mexican Presidential
Declaration of 29 October 1945 , asserted that-
"the Govenunent of the Republic lays claim to the whole of
the continental platfonn or shelf adjoining ifs coast hne and to
each and aIl of the natural resources existing there , whether
known or unknown , and is taking steps to supervise , utilize
and control the closed fishing zones necessary for the
conservation of this source of well-being. "151
4.37 On 9 October 1946 Argentina adopted a Declaration Proclaiming Sovereignty
over the Epicontinental Sea and the Continental Shetr 52.The Declaration
recalled the United States and Mexican daims and stated that:
"In the international sphere conditional recognition is accorded
to the right of every nation to consider as national territory the
entire extent of its epiconti)(lental sea and of the adjacent
continental shelf '153.
149 See paras. 4.45-4.46 below.
no See paras. 4.50-4.51 below.
l5l Declaration of the President of Mexico on the Continental Shelf, 29 Detober 1945. Annex 89.
m The Declaration was fOimulatedon 11 Detober 1946 by Decree No. 14.708/46.
m Deeree No. 14.708/46 of 11 Detober 1946. Annex 90. 105
There was no indication in this 1946 Declaration of the seaward extent of
the epicontinental sea or the continental shelf daim , or of the manuer in
which the boundaries between Argentina 's zones and those of neighbouring
States might be drawll .
4.38 Both the Mexican and the Argentinean daims , like the Truman Proclamations
before them, were plainly concemed to assert the principle of national control
over the resources of the adjacent seas , and not to fix the lateral or the
seaward limits of the new maritime zone.
4. South-Easl Pacifie Fishe r;es in the 1940 s
4.39 The practice ofPeru and Chile must be understood against the background
of their concern with their offshore fisheries. Fisheries in the South-East
Pacifie have long attracfed fishing vessels from outside the region . The coastal
States have , correspondingly , long sought to preserve such fisheries for the
benefit oftheir citizens. In 1833, for example , Peru adopted a decree which
provided that only Peruvian citizells could fish or lnmt whales and amphibians
on Pemvian shores and islands , and established a system of licences for
fishing by Peruvian nationals l .A similar regulation was enacted in 1840 15.
4.40 The importance of the Peruvian fishing industty increased greatly from the
1940s onwards. For example , in 1939 there was only one fishing company
registered in Pem , but by 1945 there were 12; and by 1964 Pem accounted
for 18% of the world's fishing activities and produced around 40% of the
world's fisluneap s6.Peru 'scOimnitment to the fishing industr y was evidenced
by the establishment in 1954 of the Consejo de Invesrigaciones
154 Supreme Deeree of 6 September 1833. AnIH:x l.
m Supreme Decree of 5 August 1840.Annex 2.
156 Thorp, Rosemary and Bertram, Geoffrey: 1890-1977. Crecimiento y politicas en 1111economia
abierta,Lima, Mosea Azul, Ftmdaci6n Friedrich Ebert and Universidad dei Pacifico, 1985, pp.
369-371. 106
Hidrobiologica s, which conducte d studies of anchovy and other species ,
and in 1959 of the Inshtuto de Investigadone s de Recursos Marina s
(IREMAR) which worked on FAO studies: the two bodies were merged iuto
157
the Inshtufo deI Mar deI Pertl (I1vlARPE) in 1964 .
4.41 In the 1940s and 1950s , the nascent Peruvian fishing industty faced pressure
[rom two sides . On the one hand foreign fishing vessels , displaced from
their traditional fishing grounds in the North Pacifie by declining catches
resulting from over-fishing and by United States conservation measures , were
looking to the fish stocks off the west coast of Latin America 158.On the other
hand , the United States was considering moves to impose taxes on imports
oftuna [rom third States , including Peru 15. These pressures led to requests
from Peruvian businesses that the Pt:~ru voivemnment take action to protect
Peruvian interesfs and specifically to protect effectively the resources within
the 200-mile zone 160.
4.42 The situation facing the whaling industry in the 1940s was perhaps the
most important factor in the baclk:ground to the 1947 maritime claims.
Peru had an important whaling industry at this time . The Chilean whaling
industr y had expanded during the years of the Second World War, when
European whaling around Antarctica was suspended . European and
Japanese whaling in those waters had resumed by 1947 , and in the words
of Dr. Ann Hollick , a distinguished commentator and former United States
157 Instituto dei Mar dei Perll <http://190.81.184.108/imarpe/historia.php> accessed 1 December
2008.
158 See Declaration of the Head of the Chilean Delegation contained in the Act of the Closing
Ceremony of the Conference on the Exploitation and Conservation of Marine Resources of the
South Pacifie, 19August 1952, Santiago. Annex 97.
159 Fishermen 's Protective Acts of 1954 and 1967, amendment s of 12 August 1968 and 23
December 1971. See United States Code, Title 22: Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Chap. 25:
Protection of Vessels on the High Seas and in Territorial Waters of Foreigns. <http://
uscode.house.gov> accesed 1 December 2008.
160 Note No. (SM)-6-3/64 of Il May 1952, from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Petu to the
Ambassador of the United States of America. Almex 63. 107
Govenunent employee, in her paper published in the 1977 Amer;can Journal
of International Law:
"By 1947 Chile's infant whaling indushy found itselfthreatened
by ever increasing levels of competition with efficient distant
water whaling fleets. There was also the prospect that the Chilean
Govemment might become a palty to intemational agreements
which would limit the access ofChilean companies to the offshore
whaling resource. " 161
4.43 In December 1946 the International Convention for the Regulation ofWhaling
had been adopted at the Washington Conference. Both Peru and Chile had
attended the Conference , and both signed the Convention ; but they quickly
came to the view that the Convention favoured the larger whaling powers to
the deh"iment of States such as Peru and Chile , and they decided not to ratify
162
it .They decided instead to pmsue their own approach to the whaling problem.
Despite the strategic differences between these two States in respect ofthe
Pacific, 1947 was a year in which the interesfs of Peru and Chile in maritime
matters converged.
4.44 If was against the background of the threat to South-East Pacific fisheries ,
and the adoption of the Truman Proclamations, that the Chilean and Peruvian
claims were made in 1947.
5. Chile's 1947 Cla;m
163
4.45 Chile proclaimed its 200-mile zone on 23 June 1947 in order to protect
its whaling industry by asserting the right to exclude foreign whaling and
fishing vessels from its coastal waters. Chile's Proclamation , which was
161 Hollick , Ann L. :"The Origins of 20Q-Mile Offshore Zones". (The America n Journal of
International Law, Vol. 71, No. 3, 1977, July, pp. 497-498).
162 See Rivera Marfall, Jaime: La Declaracion sobre la Zona Maritima de 1952. Santiago, Editorial
Juridicade Cltile, 1968, p. 37.
16l Presidential Declaration Conceming Continental Shelf of 23 JlUle 1947. Annex 27. 108
published on 29 June 1947 in the daily newspaper El Mercurio , recalled the
Tmman Proclamation and the Presidential Declarations made by Mexico in
1945 and Argentina in 1946, and stated that toitis manifestly convenient ...
to issue a similar proclamation of sovereignty "l64 , noting that "international
consensus of opinion recognizes the right of every country to consider as its
national territory any adjacent extension of the epicontinental sea and the
continental shelf '165.
4.46 The Chilean Proclamation did not specify the sea area to which it applied.
It read , in part , as follows:
"Considering:
1. That the Governmenfs of the United States of America , of
Mexico and of the Argentine Republic , by presidential
declarations made on 28 September 1945, 29 October 1945,
and 11 October 1946 , respectively , have categorically
proclaimed the sovereignty oftheir respective States over the
land surface or continental shelf adjacent to their coasts , and
over the adjacent seas within the limits necessary to preserve
for the said States the natural riches belonging to them , both
known and to be discovered in the future ;
The President of the Republic hereby declares:
2. The Govemment ofChile continns and proclaims its national
sovereignty over the seas adjacent to its coasts whatever may
be their depths , and within tilose limits necessary in order to
reserve ,protect , preserve and exploit the natural resources of
whatever nature found on, within and below the said seas ,
164 Ibid. , Preamble , para. 3. (Spani sh text: "hay manifie sta conveniencia en efectuar una
proc1amacionde soberallia amUog").
16~ Ibid., Preamble, para. 4. (Spallish text: "el consenso intemaciollal reconoce a cada pais el
derecho a considerar como territorio nacional toda la extension dei mar epicolltinelltal y el
z6calo continental adyacentes."). 109
placing within the control of the government especially ail
fisheries and whaling activities with the object ofpreventing
the exploitation of natural riches of this kind to the detriment
of the inhabitants of Chile and to prevent the spoiling or
destmction of the said riches to the detriment of the counh"y
and the American continent.
3. The demarcation of the protection zones for whaling and
deep sea fishery in the continental and island seas uuder the
control of the Government of Chile will be made in virtne of
this declaration of sovereignty at any moment which the
Government may consider c:onvenient, snch demarcation to be
ratified , amplified,or modified in any way to confonn with
the knowledge , discoveries , studies and interests of Chile as
required in the fuhu·e.Protection and conti·ol is hereby declared
immediately over ail the seas contained within the perime ter
fonned by the coast and the mathematical parallel projected
into the sea at a distance of 200 nautical miles from the coasts
of Chilean territOly. This demarcation will be calculated to
include the Chilean islands, indicating a maritime zone contiguous
to the coasts of the said islands , projected parallel to these
islands at a distance of200 nautical miles around their coasts.
4. The present declaration of sovereignty does not disregard
the similar legitimate rights of other States on a basis of
reciprocity, nor does it.affe:ct the rights of free navigat.ion on
the high seas. "166
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Co nsiderando:
1. Que los Gobiernos de los Estados Unidos de América, de
México y de la Repùblica Argentina , por declaraciones
presidenciales efectuadas e:l 28 de septiembre de 1945, el 29
de ochlbre de 1945 y el Il de octubre de 1946, respectivamente ,
han proclamado de modo categorico la soberania de dichos
Estados sobre la piani cie continental 0 zocalo continental
166Ibid., Preamble, para. 1 and operative provisions. 110
adyacente a sus costas, y sobre el mar adyacente en toda la
extension necesaria a fin de conservar para tales Estados la
propiedad de las riquezas naturales conocidas 0 que en el
futuro se descubran .
El Presidente de la Republic.a declara:
2. El Gobiemo de Chile confirma y proclama la soberania
nacional sobre los mares adyacentes a sus costas , cualquiera
que sea su profundidad , en toda la extension necesaria para
reservar,proteger, conservar yaprovechar los recursos y riquezas
naturales de cualquier natura]eza que sobre dichos mares , en
ellos y bajo ellos se encuentreu , sometiendo a la vigilancia
dei Gobierno especialmente las faenas de pesca y caza
maritimas , con el objeto de impedir que las riquezas de este
orden sean explotadas en perjuicio de los habitantes de Chile
y mennadas 0 destmidas en debimento dei pais y dei Continente
amencano.
3. La demarcaci6n de las zonas de protecci6n de caza y pesca
maritimas en los mares continentales e insulares que queden
bajo el control dei Gobierno de Chile, sera hecha en virhld de
esta declaraci6n de soberania, cada vez que el Gobierno 10
crea conveniente , sea ratificando , ampliando 0 de cualquier
manera modificando dichas demarcaciones, conforme a los
conocimientos, descubrimientos , estudios e intereses de Chi le
que sean advertidos en el futuro , declarandose desde luego
dicha protecci6n y control sobre todo el mar comprendido
dentro dei perimetro fonnado por la costa con una paralela
matematica proyectada en el mar a doscientas millas marinas
de distancia de las costas continentales chilenas. Esta
demarcaci6n se me dira respecto de las islas chilenas ,
sefialandose lilla zona de mar contigua a las costas de las mismas ,
proyectada paralelamente a éstas a doscientas millas marinas
por todo su contorno.
4. La presente declaraci6n de soberania no desconoce legitimos
derechos similares de otros Estados sobre la base de
reciprocidad , ni afecta a los derechos de libre navegaci6n
sobre la alta mal"." III
4.47 There are two points to make about this Proclamation . F;rst, it will be noted
that the Proclamation is a tentative , initial step. The Proclamation asserts
Chile's initial and (most signifïc.antly) alterable daim to jurisdiction over
adjacent waters , but itdoe s not actually instantiafe that daim by the
promulgation of precise laws applicable in the zone. The actual exerc;se of
Chile'sjmisdiction was to take place via adoption offurther measmes, including
the 'demarcations ' refelTed to in ifs operative provision 3.
4.48 Second, there is no sign that this Proclamation was intended to address the
question of the location of lateral maritime boundaries with neighbouring
States. The Proclamation is concemed with the seaward extension of Chilean
jmisdiction . Ifis simply said, in express but vague tenDS, that the "declaration
of sovereignty does not disregard the similar legitimate rights of other States
on a basis of reciprocity ".
4.49 These features of Chile's 1947 Proclamation (which are, as is eXplained
below , also features ofPeru's slightly later measure) are unsurprising . The
Proclamation was a tentati ve, innovative step at a time when there was no
general acceptance in internationallaw of any claims to maritime jmisdiction
beyond the narrow limits oftelTitorial seas and contiguous zones. Even the
nascent doctrine of the continental shelfwas not then accepted in international
law: four years later , in 1951 , the arbitrator in the case of Petroleum
Developmenl Ltd v. Sheikh of Abu Dhabi held that the doctrine of the continental
shelf could not claim to have "ass umed hitherto the hard lineaments or the
definiti ve status of an establishe.d rule of internationallaw ."167
6. Peru's 1947 Claim
4.50 Peru 's aim in extending its maritîme jmisdiction in 1947, as is evident from
the Preamble to its Supreme Decree No. 781, enacted on 1 August 1947 ,
161 18 ILR 144, al 155. 112
was to proteet ifs coastal fisheries [rom the detrimental effects of exploitation
by third States. The relevant passages in the Preamble read as follows:
"Considering:
That the continental subm ·erged shelf fonTIs one entire
morphological and geological unit with the continent ;
That the shelf contains certain natural resources which must
be proclaimed as our national heritage ;
That itis deemed equally necessary that the State proteet ,
maintain and establish a control of fisheries and other natural
resources found in the continental waters which cover the
submerged shelf and the adjacent continental seas in order
that these resources which an: so essential to our nationallife
may continue to be exploited now and in the future in snch a
way as to cause no detriment to the country 's economy or to
its food production;
That the value of the fertilizer left by the guano birds on islands
off the Pemvian coast also requires for its safeguard the
protection , maintenance and establishment of a control of the
fisheries which serve to nourish these birds ;
That the right to proclaim sovereignty and national jurisdiction
over the entire extension of the submerged shelf as weil as
over the continental waters which coyer it and the adjacent
seas in the area required for the maintenance and vigilance of
the resources therein contained , has been claimed by other
countries and practically admitted in international law
(Declaration of the President of the United States of 28
September 1945; Declaration of the President of Mexico of
29 October 1945; Decree of the President of the Argentine
Nation of 11 October 1946; Declaration of the President of
Chile of23 June 1947) ;
That article 37 of the Constitution establishes that ail mines ,
lands , forests , waters and in general ail sources of natural
wealth pertain to the State, with the exception ofrights legally
acquired ; 113
That in fulfilment of ifs sovereignty and in defence of national
economic interests it is the obligation of the State to determine
in an irrefutable manner the maritime domain of the Nation ,
within which should be exerted the protection , conservation
and vigilance of the aforesaid resources "16&.
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Considerando:
Que la platafonna submarilla 0 zocalo continental forma con
el continente uua sola unidad morfologica y geol6gica ;
Que en dicha platafonna continental existen riquezas nahu"ales
cuya pertenencia al patrimonio nacional es indispensable
proclamar ;
Que es iguahnente necesario que el Estado proteja , conserve
y reglamente el uso de los recursos pesqueros y oh"as riquezas
naturales que se encuentrelll en las aguas epicontinentales que
cubren la platafonna submarina y en los mares continentales
adyacentes a élla, a fin de que tales riquezas , esenciales para
la vida nacional, continùen explotandose 0 se exploten en 10
futuro en forma que no cause detrimento a la economia dei
pais ni a su produccion alimenticia ;
Que la riqueza feltilizante que depositan las aves guaneras en
las islas dellitoral pemano requiere tambiénpara su salvaguardia
la proteccion, conserva cion y reglamentacion dei uso de los
recursos pesqueros que sir ven de sustento a dichas aves ;
Que el derecho a proclamar la soberania dei Estado y la
jurisdiccion nacional sobre toda la extension de la platafonna
o zocalo submarino , asi como sobre las aguas epicontinentales
que 10cubren y sobre las dei mar adyacentes a éllas, en toda
la extension necesaria para la conser vacion y vigilancia de
las Iiquezas alli contenidas , ha sido declarado por oh·os Estados
y admitido pnlcticamente en el orden intemacional (Declaracion
168 Supreme Decree No. 781 of 1 August 1947, Preamble. Annex 6. 114
dei Presidente de los Estados Unidos de América dei 28 de
septiembre de 1945; Declaracion dei Presidente de México
dei 29 de octubre de 1945; Del~re deo Presidente de la Nacion
Argentina dei II de ochlbre de 1946; Declaracion dei Presidente
de Chile deI 23 de junio de 1947);
Que el articulo 37 de la COl1stitucion dei Estado establece
que las minas , tierras , bosques, aguas y, en general todas las
fuentes naturales de riqueza pertenecen al Estado , salvo los
derechos legalmente adquiri dos;
Que en ejercicio de la soberan:ia y en resguardo de los intereses
economicos nacionales , es obligacion dei Estado fijar de una
manera inconfundible el dominio maritimo de la Nacion, dentro
dei cual deben ser ejercitadas la proteccion , conserva cion y
vigilancia de las riquezas naturales antes aludidas ".
4.51 The operative provisions of Supreme Decree No. 781 read as follows:
"1. To declare that national sovereignty and jurisdiction are
extended to the submerged continental or insular shelf adjacent
to the continental or insular shores national territory, whatever
the depth and extension of this shelf may be.
2. National sovereignty and jurisdiction are exercised as weil
over the sea adjoining the shores of national telTitory whatever
its depth and in the extension necessary to reserve , protect ,
maintain and utilize natural resources and wealth of any kind
which may be found in or below those waters.
3. As a result of previous declarations the State reserves the
right to establish the limits of the zones of control and protection
of natural resources in continental or insular seas which are
controlled by the Pemvian Govemment and to modify such
limits in accordance with supervining circumstances which
may originate as a result of further discoveries, studies or
national interests which may become apparent in the future
and at the same time declares that it will exercise the same
control and protection on the seas adjacent to the Peruvian
coast over the area covered between the coast and an imaginalY
parallelline to it at a distance of two hundred (200) nautical
miles measured following the hne of the geographical paraUels. 115
As regards islands pertaining to the Nation, this demarcation
will be traced to include tht! sea area adjacent to the shores of
these islands to a distance of two hundred (200) nautical miles,
measured from ail points on the contour of these islands.
4. The present declaration does not affect the right to free
navigation of ships of ail nations according to international
law. " 169
Spanish text reads as follows:
" 1. Declarase que la soberania y la jurisdiccion nacionales
se extienden a la platafonna submarina 0 zocalo continental e
iusular adyacente a las co:stas continentales e insulares dei
territorio nacional , cualesquiera que sean la profundidad y la
extension que abarque dicho zocalo.
2. La soberania y lajurisdicci6n nacionales se ejercen también
sobre el mar adyacente a las costas dei territorio nacional ,
cualquiera que sea su profundidad y en la extension necesaria
para reservar , proteger , conservar y utilizar los recursos y
riquezas naturales de toda clase que en 0 debajo de dicho mar
se encuentren.
3. Como consecuencia de las declaraciones anteriores, el
Estado se reserva el derecho de establecer la demarcacion de
las zonas de control y proteccion de las riquezas nacionales
en los mares continentales e insulares que quedan bajo el conh·ol
dei Gobierno dei Pen.'! , y de modificar dicha demarcacion de
acuerdo con las circunstancias sobrevinientes por razon de
los nuevos descubrimientos , estudios, 0 intereses nacionales
que fueren advertidos en el fuhuo; y, desde luego , declara que
ejercera dicho conh ·ol y proteccion sobre el mar adyacente a
las costas dei territorio peruano en una zona comprendida enh·e
esas costas y una linea imaginaria paralela a ellas y trazada
sobre el mar a una distancia de doscientas (200) millas maIinas ,
medida siguiendo la linea de los paralelos geograticos. Respecto
de las islas nacionales esta demarcacion se trazara sei'ialandose
169 Ibid., operative provisions. 116
una zona de mar contigua a las costas de dichas islas , hasta
una distancia de doscientas (200) millas marinas medida desde
cada uno de los puntos dei contomo de éllas.
4. La presente declaraci6n no afecta el derecho de libre
navegaci6n de naves de todas las naciones , confonne el derecho
internacional. "
4.52 It is paragraph 3 that is ofprimary impOltance ; and ifs provisions are similar
to those of the Chilean Proclamation which was ifs immediate precursor.
4.53 Paragraph 3 of the 1947 Peruvian Decree asserted the righr ofPeru to establish
maritime zones off its coasts:
"[Petu] reserves the right to establish the limits of the zones
of control and protection of natural resources in continental
or iusular seas which are controlled by the Pemvian Government
and to modify such limits in accordance with supervining
circumstances which may originate as a result of further
discoveries , studies or national interests which may become
apparent in the future "170.
Spanish text reads as follows:
"[El Peru] se reserva el derecho de establecer la demarcacion
de las zonas de control y proteccion de las riquezas nacionales
en los mares continentales e insulares que quedan bajo el control
dei Gobierno dei Peru , y de rnodificar dicha demarcaci6n de
acuerdo con las circunstancias sobrevinientes por razon de
los nuevos descubrimientos , estudios , 0 intereses nacionales
que fueren advertidos en el futuro ".
As in the case of the earlier Chilean Proclamation , this Pemvian Decree did
not aim or purport to fix the definitive limits of the jurisdiction of the coastal
State. It was an asse11ion in general tenDS of jurisdictional competence over
adjacent waters; and the limits oftbat competence were explicitly said to be
170 Ibid. para. 3 of the operative provisions. 117
subject to modification "in accordance with supervining circumstances which
may originate as a result of furth ·er discoveries , studies or national inferesfs
which may become apparent in the fuhlre ".
4.54 Thus , and again like the Chilean Proclamation of 1947, the 1947 Peruvian
Decree described oIlly the initial zone within which Petu intended to begin
the exercise of ifsjurisdiction rights:
"[Peru] declares that it will exercise the same control and
protection on the seas adjacent to the Peruvian coast over the
area covered between the coast and an imaginalY parallelline
to it at a distance oftwo hundred (200) nautical miles measured
following the hIle of the geographical parallels. "171
Spanish text reads as follows:
"[El Perù] declara que ejercera dicho control y proteccion
sobre el mar adyacente a las costas dei territorio pernano en
una zona comprendida entH e~as costas y una linea imaginaria
paralela a ellas y trazada sobre el mar a una distancia de
doscientas (200) millas marinas , medida siguiendo la linea
de los paralelos geograficos."
That was a jurisdictional daim asserted in general tenns , to be implemented
by later measures 172.
4.55 The character of the zone as a jurisdictional claim deserves emphasis . The
zone was not envisaged as an extension of national terrUory but only of
limited jurisdictional competences.
171 Ibid.
172 For example, Supreme Decree No. 21 of 31 Detober 1951 approving Peru's Regulation of
Captaineies and National Merehant Navy, placed the maritime domain lUlderthe jmisdietion of
the Captaineies, whieh had the duty to police it and proteet its resources.hll1969, as a
consequence of the increase in maritime aetivities, Peru created by Law Decree No. 17824 a
separate Corps of Captaineies and Coastguard with the responsibility for controlling and
proteeting theaturalresources of the zone established by Supreme Decree No. 781 of 1947.
Almex 14. 118
4.56 Similarly , as was the case with the Chilean measure , the PelUvian Decree
did not pmport to deal with the question oflaferal boundaries with neighboming
States.
4.57 Again like the Chilean Proclamation , the Peruvian Decree asserfed a general
daim to a 200-mile zone off both the continental and the iusular coasts of
the State. In the case of islands the 200-mile zone is said, explicitly and
milToring the language of the Chilean Proclamation , to be measured from aU
points on the contour of the se islands.
4.58 The reference in the PelUvian decree to the measurement of the 200 miles
"following the hIle of the geographical parallels " points to the manner in
which the seaward limit of the initial zone would be delimited caltographically.
The intention was to depict a situation in which at each point on the coast a
hne 200-mile long would be drawn seaward along the geographicalhne of
latitude , so that there would be a "minor " coastline parallel to the real
coastline - the real coastline would in effect be h·ansposed 200 miles offshore
and fonll the outer edge of the 200-mile zone. There is no sign that the 1947
Decree was intended to set any lateral boundaries with neighbouring States.
4.59 While the Chilean and Pemvian instnullents were adopted independently ,
they had, therefore , a similar approach and purpose. That pm·pose was to
assel1 control over an area of sea out to at least 200 miles from the shore.
It was not their concern to set late:ral boundaries .
4.60 On 12 March 1952 Peru enacted Pet:roleum Law No. 11780, which estabhshed
"an imaginary hne drawn seaward at a constant distance of 200 miles " as
the hmit of ifsjurisdiction l .The technical method of conshucting the seaward
hmit of that zone was different from that in the 1947 Decree. Instead of
17l Annex 8. (Spanish text: "una !inea imaginaria trazada mar afuera a Ulladistancia constante de 200
millas"). 119
projecting a "parallel coast" shifted 200 nautical miles seaward, the Petroleum
Law in effect used what is the "arcs of circles" method , defining the zone as
174
including in principle ail areas. within 200 nautical miles of any point on
the PelUvian coast. Nonetheless , while the methods of constructing the zone
were different , the 1952 Petroleum Law reflects a similar intention to lay
daim to an entire area lying within 200 nautical miles of the PelUvian coast.
There was no Chilean protest against this Petroleum Law.
4.61 The difference which would have arisen betweell the effect of the two methods
(1947, 1952) of constructing the seaward limit of Peru 's zone is illustrated
in Figure 4.1. It will be seen that the '1952 method' gives a smoother , and
larger, zone that does the method contemplated in 1947. This reflects the
evolution in thinking at this time about the manner in which the outer limits
of the coastal State entitlements were to be established - an issue that was
remarked upon by the International Court of Justice in the Anglo-Nonveg;an
175
F;shehes case .
174 Because, plainly, there is a need for delimitation with adjacent States.
m In the Allglo-Norwegiall Fisheries case (Judgment, I.CJ. Reports 1951, pp. 128-129) the Court
obselVed that various methods have been cOlltemplated to effect the applicationof the low-water
mark mie . In the Comt 's words: "The simplest would appear to be the method of the tracé
parallèle,which consists of drawing the outer limit of the belt of territorial waters by following
the coast in ail its sinuosities.s method may he applied without difficulty to an ordinaly coast ,
which is not too broken. ...
...the experts of the Second Sub-Committee of the Second Committee of the 1930 Conference
for the codificationof international law fonnulated the low-water mark mie somewhat strictly
('following ail the sinuosities of the coast'). But they were at the same time obliged to adntit
many exceptions relating to bays, islands m:ar the coast, groups of islands. In the present case
this method of the tracéparallèle, which was invoked against Norway in the Memorial , was
abandoned in the written Reply, and later in the oral argument of the Agent of the United
Kingdom Govemment. Consequently, it is no longer relevant to the case. 'On the other hand', it is
said in the Reply, thecourbe tangente - or, i:1lEnglish, 'envelopes of arcs of circ1es'- method is
the method whieh the United Kingdom eonsiders to he the eOlTeetone"'. See also Gidel, Gilbert:
Le droit international public de la mer. Le temps de paix. Vol. ID (La mer tenitoriale et la zone
contiguë). Paris, Recueil Sirey, 1934, pp. 504-505 ; Boggs, S. Whittemore : "Delimitation of the
TelTitorialSea: TIle Method of Delimitation Proposed by the Delegation of the United States at
The Hague Conference for the Codification of Intemational Law". (TIle American Journal of
International Law, Vol. 24, No. 3, 1930, July, pp. 541-555). 120
7. The 1952 Dec/arahon of San Nago
4.62 Pressure on American South Pacifi · c fisheries continued. The effects of that
pressure were , moreover , not confined to those immediately involved in
whaling and fishing . In 1951 and early 1952, for example , the manager of
the Peruvian Compania Adm;nislradora deI Guano wrote to the Peruvian
Govenunent urging action to prevent unlawful fishing in Peruvian waters ,
and pointed out the complex biological links between different species of
life and the consequent dismption if any species were fished to near
176
extinction .
l71
4.63 The next significant legal development was the 1952 Declaration ofSantiago .
Chile illvited the Governments ofPem and Ecuador to palticipate in a conference
in 1952 toto conclude agreements regarding the problems caused by whaling
in the waters of the South Pacific and the industrialization ofwhale productS."178
4.64 The focus on whaling is significant. Whaling is a 'hunting' , rather than a
'fanning 'activity , and the need was for the three States collectively to address
the problem of foreign whaling fleets . It was necessar y that between them
they policed the zone effectively. The three coastal States were certainly
conscious of the importance of protecting the fish stocks within the 200-mile
179
zone . This was the plU]Joseof the 1952 Declaration of Santiago; the plU]Jose
was no! to divide up fishing grounds between the three coastal States.
176 Letters dated 20 November 1951 and 4 January 1952 from Carlos Llosa Belaùnde, Manager of
the Managing Company of Guano to the Direetor General of the Exehequer. In: Compafiia
Administradora dei Guano: El Guano y la Pesca de Anchol'eta. Lima, 1954, pp. 118-119 and
130-133.
177 1952 Declaration of Santiago, 18 August 1952. Annex 47.
178 Note No. 86 of 10 July 1952 from the Ambassador ofChile to the Minister of Foreign AfTairsof
Pem. Atmex 64. (Spanish text: "tomar acuerdos sobre los problemas que esta originando la eaza
de la ballena en aguas deI Pacifieo Meridional y la industrializaeion de sus produetos.").
179 See, e.g., "Instmetions given by the Minister of Foreign AfTsiMr. Manuel C. Gallagher to the
chainnan of the delegation of Peru, Dr. A. UlIoa, for the signing of the 'Declaration of
Santiago"', Lima, Jtùy 1952.Atmex 91. 121
200 MILE LlMIT USING THE
'ARCS OF CIRCLES' APPROACH
Morutor~on
!!<Mo"''''' ... ., '''''' COLOMBIA
• • '00 '''' ,.,. ,.. 100
,. ,
-
~ ronfillu.rdO , Ie..<"".',0.'iaoI10,100,0.
~ br. ", •.",Mopp;"g
BRAZIL
PERU
PACIFIC
OCEAN
Chile 's 200 nm limit usi
'Arcs oCirc/e app
CHILE
Figure 4,1 123
4.65 Like the handful of maritime daims that preceded it in the late 1940s , the
Declaration of Santiago was a bold and innovative inshument which marked
a radical shift in the conception of the limits of national jurisdiction . Like
those earlier unilateral daims , it was concerned not with laferal boundaries
between neighbouring States but with the seaward extension of national
jUlisdiction and the exclusion of third-State vessels from, in pal1icular, national
fishing or whaling grounds. On the other hand, unlike the unilateral daims
that preceded it, this plurilateral instrument established a regional regime in
the South-East Pacifie in order to establish a maritime zone 200 miles wide
and to develop among the States Parties co-operative means to defend that
zone and the natural resources within it.
4.66 In ail these respects the zone established by the 1952 Declaration of Santiago
bore marked similarities in its conception with the immense pan-American
neutrality or secUlity zone which bad been established by the 1939 Declaration
of Panama'8 rlon the outbreak of'World War II. The zone established by the
1939 Declaration ofPanama l8,which reached southwards from the Canada
United States border to enclose the entire continent , and extended much fLUther
than 200 miles from the coast , made no reference whatsoever to the lateral
maritime boundaries between various States over who se waters it extended.
4.67 The focus of the 1952 Declaration of Santiago was primarily economic and
for the development of a co-operative policy to consolidate the extension of
national jurisdiction of the three States Parties participating in the regime
(Peru , Chile, and Ecuador). It was also intended to assert regional solidarity
in respect of the new maritime zones in the face ofthreats from third States.
This solidarity was necessary bec:ause of the hostility of celtain States to the
1947 claims . For example , on 6 Febmary 1948 the United Kingdom wrote
to Peru stating that it did not recognize the claim to sovereignty beyond the
,so Organization of Ameriean States. Final Act of the Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of
the Ameriean Republies for Consultation under the mter-Ameriean Agreements of Buenos Aires
and Lima. Panama , 23 September 1939·- 3 Oetober 1939 <http ://www.oas.org /eonsejo /
MEETINGS%200F%20CONSULTATION/Aetas/Aeta%201.pdf> aecessed 24 November 2008.
'St See Figul"e 4.2 in Vol. IV. 124
three-mile limit 1s. Similarly , the United States prote sted against the Peruvian
Decree in a No te dated 2 July 1948 183.It was also required by the growing
threat to fisherie s and whale stock s in the South-East Pacifi c from distant
water fishing fleet s. As a Chilean dele gate to the Fir st United Nation s
Conference on the Law of the Sea said:
"Chile , Ecuador and Peru had only taken individual action ,
and subsequentl y signed the Declaration of Santiago of 1952,
in order to protect the living resource s in the maritime zone
offtheir coasts against exce ssive exploitation by fishing fleets
from distant part s."184
4.68 The zone was conceived as a single biological unit , and this was reflected
in the structure s established to manage it. The 1952 Conference created a
regional system for the common purpo se of the conservation of fisherie s and
ofwhale stocks, and for the joint def(!nce by the States Pal1ies oftheir extended
maritime juri sdiction . Among these instrument s was the Convention that
establi shed the Permanent Commi ssion for the South Pacific , which is an
international organization that continues to be very active to this d ay l8S.
4.69 In the 1952 Declaration of Santiago "the Govenllnents of Chile , Ecuador
and Peru , detennined to conserve and safeguard for their respective people s
the natural resources of the maritime zones adjacent to their coasts" , asserted
that:
"1. ..the fonner extension of the telTitorialsea and the contiguous
zone are inadequate for the pm·poses of the conservation ,
development and exploitation of these resources, to which the
coastal countries are entitled.
182 Note No. II (152/8/48) of 6 FebmalY 1948, from the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the
Mi nister of Foreign Affairs of Pem. Ailnex 61.
183 Note No. 1030 of 2 July 1948, from the chargéd'affaires a.i. of the United States to the Minister
of Foreign Affairsof Pelu. Annex 62.
lU United Nations publications. Official Documents. United Nations Conference on the Law of the
Seo, Genera, 1958, Vol. III, Act corresponding to the 12th session of March 12 1958, p. 33.
m See Pelmanellt Commission for the South Paci:fic <http://www.cpps-int.orglinit.htm> accessed 4
December 2008. 125
Il In the light ofthese circumstances, the Governments ofChile,
Ecuador and Peru proclaim as a nonn of their international
maritime poliey that they each possess exclusive sovereignty
and jurisdiction over the sea along the coasts of their respective
countries to a minimum distance of 200 nautical miles from
these coasts."lS6
Spanish text reads as follows:
"1. ... la antigua extension dei mar territorial y de la zona
contigua sean insuficientes para la conservaci6n , desalTollo y
aprovechamiento de esas riquezas , a que tienen derecho los
paises costeros.
II. Como consecuencia de es.tos hechos , los Gobiemos de Chile,
Ecuador y Peru proclaman como Honna de su politica
internacional maritima , la soberania yjurisdicci6n exclusivas
que a cada uno de ellos corresponde sobre el mar que balla
las cosas de sus respectivos paises , hasta una distancia minima
de 200 millas marinas desde las referidas costas."
4.70 The Declaration was conceived , as it explicitly stated, not as a treaty but as
a proclamation of the international maritime policy of the three States. !ts
'declarative 'character was clearly recognized . However , not long after the
adoption of the Declaration , and in the wake of challenges to the zone from
foreign whaling fleets l8 ,the thre:e States submitted the Declaration to their
l88
respective Congresses for approval, in order to give it greater weight .On
ratification by Congress , it acquired the status of a h·eaty, and was subsequently
registered with the United Nations . The officialletter in which the Peruvian
Govemment submitted the Declaration to its Congress stated that:
"The declaration on the maritime zone , the basic document of
Santiago , on account ofits simply declarative character , goes
no f1ll1herthan proclaiming 'the extension oftheir sovereignty
186 Almex 47.
187 See paras. 4.83-4.85 below.
1!!lSee Chile: Supreme Decree No. 432 of23 September 1954. Annex 30; Ecuador: Executive Decree
No. 275 of 7 February 1955, Official Record No. 1029 of 24 Janualy 1956; and Pem: Legislative
Resolution No.12305 of 6 May 1955, to be f:xecuted by Supreme Decree of 10 May 1955 <http:/
/www.cpps-int.orglspanish/nosotros/dedaracioll santiago.htm> accessed 4 December 2008. 126
and jurisdiction over the sea' by ail three countries as a nonn
oftheir international maritime poliey .
The Govenllnent believes the time has come to back the
proclamation of Decree No. 781 of 1 August 1947, and its
ultericr international action in its execution , with the legislative
approval of its poliey for the affirmation of sovereignty of
Petu over its Maritime Zone of200 miles , by the ratification
both of the Santiago Agreements of 1952 as weil as of the
Lima Conventions of 1954 ."189
Spanish text reads as follows:
"La declaraci6n sobre zona maritima, el documento basico de
Santiago, por su cankter simplemente declarativo , no va mas
alla de proclamar por los ti"espaises como nonna de su politica
internacional maritima 'la extension de su soberania y
jurisdiccion sobre el mar '
Cree el Gobierno que ha llegado el momento de respaldar la
proclama cion dei Decreto No. 781, de 1° de agosto de 1947
y la accion intemacional posterior dei Gobiemo en su ejecucion ,
con la aprobacion legislativa de su politica de afinnacion de
la soberania dei Perù sobre su Zona Maritima de 200 millas
por la ratificacion tanto de los acuerdos de Santiago de 1952
como de los Convenios de Lima de 1954 ."
189 Official Letter No. (M)-3-0-A/3 of 7 February 1955, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pp.
2, 4. Annex 95. TItis dec1arativecharacter was also referred to in several official documents from
Peru and Chile. See: Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Congress of Peru on the
Agreements and Conventions signed by Pern, Chile and Ecuador in Santiago, 18August 1952, and
in Lima, 4 December 1954, p. 8.Annex 96; Message from the Chilean Executive to the Congress
for the Approval of the 1952 Agreements of 26 July 1954. Sessions Dialy of the Chilean Senate
1954, p. 893. Annex 92; Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chilean Senate.
Sessions Diary from the Chilean Senate 1954, pp. 1390-1391. Annex 93; Report No. 41 of the
Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chilean Deputies Chamber. Sessions Dialy from the Chilean
Deputies Chamber 1954, pp. 2960-2962. Annex 94. 127
4.71 If will also be noted that the 1952 Declaration of Santiago , like the 1947
daims by Chile and Peru , was explicitly provisional in nahlfe. It proclaimed
the pohcy of asserting maritime sovereignty and jurisdiction 190 for the
specifically economic purposes of controlling the conservation and exploitation
of fisheries and other natural reSOUfces, out to a point that was not actuall y
stipulated in the Declaration but which was "a minimum distance of 200
nautical miles [rom these coasts " (emphasis added) . It was thus made clear
that the States might daim more than 200 nautical miles . Again , the concern
was ouly with the seaward extension of the zone: there was no concern with
the question of lateral boundaries between the participating States .
4.72 It will be noted , too, that in the 1952 Declaration of Santiago the three States
asselted the existence of "exclusive sovereignty and jurisdiction over the
sea along the coasts oftheir respective countries to a minimum distance of
200 nautical miles from these coasts ". It was essentially an announcement
addressed to the rest of the world by the three States that there was a 200-
mile American South Pacific maritime zone adjacent to the west coast of the
continent. It was primarily an exercise in regional solidarity .
4.73 The regional nature of the 1952 Declaration of Santiago is underlined by the
tenns of another instrument adopted at the same time - the Regulations for
Maritime Hunting Operations in the Waters of the South Pacific. Article 4 of
that instmment reads as follows:
"Pelagic whaling may be canied out in the maritime zone within
the jurisdiction or sovereig)(lty of the signatOly counh ·ies only
190 As the Chainnan of the Chilean delegation to the First United Nations Conference onLawe
of the Sea, Luis Melo Lecaros noted, the Declaration "[d]oes not express that the three
countries dec1are sovereignty over a 200-mile sea, but it establishes that the three countries
proc1aimit [the sovereignty] as a nonn of their international maritime policy". (Spanish text:
"No expresa ese Convenio que los tres paises dec1aranla soberania sobre 200 millas dei mar,
sino que establece quelos tres paises la proc1aman como nonna de su politica intemacional
maritima. "). See Melo Lecaros, Luis: "El Derecho dei Mar" (Revist a de Derecho de la
Universidad de Concepcion , Year XXVII, No. 110, 1959, October-December, p. 425). 128
with the prior auth orization of the Permanent Commi ssion l91,
which shalll ay down the condition s to which such authOlization
shaHbe subjec t. Thi s authorization must be granted with the
unanimou s agreement of the COimnissioll. "192
Spanish text reads as follows:
"La caza pehigica de ballen as s6lo podra realizarse en la zona
maritim a de jurisdicci6n 0 soberania de los paises signatarios,
previo penni so concedido por la Comisi6n Perm anente , la que
fija ni las condi cione s a que qued ani subordin ado dicho
penni so. Este permi so deb era ser concedid o por acuerdo
unanim e de la Comisi6n."
Thus, the regulati on of whaling within the American South Pacifie 200-mile
zone was treafed as a commun al matter for the three States acting toge ther,
rath er than as a matter for each State to addre ss individually. The waters
within the 2 00-mile zone were treat ed as a single unit.
4.74 As far as the cont inental coas ts of the three States Parties were concem ed,
nothing in the text of the 1952 Declaration of Santiago suggests that the States
intended anythin g other than a simple claim to a maritim e zone "along the
coasts of their respective countri es to a minimum distance of 200 nauti cal
mile s from the se coas ts". The 1952 Declarati on of Santia go - in the same
way as the 1952 Peru vian Petr oleum Law adopted some months before, but
unlike the 1947 Decree - asselt s a claim to a zone whose seawa rd limit is
mea sured at a minimum distance of 200 nauti cal miles fr om the coas t (and
not on the geographi c parallels), whil e it did not address lateral boundarie s
at ail. That is, in the words of the 1952 Peru vian Petr oleum Law, following
191 I.e., the Provisional Permanent Commission established by the Parties. The Permanent
Commission of the Conference on the Exploitation and Conselvation of the Marine Resources
of the South Pacific was established by the t1hfee States Parties under the Agreement relating
to the Organization of the Permanent Commission of the Conference on the Exploitation
and Consen 'ation of the Marine Resollrces of the South Pacific , Santiago, 18 August 1952.
Annex 48.
192 Regulations for Maritime Hunting Operations in the Waters of the South Pacific, 18 August
1952. Annex 49. 129
"an imaginary hile drawn seaward at a constant distance of200 miles from
the low-water hile along the continental coast"193.
4.75 The saille principle was applied to the island coasts of the Huee States.
Paragraph IV of the 1952 Declaration of Santiago provided:
"In the case of island telTitories, the zone of 200 nautical miles
shaH apply to the entire coast of the island or group ofislands ."
Spanish text reads as follows:
"En el caso de territorio insular , la zona de 200 millas marinas
se aplicara en fodo el coutorno de la isla 0 gmpo de islas ."
4.76 Having established that in principle islands fall within the general mie and
have an entitlement to a 200-mile zone, an exception was made at the initiative
of Ecuador l9. Paragraph IV continued:
"If an island or group of islands belonging to one of the count:ries
making the declaration is situated less than 200 nautical miles
from the general maritime zone belonging to another of those
19l Law No. ll7 80, Petroleum Law of 12 Mareil 1952, article 14 (4). Annex 8. (Spanish text: "una
!inea imaginaria trazada mar afuera a Ulmdistancia constante de 200 millas de la !inea [de] baja
marea dei litoral continental").
194 At the beginning of the 1952 Conference of Santiago Chile submitted a proposai stating tbat the
2oo-mile zone would be applied to the entire coast of the island or group of islands, except "if an
island or group of islands belonging to one of the cOlUltriesmaking the declaration is situated
less than 200 nautical miles from the general maritime zone belonging to another of those
countries , according to what has been established in the first paragraph of this article, the
maritime zone of the said island or group of iislandsshall be limited, in the cOlTespondingpart, to
the distance dmt separates it from the maritime zone of the other State or cmUltry". (Spanish text:
"Si una isla 0 gmpo de islas pelteneciente a UllOde los paises dec1arantes eshlviera a menos de
200 millas marinas de la zona maritima general que corresponda a otro de ellos, seglin 10
establecido en el primer inciso de este articulo la zona maritima de dicha isla 0 gmpo de islas
quedani limitada, en la palte que cOlTesponde,a la distancia que la separa de la zona maritima dei
otro estado 0 pais.").Itwas the delegate of Ecuador who proposed to inc1udethe reference to the
parallel of the point at which the land boUlldaryof the respective States reaches the sea, in order
to avoid any misinterpretation regarding the "intetference zone in the case of islands." (Spanish
text: "la zona de interferencia en el caso de islas"). Cf Act of the First Session of the luridical
Affairs Commission of the First Conference on the Exploitation and Conservation of the Marine
Resources of the South Pacific, held in Santiago de Cltile on Il August 1952. Annex 56. 130
countries , the maritime zone ofthe island or group of islands
shaH be limited by the paralld at the point at which the land
[rontier of the States concerned reaches the sea."195
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Si una isla0 grupo de islas peltenecientes a uno de los paises
declarantes estuviere a menos de 200 millas marinas de la
zona maritima general que conesponde a otro de ellos, la zona
maritima de esta isla 0 gmpo de islas quedara limita da por el
paralelo dei punto en que llega al mar la frontera terrestre de
los estados respectivos."
4.77 This provision in the second sentence ofParagraph IV applied ouly to those
islands and groups of islands that are situated less than 200 nautical miles
[rom the general (sc. the continental) maritime zone ofanother State Party
and only in the segment in which the maritime zone of such islands would
overlap with the general maritime zone of the neighbouring State. It thus
limited only the entitlements generated by celtain islands, not the entitlements
generated by the continental coast. Indeed , had the Declaration applied the
'parallel' as the limit of continenta 1claims, this provision in Paragraph IV
would have been redundant. It was, moreover , a matter of concern only in
the context of an Ecuador-Peru border , there being no islands near the Peru
Chile land border which could encroach upon the maritime rights of another
State.
4.78 The position adopted in the Declaration was, therefore , that the States Parties
have rights over ail waters Iying in front of their continental and insular
coasts, initial1yout to a distanceof at least 200 miles but extendable thereafter,
except in the case of certain islands and groups of islands, whose maritime
zones would be limited by a parallel of latitude.
m Annex 47. 131
4.79 Paragraph IV, second sentence, should be highlighted because itadopts, without
remarking on the fact,a solution Vt:lY different from the approaches to maritime
delimitation which were then ClUTent. For example , Schücking , the rapportem
on the Law of the Sea for the League of Nations Codification Conference ,
reflecting the absence of any agreed approach to maritime delimitatioll , had
suggested two alternative approaches to the drawing oflaferallimits in the
ten"itorial sea: (a) the tracing ofa hue in the sea following the general direction
of the border hile on land , and (b) a perpendicular (90°) hue drawn seawards
l96
[rom the coast at the point where the land border reaches the sea .Similarly,
Article 12 of the 1958 Territorial Sea Convention later prescribed the use
of the medianJequidistance hne for maritime boundaries in the absence of
agreement or special circumstanees. It is evident that Paragraph IV, second
sentence, of the 1952 Declaration of Santiago was a specifie , pragmatic
solution to a specifie problem , and not an application of a settled legal
197
principle .
196 The final text put fOlWardto States in the Bases of Discussion contained no provision specifying
how the maritime bOlmdalywas to be drawll. League of Nations, Committee of Experts for the
Progressive Codification of mtemational Law, Report to the Council of the League of Nations
on the questions which appear ripe for International Regulation. Third Session, March-April
1927, Geneva, 1927, p. 42.
197 The practice of adopting specific solutions to particular prob1es rather than focusing upon all
pUi-pose maritime boundaries is not uncommon . For example, the zone for which Peru is
responsible tmder the 1979 Intemational Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) alsa
departs from tho se mies. Indeed, the SAR Convention notes that the definition of search and
rescue zones "has no bearing on the detenlliinationof bOlmdaries among the States, nor shall it
prejudge this." (Chap. 2.1.7). Pem adhered to the Agreement by means of Legislative Resolution
No. 24820 of 25 May 1988, published in the Official Gazette El Peruano on 26 May 1988.
Likewi se, conceming NAVAREA zones, established for the purpose of coordinating the
transmission of radio navigational wamings, it is said that: "The delimitation of such areas is not
related to and shall not prejudicethe delimitation of any boundaries between States." (Section
2.1.3. of the ILOIIHO Guidance Document on the World-Wide Navigational Waming SelVice
adopted by means of Resolution A.706 at the 17th period of sessions of the IMO Assembly). In
the same way, the establishment of an ICAO Flight Infonllation Region (FIR) - an area of
airspace of defined dimensions within which flight infomlBtionand alelting selVices are provided
- does not imply the establishment of international political boundaries. The Lima FIR, for
example, for nlBny years ran south at an angle of about 25° to the parallel of latitude. 132
4.80 Apart from the second part ofParagraph IV, which deals with the limit of the
maritime zones of certain islands and groups of islands , nothing in the text
of the 1952 Declaration of Santiago suggests that the Declaration was intended
to have any bearing upon the latera l boundaries between the maritime zones
of the three States measured [rom their continental coasts. The Declaration
was focused upon the seaward extension of those zones. It was a provisional
extension of daims to waters lying in front of the coasts of the Pal1ies ,
variable in accordance with their national interest , and - aside from the
second part of Paragraph IV - not at ail concerned with laferal boundaries
or geographical parallels. The question of maritime delimitation was left
open.
4.81 The 1952 Declaration of Santiago was, furthennore, quite unsuited to the
settlement of international boundary questions. It was initial1y conceived as
a soft law instrument , a joint declaration of major importance setting out the
main princip les of the international maritime policy adopted by the three
States. It does not have the format of a boundary treaty. It does not say that
it defines a boundary. It does not give the co-ordinates of any boundary.
There is no map illustrating any boundary. There is no requirement for
ratification; and while it is always open to States not to require ratification
of agreements they enter into, it is very unusual for them to do so in the case
of an agreement establishing their maritime boundaries. When reference was
made to the Declaration in the Congresses of PelU and Chile in the 1950s
there was no mention of it being a boundary agreement l9S.It has , in short ,
none of the characteristics which one expects of a boundary treat y l 99It is
tlUe that , when international developments made it desirable to add to the
legal weight of the Declaration , the three States Pal1ies subsequently decided
to put it through the domestic procedures for ratification (Chile in 1954 ,
198 See footnote 189 above.
199 Similarly, Colombia regarded it as a 'Declaration'and did not treat it as atryeto become
a 'Party' to il. Rather, Colombia accepted the principles of the Declaration in 1980. Colombian
Law No. 7 of 4 February 1980, <http ://ideam.gov .co:8080 /Iegallnormatividad.shtml ?
AA SL Session=f585ec5fet7fed2d5f67c664cbdb4Ic3&x=1590> accessed 4 December 2008. 133
Ecuador in 1955, and Peru in 1955); but that cannot affect the question ofits
original aim, purpose and nature 2()().e manuer in which the Parties handled
the 1952 Declaration of Santiago accordingly Sh"Ollglyreinforces the conclusion
that it was not the purpose or effect of the Declaration to fix the intemational
maritime boundary between Peru and Chile.
8. The Reachon fa the 1952 Declarahon of San Nago
4.82 The 1952 Declaration of Santiago was quickly challenged. Denmark , the
United States , Great Britain, the Netherlands , N01way and Sweden sent notes
reserving their position in respect of the assertion of jurisdiction that had
201
been made in the Declaration . None of the protests made any reference to
the question of lateral boundaries within the zone.
4.83 A more direct challenge occurred in 1954 , when two large whaling fleets
prepared to undertake expeditions off the western coast of Peru. One was
the Olympic fleet owned by Aristotle Onassis , sailing under Panamanian
flag. It included 12lnmting craft and one 18,OOO-tonfactory ship, the Olymp;c
Challenger. The other was the Spermacel Whahng Company fleet, made up
of eight Norwegian-owned ships sa.ilingunder French flag. The representatives
of both companies made inquiries in Lima regarding the conditions imposed
on whaling in Peruvian waters, and were infonned - as weil as duly warned
- by the Ministry of the Navy of the existing PelUvian legislation and the
prohibitions on hunting , together with the sanctions to which they would
expose themselves if they decided to proceed with their operations in the
200-mile zone. The Spermacel flee:trespected the requirements, but the Onassis
Olymp;c Challenger fleet made a well-publicised decision to challenge the
Peruvian measures. Despite having been wamed by the PelUvian Consulate ,
it was known that the Onassis fleet eventually departed from the Port of
200 See para. 4.70 above.
201 Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (1955op. ci!.p. 24. Anllex 98. 134
Hamburg in defiance of the Peruvian warnings. Dr. David Aguilar Cornejo ,
the Peruvian Minister of Foreign Affairs , recorded the next steps:
"As soon as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs became aware
that most of the Onassis fleet was sailing under Panamanian
flag, precise instructions w(!re imparted to the [Peruvian]
Ambassador to Panama , in order for him to request the Minister
of Foreign Affairs ofthat country that his Govenunent forbid
craft under Panama nian flag to hunt and fish in our Maritime
Zone without prior authorization by the PelUvian Government.
This determination was effectively backed by the Chilean
Ambassador to Panama who , in compliance with instructions
from his Government, made a similar request. "202
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Entera da la Cancilleria que la mayor parte de los barcos de
Onassis enarbolaban bandera panamefia, impartio precisas
instmcciones al Embajador de la Republica en Panama a fin
de que solicitase al Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de ese
pais que su Gobierno prohibiese a los buques de su bandera
el ejercicio de actividades de caza y pesca en nuestra Zona
Maritima sin autorizaci6n dei Gobierno dei Peru .
Dicha acci6n fué apoyada eficazmente por el Embajador de
Chile en Panama quien, en cmnplimiento de instrucciones de
su Gobierno , hizo gestion similar. "
4.84 The Government of Panama agreed verbally , through the Peruvian Embassy
and its Ambassador in Lima, to request a written permit from Peru for its
ships , so that , the Onassis fleet should be allowed to hunt between 15 and
100 miles off the Pemvian coast. This did not , however , resolve the matter:
"This proposai was really unacceptable for the Peruvian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs , because it applied only to itself
and not to Chile and Ecuador equally "203.
202 Ibid., p. l5.
203 Ibid. 135
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Esta propuesta era realmellte inaceptable para la Cancilleria
peruana porque se le hacia s610 a ella sin considerar a Chile
y Ecuador ".
This episode underlines the regional nature of the 200-mile zones declared
in 1947 204.
4.85 Vessels belonging to the Onassis fleet were fotllld hunting whales and processing
oil126 miles off the Peruvian coast. The vessels were subsequently alTested
and charged with violations of the 1947 Supreme Decree No. 781 and other
Peruvian regulations . Fines were imposed and paid, and the ships were then
released. The incident had, in the meantime , atfracted a further intervention
by Great Britain , acting to proteet the interests of the British insurers 205with
whom Onassis had insmed his vessels specifically against the risk of alTesf Ot•
When Peru rejected a United Kingdom prote st against the seizures of the
Onassis vessels , the Chilean Fon:~i Mginister sent a congratulatory letfer to
20 7
the Pemvian Foreign Minister - an indication of the regional solidarity
which the zone embodied.
4.86 There were further difficulties arising from operations of United States flag
tuna fishing vessels within the 200-mile zone shortly afterwards , which
continued through the latter part of 1954 and early 1955 20&.
204 Panama subsequently suggested that it might negotiate with Chile, Ecuador and Pem access and
profit-sharing agreements for its fishing vessds, and accept inspection of its vessels: Ibid., p. 16.
The profit sharing element of that proposai might have required a clear delimitation of the
maritime zones of the three States; but the initiative was not pursued and the delimitation did not
occur.
20~ Ibid., p. 17. Almex 98.
206 Rivera Marfan, Jaime, op.cil., p. 130.
2m Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (1955), op. cil., p. 19. Annex 98.
208 Rivera Marfin, Jaime, op.cit., pp. 131-132. See also Garcia Sayan, Enrique: Notas sobre la
Soberania Marilima dei Peril. Lima, 1955, pp. 35-37. 136
4.87 These events fonned the backgrOlUld to a Chilean initiative in 1954 to smmnon
the Permanent Commission established at the 1952 Santiago meeting , in order
to address the urgent problems arising from the non-recognition by certain
States of the Declaration of Santiago and their persistent exploitation of the
marine resources of the area , and to reaffinll the principles of the Declaration
of Santiago. El Salvador , Colombia, Costa Rica and Cuba were invited to
209
the 1954 session as observers .
9. The Second Conference on Exploifabon and Conserva Non of the Marine
Resources of the South Pacifie , 1954
4.88 As was nofed in Chapter IIF IO,six further agreements were signed by the
tluee States, (Chile, Ecuador and Peru) at the Second Conference on Exploitation
and Conservation of the Marine Resources of the South Pacifie , which took
place in Lima in December 1954. Ali the instmments adopted in 1954 were
made in the context of regional solidarity vis-à-vis third States , and they
were essentially an integral pait of the agreements and resolutions adopted
in 1952. If was expressly specified that they were in no way to derogate
from the 1952 instmments 211.HeŒ, again , the focus was clearly upon the
need to defend the seaward limit of the 200-mile zone against threats from
third States: there was no interest in or concern for the delimitation oflateral
maritime boundaries between the three States.
4.89 Two of the instruments adopted at the 1954 Conference were the 1954
Complementary Convention and the 1954 Agreement on a Special Zone. These
aimed to reinforce regional solidarity vis-à-vis third countries and to establish
provisional procedures to deal with specifie and concrete situations which
could generate friction and affect regional solidarity .
209 Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (l955 ), op. cit., p. 19. A98.1eX
210 See footnote Ill.
21l See Article 4 of the 1954 Agreement on a Special Zone. Anllex 50. 137
10. The 1954 Complemenlary Convention
4.90 In the 1954 Complementary Convention to the Declaration ofSovereignty on
the Two-Hundred-Mile Maritime Zone, which was the first of the agreements
signed on 4 December 1954, the 1952 Declaration of Santiago was recalled ,
and it was agreed by the three States that:
"FIRST: Chile , Ecuador and Pem shaH proceed by common
accord in the legal defence of the principle of Sovereignty
over the MaIitime Zone up ta a minimum distance of 200 nautical
miles ".
Spanish text reads as follows:
"PRIMERO: Chile , Ecuador y Perù, procederan de comùn
acuerdo en la defensa juridica deI principio de la Soberania
sobre la Zona Maritima hasfa una distancia minima de 200
millas marinas ".
4.91 The 1954 Complementary Convention went on to stipula te that:
"SECOND: If any of the parties were to receive daims or
prote sts, or if jurisdictionaor arbitral demands were to be
brought against them , the signatOly counh·ies bind themselves
toconsult each other regarding the grounds of their defence
and oblige themselves to lend each other the largest co-operation
for acommon defence.
THIRD: In the event of a de facto violation ofthe said MaIitime
Zone , the State affected shaH immediately repol1 the event to
the other Pal1ies, in order to agree the measures that should be
taken for the safeguard of the affected sovereignty. "212
212 Almex 51. 138
Spanish text reads as follows:
"S EGUNDO. Si alguna de las partes recibiere reclamaciones
o protestas , 0 bien se fonnularen en su contra demandas ante
Tribunales de Derecho 0 Arbitrales , generales 0 especiales ,
los paises pactantes se comprometen a consul tarse acerca de
las bases de la defensa y se obligan , asimismo, a prestarse la
Illasamplia cooperaci6n para una defensa comùu.
TERCERO: En el caso de violaci6n por vias de hecho de la
Zona Maritima indicada , el Estado afectado dara cuenta
inmediata a los otros pactantes para acordar las medidas que
convenga tomar en resguardo de la Soberania afectada."
4.92 The preliminalY and innovative characfer of the initia1200-mile proclamation ,
and the fccus UpOll regional solidarity , could not be more dearly illustrated.
The 1954 Complementaly Convention was a commitment by the three States
to solidarity in the defence of their 200-mile (or wider) daims , in the face
both of pressure to abandon those daims and ofthreats from distant-water
213
fishing vessels to the fisheries that" were protected by the zones .
4.93 The 1954 Complementary Convention was signed by representatives ofall
three States , but was never ratified by Chile 214.Ali of the 1952 and 1954
inshl.unents were approved by the Pemvian Congress by means of Legislative
Resolution No. 12305 , issued on 6 May 1955 and enacted by means of a
Decree of the President of the Republic dated 10 May 1955 215.
4.94 Concelted action was taken, as envisaged, under this agreement. On 12 April
1955 , after a long and detailed analysis and exchange of points of view , a
text was approved by Chile , Ecuador and Peru to respond to the challenges
213 For an example of the implementation ofthis aspect of the 1954 ComplementalY Convention see
Note 6-418of 7 Febmary 1967, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pem to the Ambassador
of Chile. Annex 70.
214 A fact which would he odd if the Convention had indeed been regarded as a bOlUldaryagreement.
m Legislative Resolution No. 12305 of 6 May 1955. Annex 10. 139
to the 200-mile zone that had been presented by Denmark , the United States ,
Great Britain , the Netherlands , Norway and Swed en 216.Similarly , at around
the saille time and at the initiati ve of Ecuador , it was agreed that the three
States would co-ordinate their posîtions in response to a United States proposaI
to submit differences concerning maritime claims to the Intemational Court
of Justice 21.
11. The 1954 Agreement on a Spedal Zone
4.95 The 1954 Agreement on a Special Zone had a very specifie , and temporaly ,
purpose . This was spelled out in the Preamble which read (in full) as
follows:
"Considering that:
Experience has shown that innocent and inadveltent violations
of the maIitime fi:ontier between adjacent States OCClU" frequently
because small vessels manned by crews with insufficient
knowledge of navigation or not equipped with the necessary
instruments have difficult y in detennining accurately their
position on the high seas ;
The application of penalties in such cases always produces
ill-feeling in the fishennen and friction between the countries
concerned , which may affect adversely the spiIit of co-operation
and unity which should at aIl times prevail among the countries
signa tories to the instruments signed at Santiago; and
It is desirable to avoid the occurrence of such unintentional
infringements , the consequences of which affect principally
the fishennen "218.
216 Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (1955),op. cit.pp. 24-25. Annex 98.
211 Ibid.,p. 27.
lIB Almex 50. 140
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Considerando:
Que la experiencia ha demostrado que debido a las dificultades
que encuentran las embarcaciones de poco porte tripuladas
por gente de mar con escasos conocimientos de nautica 0 que
carecen de los instmmentos necesarios para determinar con
exactitud su posici6n en alta mar, se producen con frecuencia ,
de modo inocente y accidentai, violaciones de la [routera
maritima entre los Estados vecinos;
Que la aplicaci6n de sanciones en estos casos produce siempre
resentimienfos entre los pescadores y fricciones enh"elos paises
que pueden afecfar al espiritu de colaboraci6n y de unidad
que en fodo momento debe animar a los paises signatarios de
los acuerdos de Santiago; y
Que es conveniente evitar la posibilidad de estas involuntarias
infracciones cuyas consecuencias sufren principalmente los
pescadores ".
4.96 In its judgment in the Case Concern;ng MarU;me DehmUahon ;n the Black
Sea the Court drew attention to the need to determine the specific purpose
for which an agreement between the parties to a dispute was made, before
drawing inferences as to its possible relevance in a delimitation dispute 21•
That is impOltant in particular in circumstances where one party argues that
an agreement concluded many years before had the effect of "an implied
prospective renunciation " ofmaritîme rights 22. That injunction is apposite
in the present case. The pUl]Jose ofthis 1954Agreement was to avert disputes
between fishennen on small fishing boats. In contra st to large, deep-water
fishing vessels, small fishing boats nonnal1y fish relatively close to the shore.
219 Case Concerning Maritime Delimitation in the Black Sea, I.c.J . JlIdgment of 3 February
2009, paras.69-76.
220 Ibid.para. 71. 141
The aim was to reduce friction between near-shore fishennen, in circumstances
where one fishing boat might be thought by those on board another boat to
have inhllded UpOllthe 'national' :fishing grOlUlds.The pmpose was, however ,
nof to regulate fishing within the territorial sea. That is evident from the
reference in the Preamble to "small vessels ... on the high seas ", and from
the operative clauses of the Agreement.
4.97 The operative paragraphs of that Agreement provided that the three States
agreed:
"1. A special zone is hereby established , at a distance of 12
nautical miles from the coast , extending to a breadth of 10
nautical miles on either side of the parallel which constitutes
a maritime boundary between the two countries.
2. The accidentai presence in the said zone of a vessel of
either of the adjacent countries, which is a vessel of the nature
described in the paragraphbt:~gin w iihnhe words 'Experience
has shown' in the preamble hereto , shall not be considered to
be a violation of the waters of the maritime zone , though this
provision shall not be construed as recognizing any right to
engage , with deliberate intent , in hunting or fishing in the said
special zone.
3. Fishing or hunting within the zone of 12 nautical miles from
the coast shall be reserved exclusively to the nationals of each
country.
4. Ali the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to
be an integral and supplementary part of, and not in any way
to abrogate , the resolutions and decisions adopted at the
Conference on the Exploitation and Conservation of the
Maritime Resources of the South Pacific , held in Santiago
de Chile in August 1952. "221
221Atmex 50. 142
Spanish text reads as follows:
"PRIMERO: Esfablécese una Zona Especial, a partir de las
12 millas marinas de la costa , de 10 millas marinas de ancho
a cada lado del paralelo que constituye el limite maritimo
entre los dos paises .
SEGUNDO: La presencia accidentai en la referida zona de
las embarcaciones de cualquiera de los paises limitrofes ,
aludidas en el primer considerando , no sera considera da como
violacion de las aguas de la zona.Illruitima, sin que esto signifique
reconocimiento de derecho alguno para ejercer faenas de pesca
o caza con prop6sito preconc:ebido en dicha Zona Especial.
TERCERO: La pesca 0 caza denfro de la zona de 12 millas
marinas a partir de la costa esta reservada exclusivamente a
los nacionales de cada pais .
CUARTO: Todo 10 establecido en el presente Convenio se
entendeni ser pa11eintegrante , complementaIia y que no deroga
las resoluciones y acuerdos adopta dos en la Conferencia sobre
Explotaci6n y Conservaci6n de las Riquezas Maritimas dei
Pacifico Sur, celebrada en Santiago de Chile, en Agosto de 1952."
4.98 The aim of this Agreement was thus clear , and it was narrow and specifie.
The Agreement was intended to establish a 'zone of tolerance' , 20 nautical
miles wide , within which minor accidentai encroaclllnents on another State's
maritime zone by small and ill-equipped fishing vessels would be excused.
In that way, the imposition ofpmüsl11nents and fines that might cause resentment
and friction between fishennen would be avoided. That zone was, however ,
a zone established "at a distance of 12 nautical miles from the coast". It was
not a zone established within the coastal 12-mile belt.
4.99 By the 1950s both Petu and Chile claimed tIuee-mile telTitorial seas , with
additional police or security jurisdiction out to 12 miles from the coast 222.
Ecuador claimed , by a Decree of the Congress dated 21 FebrualY 1951 relatillg
222 Seeparas. 4.12-4.19above. 143
223
to territorial waters , a 12-mile territorial sea . In 1953 , article 6 of the
Chilean Law of the Directorate General for the MaIitime Tenitory and Merchant
Marine set the limit ofthe Direc torate 's jurisdiction as "twelve miles (four
nautical leagues) measured from the lowest waterline , or the extent of the
territorial sea established hy the international agreements adhered to by the
Govenunent of Chile , if that is greater ... »22 4 .
4.100 The 1954 zone oftolerance was , therefore , established in an area that was,
in the tenns of traditional international law, an area of high seas within
which the States Parties to the 1954 Agreement on a Special Zone claimed
a limited functional jurisdiction in respect of fisheries . The question of fishing
activit y closer to the coast was addressed only later , in the latter half of the
1960s 225.The 1954 zone of tole:rance was a practical device for avoiding
friction and the imposition of fines , not an international boundary . If was not
to be expected that an international maritime boundary would be established
in the waters beyond the territorial sea: that was not a part of the conceptual
stIucture of international law in the early 1950s . The Agreement did not
pm·port to establish a zone oftolerance in the waters closer to the shore.
4.101 The 'zone oftolerance ' was defined by reference to a parallel of latitude .
This is a natural approach to the problem of ensuring that small boats can
easily determine whether or not they are infringing the zone . Seafarers fix
their position at sea using the co-ordinates of latitude and longitude. As is
weil known , it is also much easÏer to determine latitude than longitude at
sea, particularly for those with "insufficient knowledge of navigation or not
equipped with the necessaly instruments " that consequently "have difficulty
lB Decree of the Congress of the Republic of Ecuador of 21 February 1951. United Natio ns
LegislativeSeries STILEG/SER.B/6, p. 13.
224 Decree with Force of Law No. 292 of 25 July 1953, Fundamental Law of the Directorate
General of Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine. Annex 29. (Spanish text: "doce millas
(cuatro leguas marina s) medidas desde la linea de la mas baja marea, 0 la extension de mar
territorialue se fije en acuerdos internacionales a los que se adhiera el Gobierno de Cltile si es
supenor ...").
ln See paras. 4.118if below. 144
in detennining accurately their position on the high seas" (to use the words
of the Preamble to the Agreement). If is not surprising that the expedient of
a reference to parallels of latitude was adopted in the 1954 Agreement on a
Special Zone.
4.102 The 1954 Agreement on a Speci al Zone had no larger pm·pose such as
establishing a comprehensive regime for the exploitation of fisheries , or
adding to the content of the 200-nautical-mile zones, or setting out an agreed
definition of their limits and borders. And it had nothing whatever to do
with the sea-bed, or any other maritime resources apalt from fish. Moreover ,
it was explicitly said ofthis Agreement that it was "an integral and suplementary
part of, and not in any way to abrogate ", the resolutions and agreements
adopted at the 1952 Santiago Conference 22. Ifwas a subordinate instrument.
The 1954 Agreement on a Special Zone was plainly not an international
boundary treaty.
4.103 The 1954 Agreement on a Special Zone did not specify the geographical co
ordinates ofthis special maritime frontier zone. IfrefelTed simply to a zone
"on either side of the parallel which constihltes a maritime boundary between
the two countries. "22 7That rather opaque formula, inh·oduced at the instance
of Ecuador 28, referred only to one parallel between 'wo countries (despite
the fact that the 1954 Agreement on a Special Zone had rhree States Palties).
That, too, is readily understandable in the context of the 1952 Declaration of
Santiago, which it complemented.
226 1954 Agreement on a Special Zone, Art. 4. Annex 50. (Spani sh text: "parte integrante ,
comp1ementariay que no deroga las resoluciones y acuerdos adoptados en la Conferencia sobre
Explotacion y ConselVacionde las Riquezas Maritimas dei Padfico Sur, celebrada en Santiago de
Chile, en Agosto de 1952.").
227 Ibid., Alt1. (Spanish text: "a cada lado dei pa:ralelo que constihlye el limite maritimo entre los
dos paises.").
2lS Act of the Second Session of Commission 1 of the Second Conference on the Exploitation and
ConselVation of the Marine Resources of the South Pacific, 3 December 1954, p. 5. Annex 57. 145
4.104 As was nofed above 229,the ouly express reference in the 1952 Declaration
of Santiago to the use of a parallel oflatitude occurs in Paragraph IV which ,
it will be recalled , used a parallel to limit the maritime zone of an island or
group of islands in situations where that island or group of islands was
situated less than 200 miles from the general maritime zone ofanother State.
That was a matter of concem oIlly in the context of Ecuador and Peru, where
the 200-mile zones around celtaill islands near the stalting-point of the land
border between Ecuador and PelU overlap with the zones generated by the
mainland. Us iLTelevanceto the situation between Petu and Chile is underlined
by the fact that Chile did not ratify this Agreement until 1967, 13 years after
itsconclusion.
4.105 While the 1954 zone of tolerance was understood to apply to the waters
between Pem and Ecuador , an informai practice , which was not set out in
any international inshument , had arisen in the south. Peruvian fishennen fished
in the waters to the north , andChîlean fishennen in waters to the south of the
Point Concordia on the seashore.
4.106 Pem has implemented the 1954 special maritime zone in good faith , and
continues to do so pending the settlement of the question of the maritime
boundary. If continues, for example , to instmct Pemvian fishing vessels to
respect the provisional 1954 hne. But it does so on the basis that it is
implementing a practical arrangement of a provisional nature in order to
avoid conflicts between fishing vessels , not that it is observing an agreed
international boundary.
12. Developments between 1954 and 1968
4.107 After the adoption of the 1952 and 1954 instruments , the three Latin AmeIican
countries of the South Pacific continued to act together in the defence of
their 200-mile zone against the maritime powers that opposed il. The United
229 See para. 4.76 above. 146
States was active in trying to negotiate a solution to the dispute concerning
jurisdiction over United States flag fishing vessels beyond the three-mile
limit to which the United States adhered ; but no snch agreement was possible 23.
4.108 Answering the reservations made by the United States , Great Britain and
other European countries, in 1955 representatives of Chile , Ecuador and
Petu sent identical diplomatie notes to the United States, Great Britain and
other States rejecting the proposition that as a matter of international law
coasfal States had no jurisdiction beyond the three-mile limit. With reference
to the 1952 Declaration of Santiago they said:
"In the Declaration ofthe Mruitime Zone, PelU, Chile and Ecuador
not oilly have safeguarded the legitimate interest that other
States cou Id have for navigation and trade , but have also
contemplated the issuance of fishing and hunting pennits in
the said zone to nationals and companies of other countries ,
as long as they submit to the regulations established to protect
the species ... Thus the Maritime Zone established in the
Declaration of Santiago does not have the characteristics that
the Government of (United States, Great Britain) seems to assign
to it, but on the contrary , it is inspired , in a defined and precise
way, by the conservation and pmdent use of natural resolU"ces" .231
Spanish text reads as follows:
"En la Declaracion sobre Zona Maritima , el Perù, Chile y
Ecuador no solo han resguardado el interéslegitimo que pudieran
tener otros Estados por la navegacion y el comercio, sino que
han contemplado el otorgamiento en dicha zona de pennisos
de pesca y caza a nacionales y empresas de OtTOSpaises , siempre
que se sometan a las reglamentaciones establecidas en
salvaguarda de las especies , ... No tiene, pues, la Zona MaIitima
230 Ministerio de Relacione s Exteriores: Memoril1 dei Ministro de Reiacione s Exteriores (28 de
Julio de 1955 - 28 de Julio de 1956). Lima, Talleres Graficos P.L. Villanueva, 1956, pp. 12-18.
Annex 99.
231 Agreement Between Ecuador, Peru and Chile for a Joint Response to the United States and Great
Britain on theirsetVationsto the "Declaration of Santiago", Lima, 12 April 1955, p. 2, para. d).
Annex 58. 147
establecida en la Declaraci.on de Santiago, los caracteres que
parece atribuirle el Gobierno de (Estados Unidos , Gran
Bretafia) , sino por el contrario, de modo definido y preciso ,
se inspira en la conservaci6n y pmdente utilizaci6n de los
recursos naturales. "
4.109 On 6 October 1955 a fllrther step was taken to consolidafe the regional position
on the 200-mile zone. Plenipotentiaries from Peru , Chile and Ecuador signed
the Protocol of Accession to the 1952 Declaration of Santiago. This Protocol
opened up the 1952 Declaration of Santiago to accession by other Latin
American States. In it the three Governmenfs reiterafed that adherence to the
Declaration in no way affected the Iight of each State to detennine the extension
and limits ofits maritime zone 232.This is furtller confirmation that the said
Declaration did not settle the question of maritime boundaries between the
States Parties .
4.110 Thus , during the 1950s it remained the case that Chile and Peru were not
concerned with their lateral maritime boundaries. Their focus was upon the
imperative need to secure the recognition by third States of their 200-mile
maritime zone , in an international context in which the h·aditional Law of the
Sea admitted only very much narrower belts of coastal State jurisdiction.
4.111 During the decade and a half following the conclusion of the two 1954
agreements , the 200-mile claim remailled under a series of specific and serious
threats from States which refused to accept its legality . There were several
episodes in which foreign fishing vessels were arrested within the zone. For
example , in addition to the incidents in the 1950s noted above , Peru alTested
71 United States fishing vessels between 1954 and 1973 23.Chile took action
against unlawful fishing activity in 1957 and 1958, as did Ecuador in 1955
and 1963. The United States' Senate threatened , in 1963 and again in 1965,
to bar United States foreign aid to any States which seized United States
232 Protocol of Accession ta the Declaration on "'Maritime Zone" of Santiago, 6 October 1955, p. 2.
Almex 52.
lB Ferrero Costa, Eduardo: El Nuevo Derecho dei Mar. El Peril y las 200 Millas. Lima, Fondo
Editorialde la Pontificia Universidad Cat61ka dei Peni, 1979, pp. 350-351. 148
234
fishing vessels on what the United States regarded as the high seas ,and
the United States Congress lafer adopted measures to strengthen opposition
to maritime zones not recognized by the United Stat es 23S.If was plain that
there remained a need to continue the co-ordinafed regional defence of the
200-mile zone against external threafs.
4.112 There was less in the way ofinternallegal development on the part ofPeru
or Chile . Pern enacfed a further measure , Supreme Resolution No. 23, dated
12 January 1955 (hereillafter: "the 1955 Supreme Resolution ")23 6. That measure
in effect reasserted the jurisdictional claim established by Supreme Decree
No . 781 of 1947 and the 1952 Declaration of Santiago , and stipulated that
the 200-mile zone proclaimed by Pem is an area limited by "a line parallel
to the Pemvian coast and at a constant distance of200 nautical miles from
it". By virhle ofthis interpretation the 1955 Supreme Resolution applied not
the parallels but the "arcs of circles " method , already established in Peruvian
Petroleum Law of 1952, to the constmction of the Pemvian zone .
4.113 The 1955 Supreme Resolution, "[i]n accordance with clause IV of the Declaration
of Santiago ", limited the drawing of the outer limit of the maritime domain of
Peru to the parallel referred to in that provision - i.e.,the geographical parallel
which limited the maIitime claims where zones generated by islands or groups
of islands overlapped with those generated by continental coastlines .As was
eXplained above , that provision applied to the Peru-Ecuador border 237.
4.114 A little later, on 6 May 1955, Peru implemented the 1954 Agreement on a
Special Zone by Legislative Resolution No. 12305 23. It was not until1967
that Chile ratified that Agreemenf239.Moreover , it was only after Peru 's request
for negotiations on maritime delimitation that Chile registered the 1954
234 Rivera Marfan, Jaime, op.cit., pp. 135-136.
m See footnote 159 above.
236 Anllex 9.
237 See paras. 4.76-4.78 above.
23S Anllex 10.
239 Chileall Decree No. 519 of 16 August 1967. Annex 33. 149
Agreement on a Special Zone with the United Nations Treaty Section, in
24
2004 °, again without notice to Pem , to Ecuadof , or to the Permanent
Commission for the South Pacifie . Chile did 50, moreover , contrary to the
procedures of the Pennanent Commission, according to which it is up to the
Secretary General to request "the registration of the intemational treaties or
agreements celebrated by the organs of the South Pacifie system and the
States in it"241.That half-century delay in regish"ation is a powerful indication
that Chile did not even regard the 1954 Agreement on a Special Zone as an
agreement of major impOltance , let alone as a h"eaty establishing a maritime
boundary with ifs neighbour .
4.115 The lack of urgency in ratif ying and registering the 1954 Agreement on a
Special Zone reflects the fact that the Agreement had little formai significance,
being essentially an ad hoc arrangement for dealing with problems that might
242
arise conceming small fishing boats .There is not the slightest hint in the
intemallegal procedures pursued by Pem or by Chile that the 1952 or 1954
240 The Agreement was registered by Chile on 24 August 2004. See: The 1954 Agreement on a
Special Zone, 4 December 1954, UNTS 40521. Almex 50.
241 See Article 24, 1) of the Regulation of the Pennanent Commission for the South Pacific, in force
since 1 February 2002. In: Permanent Commission for the South Pacific: Conventions,
Agreements, Protocols, Declarations, Statl/te and RegI/lotion of the CPPS, Chile-Colombia
Ecuador-Peru , General Secretariat, 3,d edition. Guayaquil, 2007, p. 227. This provi sion
essentially repeats Article 6 d) of the Statute of the General Secretariat of the Penllanent
Commission for the South Pacific , approved in Quito, on 30 May 1967. In: Permanent
Commission for the South Pacific: Agreements, Bylaws , Regulations, Meetings and
International Personnel. Chile-Ecuador-Pel11, General Secretariat, Santiago, 1975, p.57.
242 Cf , the description of the 1954Agreement on a Special Zone in the 1986 Pemvian Memorandum
attached to Note No. 5-4-M /147 addres ,sed to Chile: "the existence of a special zone
-establishedby the Agreement relating to a Maritime Frontier Zone'- referred to the line of the
parallelof the point reached by the land border, must be considered as aformula which, although
it fulfilled and fulfils the express objective of avoiding incidents with seafarers with scant
knowledge of navigation', is not adequate to satisfy the requirements of safety nor for the bener
anention to the administration of marine resources" (emphasis added). Almex 76. (Spanish text:
"la existencia de una zona especial - establecida por la 'Convencion sobre Zona Maritima
Fronteriza' - referida ala linea dei paralelo dei punto al que llega la frontera terrestre, debe
considerarse como lUlafor ll/ula que, si bien cumplio y cumple el objetivo expreso de evitar
incidentes con 'gentesde mar con escasos conocimientos de nautica', no resulta adecuada para
satisfacer las exigencias de la seguridad ni para la mejor atencion de la administracion de los
recursos marinos" (emphasis added)). 150
instmments had effected anything ; of snch great legal and constitutional
significance to the two States as the detennination of an internationalbOlUldaly
between them.
4.116 In 1958 the four Geneva Conventions on the Law of the Sea were adopted;
but neither Peru nor Chile (nor Ecuador) ratified any of them, and they did
not provoke any significant development in the treatment of the maritime
zones of the three States. Peru had reasserfed ifs position on the 200-mile
zone during the Conference. The Head of the Peruvian delegation , Dr. Alberto
Ulloa , stated:
"It would be an abuse for non-coastal States to daim the right
to fish indiscriminately to the detriment of coastal States. The
Declaration of Santiago , issued by three South American
countries of the Pacific , was aimed at preventing such an abuse.
The Declaration was of a defensive character , and its sole
object was the conservation of the living resources of the sea
for the benefit of the populations of those countries. If was
not, as had been asserted , an arbitraly or aggressive instmment.
The princip les embodied in the Declaration of Santiago had
been endorsed by the Tenth Intemational Conference of American
States held at Caracas in 1954. In the Principles of Mexico
City, proclaimed in 1956 by the Inter-American Council of
Jurists , the right of a coastal State to adopt conservation
measures, and to exercise certain exclusive rights of exploitation
were clearly recognized. "243
And at the end of the 1958 Conference the Joint Declaration signed by the
Heads of the Delegations of Chile , Ecuador and Pern emphasized that:
"In the absence of international agreement on sufficiently
comprehensive and just provi:sions recognizing and creating a
reasonable balance among ail the rights and interests , and also
in view of the results of this Conference , the regional system
243 Declaration by the Head of the Pel1lvian Delegation, Dr. Alberto Ulloa, at the First United
Nations Conference on the Lawof the Sea, 5 Mareil 1958. Allllex 100. 151
applied in the southem Pacifie , which stands for the protection
of situations vital to the counh "ies of the region , remains in full
force so long as just and humane solutions are Ilotworked OUt. "244
4.117 The Second United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, held in Geneva
in 1960 , also had no effect UpOll the position ofthe 200-mile zone . Indeed ,
as the Peruvian delegate noted , the Conference failed to produce any results
24s
at a1l .
4.118 Local developments off the coasts of the American South Pacifie States had
more impact. The omission in 1954 to esfablish measures to avoid friction
regarding fishing activities close to the coast gave fise to some bilaferal
difficulties between Peru and Chile a little later , in the mid-1960s. Just over
a decade after the agreement on the an·angements set out in the 1954 Agreements
there were diplomatie exchanges between Peru and Chile conceming alleged
illegal fishing by Chilean fishing boats in waters close to the Peruvian coast.
4.119 There were violations of Pemvian territorial waters by Chilean vessels in
246
1965 , in the wake of which on 26 Ma y 1965 Peru made its proposai -
"that each countr y build , on its corresponding seashore , a
lighthouseplacedno furtherthan livekilomeh'es];-omthefroutier
line ."247
Spanish text reads as follows:
"que ambos paises construyan , en la zona riberefia que les
corresponde , un faro cada UllO ,a no mas de cinco kil6metros
de la linea fronteriza. "
244 Declaration by the Chaitmen of the Delegations of Chile, Ecuador and Peru, at the First United
Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, 27 April 1958. Atmex 102.
m Declaration by the Peruvian Delegation, at the Second United Nations Conference on the Law of
the Sea, 27 April 1960. Annex 103.
246 The Peruvian Memorandmn of26 May 1965 refers to fbrther trespasses on 27 April 1965 by five
Chilean vessels. Annex 67.
241 Ibid. 152
4.120 There were [mther incursions by Cbilean fishing vessels later in 1965, which
248
were protested by Peru . On the other hand , Chile complained of incursions
by Peruvian vessels iuto Chilean waters , and protested against them in a
Memorandum dated 6 October 1965 249.
13. The Coas/al Dghrs
4.121 Early in 1968, taking advantage of their presence in Lima for a subregional
meeting in relation to the South Pacifie Agreements , Pemvian officiais held
a meeting with their cOlUlterpalts from the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs ,
for an informai discussion of the questions relating to friction arising from
the activities of coastal fishing vessels. After that meeting Petu wrote to
Chile on 6 Febmary 1968 saying that Petu considered it-
"convenient , for both countries , to proceed to build posts or
signs of considerable dimensions and visible at a great distance ,
at the point at which the common border reaches the sea, near
boundary marker number one. "250
Spanish text reads as follows:
"conveniente que se proceda a constmir por ambos paises ,
postes 0 sefiales de apreciables proporciones y visibles a gran
distancia , en el punto en que la frontera comun llega al mar ,
cerca dei hito numero uno. "
On 8 MardI 1968, Chile accepted this proposaF 51and this was the agreement
reached by the Parties. Thus the purpose was to address the problems concerning
Pemvian and Chilean fishennen operating dose to the coast by erecting beacons
to identify the location of the land boundalY near the shore.
248 Memorandmn of the Embassy of Pem in Cltile of 3 December 1965. Atmex 69.
249 Memorandmn of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile of 6 October 1965. Atmex 68.
250 Note No. (1) 6-4/9 of 6 Febmary 1968, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pem to the
chargéd'affaires a.i. of Chile. Annex 71.
251 Note No. 81 of 8 Mareil 1968, from the chargéd'affaires a.i. of Chile to the Minister of Foreign
Affairs (in charge).tmex 72. 153
4.122 A meeting of the PelUvian and Chilean delegations was heId on 25 April
1968 in Arica 2S.The delegations inspected the relevant ground locations
and made "a view ... from the sea. "2SOn the following day a document was
signed by the two sides recording their agreed proposai to their respective
govenunents for the installation of-
"two leading marks with daylight and night signalling; the fi:ont
mark would be placed in the slUToundings ofBoundalY Marker
No. 1, in Peruvian telTitOly ; the rear mark would be placed at
approximately 1,800 metres away from the front mark, in the
direction of the parallel of the maritime frontier , which would
locate it south of Quebrada de Escritos, in Chilean tenitOly. "45
Spanish text reads as follows:
"dos marcas de enfilacion con sefializacion diuma y noctuma;
la marca anterior quedaria situada en las inmediaciones dei
Hito No. 1, en territorio peruano; la marca posterior estaria
ubicada a una distancia aproximada de 1,800 metros de la
marca anterior , en la direçcion dei paralelo de la frontera
maritima , 10 que la situaria al lado sur de la Quebrada de
Escritos , en territoriochih:. ~no
The document stipulated that the 'Front Tower 'would be a metal structure
not less than 20 metres high , and the 'Rear Tower 'not less than 30 metres
above mean sea level, and that the beacons for night-time identification would
have "approximately a 15-mile visibility and distance range ". It is, therefore ,
apparent that the towers were intended to be ofuse to fishing vessels relatively
near to the coast.
4.123 The beacons were evidently a pragmatic device intended to address the practical
problems arising from the coastal fishing incidents in the 1960s . They were
m Note No. (1) 6-4/19 of28 Mareil 1968, from the Secretal)' General of Foreign Affairs ofPent to
the chargéd'affaires a.i. of Chile. Allnex 73.
m Document of 26 April 1968. Allllex 59. (Spanish text: ''lmaapreciaci6n ... desde el mar").
254Ibid. 154
plainly no! intended to establish a maritime boundary. Moreover , the beacons
would not have been visible to ships more than 15 miles or so from the
shore. This point deserves emphasis.
4.124 Twelve nautical miles was the distance prescribed by Chilean law "for secmity
of the countly and the observance of fiscallaws "; but it was also stipulated
that Chilean territorial waters extend "up to a distance of one marine league
[three nautical miles] "255. The beacons , with their 15-mile visibility , were
intended to be visible to vessels within an area that did not correspond
either to the Chilean tenitorial sea,or to the Chilean 200-nautical-mile fisheries
zone 256. The concem was solely with the problems of coastal fishing vessels.
The beacons were not intended to be an element in the mapping out of a
fonnal international maritime boundary: they were a pragmatic bilateral solution
to the problems caused by near-shore fishermen encroaching on areas that
were considered by fishing conununities in the other State to belong to them.
257 258
4.125 Both Pern, on 5 August 1968 , and Chile , on 29 August 1968 , accepted
the agreed proposaI. The notes referred to the function of the 'Ieading marks'
('marcas de enfilamiento' - the towers) being 'to materialise the parallel of
the maritime frontier 'at the parallel of latitude on which Boundary Marker
No. 1 stood 25. The latitude and longitude co-ordinates of Boundary Marker
No. 1 are mentioned in the 5 August 1930 Act 260. The plain intention was to
enable fishing vessels within about 15 miles of the coast to determine whether
they were n011hor south of the parallel oflatitude on which that 1930 land
BoundalY Marker stood.
m See para.4.19 above. TIIe difference between the two prescribed distances - the tlrreemile limit of
tenitorial waters and the 12 mile limit f'SlXluirof the COlUltand tlle obseIvance of fiscal
laws' is another clear indication of the esseIItiallypragmatic approach to maritime matters.Annex 25.
256 See Figul'e 4.3.
m Note No. (1)-6-4/43 of 5 August 1968, from the Secretary General of Foreign Affairs to the
chargéd'affairesf Chile. AImex 74.
m Note No. 242 of 29 August 1968, from the Embassy of Chile to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of Peru. Allnex 75.
259 Ibid.
260 Act of 5 August 1930. AImex 55. 155
THE COASTAL LlGHTS ESTABLISHED BV
Moquegua THE 1969 JOINT COMMISSION
Moruto r Projoction
D" um:W G5-M
(koIo""",.. ,)
• .. .. •
• N>UIIiw.
• .. .. • • .. ..
....
PERU
°Camiara
Co/es
1S'S Tacna, 1S'S
12 nm Limit
'<i'o",1.Rfo
CH 1LE
PA CIFIC
PuntaArgolla
OCEAN No.h. hgh. b<oo",n,.nl"l' al<lbo,od on ,nformat,on
publ..hthBrR''''Admrroky on BA{hon 4211
Figure 4,3 157
4.126 The tenDS of the agreed proposai were repeated in the 'Act of the Peruvian
Chilean Joint Commission in Charge ofVerifying the Position of Boundary
Marker No. One and Illdicatillg the Maritime Limit', signed by representatives
of the two States and dated 22 August 1969. The Act of 22 August 1969 also
set out in detail the procedure for detennining the course of the parallel
passing through Boundary Marker No. 1.
4.127 The coastallights thus achieved the purpose ofmarking a hue established in
order to avoid near-shore fishing vessels crossing it, and thereby to avoid
disputes among the fisherfolk of the two States that could arise [rom near
shore fishing activities. In taking these steps the two States were dealing
with specific practical problems. on a provisional basis.
4.128 Throughout this episode there is no indication whatever that the participants ,
or the two States, considered that they were engaged in the drawing of a
definitive and permanent international boundary nor did any of the
con·espondence refer to any pre-eKistent delimitation agreement. Fmthennore ,
it could not be implied that the starting-pointf the land boundalY established
at Point Concordia by the 1929 Treaty of Lima was being modified by means
of an Act. The focus was consistently , and exclusively , upon the practical
task ofkeeping Pemvian and Chilean fishennen apart, and on avoiding incidents
that might arise from each encroaching upon the fishing grounds that were
considered to be the preserve of the other, and it is in this light that the
reference to 'materializing the parallel' is to be read. This arrangement of
a practical nature addressed the problem regarding small fisheries near the
coast and represented a limited, and ad hoc , solution to a vely specific
problem within the 15-mile range of the lights. It was clearly not a maritime
delimitation agreement. This was consistent with the approach to maritime
claims that had been evident in Peruvian practice throughout the post-1945
period - and , indeed, before that time. 158
c. PHASE 3: 1980 ONWARD S
4.129 The 19805 saw the beginnings of a new phase in the international Law of
the Sea. The 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea drafted by UNCLOS III
- which was in session from 1973 until1982 - set out the new international
consensus and addressed not oilly questions of the maritime zones and
jurisdiction that might be claimed by coastal States but also the question of
intemational maritime boundaIies. Peru and Chile were among the more active
States in the Conference.
4.130 On the question of international maritime boundaries , Pem's position was
clearly stated. On 27 August 1980 the Head of the Peruvian delegation to
UNCLOS III, Ambassador Alfonso Arias-Schreiber stated:
"Where a specifie agreement on the delimitation of the
territorial sea, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf
between States with opposite or adjacent coasts did not exist
or where there were no spe:cial circumstances or historic
rights recognized by the parties , the median line should as a
general mie be used , as suggested in the second revision ,
since itwas the most likely method of achieving an equitable
solution. "261
4.131 Soon after the adoption of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea , in
1986, Pem initiated discussion of the maritime boundary between Pemvian
and Chilean waters. The legal environment was very different from that in
the 1950s. Now, the right to establish 200-mile maritime zones was generally
accepted and there was no need for common action among American South
Pacific States to defend their zones against the hostility of States outside the
region. More specifically , in the absence of any maritime boundalY between
Pem and Chi le, the time was now rïpe for the settlement of the laterallimits
of their respective zones.
261 Declaration by the Head of the Pemvian Delegation, Ambassador Alfonso Arias-Schreiber, at
UNCLOS III, 27 August 1980.Atmex 107. 159
4.132 In 1986 there was a high-level diplomatie presentation on the question of
the need for a maritime boundary , made by a Pemvian envoy , Ambassador
Juan Miguel Bakula , to the Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs in Santiago.
A subsequent Peruvian Memorandum , sent by the Peruvian Embassy to Chile
with diplomatie Note No. 5-4-1\.-11147 dated 23 May 1986 , referred to the
events of the 19605 and emphasized the limited scope of the hile implemented
at that time. It made it plain that this fisheriesanangement uot ouly [eH far
shOlt of being an agreed maritime boundalY befween Peru and Chile , but
even [ell Sh011of adequately dealing with the administration ofmarille reSOlU"ces.
The Memorandum said:
"One of the cases that merits iImnediate attention is the fonnal
and definitive delimitation of the marine spaces , which
complement the geographical vicinity of Pem and Chile and
have served as scenario of a long and fmitful joint action.
At the CUITenttime, the existence of a special zone - established
by the 'Agreement relating to a Maritime Frontier Zone ' -
refeITed to the hne of the parallel of the point reached by the
land border, must be considered as a formula which, although
it fulfilled and fllifiis the express objective of avoiding incidents
with 'seafarers with seant knowledge of navigation ', is not
adequate to satisfy the requirements of safety nor for the better
attention to the administration of marine resources , with the
aggravating circumstance that an extensive interpretation could
generate a notorious situation of inequity and risk , to the
detriment of the legitimate interests of Pem , that would come
forth as seriously damaged. "262
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Uno de los casos que merece una inmediata atenci6n, se refiere
a ladehmitaci6n formai y definitiva de los espacios marinos ,
que complementan la vecindad geografica enh·e el Peru y Chile,
y que han servido de escenario a una larga y fiuctifera acci6n
comlill.
262 Diplomatie Memorandmn aIlllexed to Note No. 5-4-M/147 of 23 May 1986, from the Embassy
of Pem ta the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile. Annex 76. 160
En la aChlalidad, la existencia de Ima zona especial- establecida
por la 'Convencion sobre Zona Maritima Fronferiza' - referida
a la linea dei paralelo dei punto al que llega la froutera tenesh"e,
debe considerarse como Ulla formula que , si bien cumpli6 y
cumple el objetivo expreso de evitar incidentes con 'gentes
de mar con escasos conocimientos de miutica' , no resulta
adecuada para satisfacer las exigencias de la seguridad ni para
la mejor afenci6n de la administraci6n de los reclU"SOS marinos ,
con el agravante de que una interpretaci6n extensiva, podria
generar una notoria situacion inequitativa y de riesgo, en
desmedro de los legitimos int·ereses dei Peru , que aparecerian
gravemente lesionados."
4.133 The Pemvian Memorandum dated 23 May 1986 drew attention to the problems
flowing from the lack of an agreed maritime bOlUldalybetween the two States.
It did so explicitly and in detail:
"The definition of new maritime spaces, as a consequence of
the approval of the Convention on the Law of the Sea , which
counted with the vote of Peru and Chile , and the incorporation
of ifs principles into the domestic legislation of countries , adds
a degree of urgency , as both States shaH have to define the
characteristics oftheir territorial sea, the contiguous zone and
the exclusive economic zone, as weil as the continental platfonn ,
;.e.the soil and subsoil of the sea, aiso up to 200 miles, including
the reference to the delimitation of the said spaces at international
level.
The ClUTent'200-mile maIitime zone' - as defmed at the Meeting
of the Permanent Commission for the South Pacific in 1954-
is, without doubt , a space which is different from any of the
abovementioned ones in respect ofwhich domestic legislation
is practically non-existent as regards intemational delimitation.
The one exception might be, in the case ofPeru, the Petroleum
Law (No. 11780 of 12 Marell 1952) , which established as an
externallimit for the exercise of the competences of the State
over the continental shelf 'an imaginary line drawn seaward
at a constant distance of200 miles '. This law is in force and
it should be noted that it was issued five months prior to the
Declaration of Santiago. 161
There is no need to underhne the convenience of preventing
the difficulties which would arise in the absence of an express
and appropria te maritime dt:~marc ,ortasotne result osOllle
deficienc y therein which could affect the amicable conduct of
relations befween Chile and Petu .
Consideration ofthis problem is nothing new as there are express
references to it in books snch as that of Rear-Admiral Guillenno
Faura; professor Eduardo Feuero and Ambassador Juan Miguel
Bakula . The Peruvian position was also summarized hy
Ambassador Alfonso Arias Schreiber , at the Conference on
the Law of the Sea , when nwouring the criteria incorporated
in the draft Convention on the Law of the Sea, in relation to
the delimitation of the terri tOfial sea , the exclusive economic
zone and the continental shelf (26 August 1980) . However ,
this step constitutes the first presentation , via diplomatic
channels , which the Government of Peru fonnulates before the
Govenunent of Chile based on the reasons and circumstances
set out in the opening paragraphs of this memorandum ."263
Spanish text reads as follows:
"La definici6n de nuevos espacios maritimos , como
consecuencia de la aprobacion de la Convencion sobre el
Derecho dei Mar , que cont.o con el voto dei Pen] y de Chile ,
y la incorporaci6n de sus principios a la legislaci6ninterna
de los paises , agrega un nive! de urgencia , pues ambos Estados
debenin definir las caracterlsticas de su mar territorial , de la
zona contigua y de la zona economica exclusiva , asi como de
la platafonna continental ,0 sea el suelo y el subsuelo dei
mar, también hasta las 200 millas , incluyendo la referencia a
la delimitaci6n de dichos espacios en la vecindad internacional.
La actual 'zona maritima de 200 millas ' - como la defini6la
Remüon de la Comisi6n Permanente dei Pacifico Sur en 1954-
es , sin duda , un espacio diferente de cualquiera de los
anterionnente mencionados , respecto de los cuales la legislaci6n
interna es practicamente inexistente en 10 que se refiere a la
26lIbid. 162
delimitacion intemacional. Quizas , la excepcion podfia ser, en
el casa dei Peru, la Ley de PelToleo (No 11780 de 12 de marzo
de 1952), que estableci6 como limite externo para el ejercicio
de las competencias dei Estado en el zocalo continental, 'una
linea imaginaria h"azada mar afuera a una distancia constante
de 200 millas '. Esta ley esta en vigencia y debe anotarse que
fue expedida cinco meses antes de la Declaraci6n de Santiago.
No es necesario subrayar la conveniencia de prevenir las
dificultades que se derivaIian de la ausencia de 1illdemarcaci6n
maritima expresa y apropiada , 0de una deticiencia en la misma
que podfia afectar la amistosa conducci6n de las relaciones
entre Chile y el Pertl.
La consideraci6n de este problema no representa una novedad ,
pues hay expresas referencias a él en libros como el dei
Contralmirante Guillermo Faura; el profesor Eduardo Ferrero
y el Embajador Juan Miguel Bakula. La posicion pemana fue,
asimismo , resumida por el Embajador Alfonso Arias Schreiber ,
en la Conferencia sobre el D(!recho dei Mar , al favorecer los
criterios incorpora dos al proyecto de Convencion sobre el
Derecho dei Mar, en relaci6n con la delimita cion dei mar
territorial , la zona economica exclusiva y la platafonna
continental (26 de agosto de 1980). Sin embargo , esta gestion ,
constihlye la primera presentacion, por los canales diplomaticos ,
que el Gobierno dei Perù formula ante el Gobierno de Chile ,
fundada en las razones y circunstancias que se han expresado
en los primeros parrafos de este memorandum. "
Chile did not reject this proposai , as might have been expected if it was
confident of the existence of a maritime boundary with Petu. !ts response
was to make an official public declaration that said that "studies on this
matter shall be carried out" 264.
4.134 The following year , in 1987 , Chile adopted a measure that is difficult to
reconcile with an open-minded stllldy of the question. A Chilean measure ,
annexed to Supreme Decree No. 99 li, established the limits of the jmisdiction
264 Official ComnllUliquéof the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile, published in Chilean Joumal
El Mercurio of 13 June 1986. Annex 109. 163
of a Chilean harbonr authority and referred to "the Chile-Peru international
politicallimit on the North"26S. There was no indication ofwhat, injuridical
tenns , this "international politicallimit" was, or of the legal basis for if,or
of where it was thought to be located. Moreover , it was ouly in 1994 that
Chile began to modify ifs charts to depict any snch limit , as will be shown
in the next chapter , where Chile's mapping practice is discussed.
4.135 The view that there was no boundary befween the maritime zones ofChile
and Peru was confinned agaill fiv(! years later. In 1998 Chile enacfed Supreme
Decree No. 210 26. That Decree established a number of "benthonic resources
management and exploitation areas " in the waters off the Chilean coast. The
area closest to the PelU-Chile land boundary lies within the coordinates
listed in Article 1 of the Decree . The boundar y of that area lUns in a southwest
direction from a point with the co-ordinates 18°21'11,00" S, 70°22'30,00"
w. The boundary of the Chilean benthonic area then proceeds seaward for
approximately two kilometres in a direction that is approximately perpendicular
67
to the general direction of the coasf2 ,which is quite different of any parallel
of latitude . That is consistent with the position that Peru had adopted eighteen
years earlier at UNCLOS IIp 68.
4.136 A little later, in 2000, Pern protested against a 1998 Chilean chart which
appeared to treat the parallel of latitude passing through Boundary Marker
No. 1 of the PelU-Chile land border as the 'maritime boundary' .269
m Supreme Decree No. 991 of 26 October 1987. Annex 37. (Spanish text: "el limite politico
intemacional Chile-Peru por el Norte").
166 Supreme Decree No. 210 of 4 May 1998. Atlnex 40.
lOI See Figure 4.4.
268 See para. 4.130 above.
269 Note RE (GAB) No. 6-4/113 of 20 October 2000, from the Ministly of Foreign Affairs of Peru
to the Embassy of Cltile. AImex 77. 164
4.137 In July 2004 Pern again fonnally proposed to Chile that negotiations be
210
stalted on the establishment of a maritime boundalY between the two States .
Chile refused to enter into negotiations on the mattel.271.Both States reiterated
their positions in later diplomatic t!xchanges.
4.138 On 4 November 2004 the Peruvian and Chilean Foreign Ministers confinned
what was already obvious and "reiterated that the subject of maritime
delimitation between both countries , in respect of which we have different
positions , is a question of juridical nature " 272 .
III. Conclu ding Observations
4.139 Pern 's legal submissions based on this record of dealings between the Parties
are set out in the following chapters ; but it is convenient here to smmnarize
certain points.
4.140 The stalting-point for the analysis is the axiomatic princip le that Pern is
entitled to a 200-mile maritime zone. It would need very clear evidence ,
supporting sound legal analysis , tod'~pI ierneofany part ofthat entitlement.
There is no such evidence.
4.141 F;rst , the fimdamental fact in this case is that Peru and Chile have not reached
agreement upon the delimitation of their international maritime boundary.
Yet Chile asserts that it, and not Pern, has rights in an area in front of the
Pernvian coast. The fundamental question in this case is, therefore , how
could Pern have lost its rights over that area in front of its coast ?
270 Note (GAB) No. 6/43 of 19 July 2004, from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru to the
Ministerof Foreign Affairs of Chile. This docmnent is Annex 1 to the Application. Il is joined
anew for the convenience of the Court as Annex 79.
271 Note No. 16723 of 10 September 2004, from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile to the
Ministerof Foreign Affairs of PetR This document is Annex 2 to the Application. Il is joined
anew for the convenience of the Court as Atmex 80.
271 Joint Communiquéof the Ministers of Foreig;n Affairs of Pem and Chile, Rio de Janeiro, 4
November 2004. Atmex 113. (Spanish text: "Los Cancilleres hemos reafitmado que el tema de la
delimitacion maritima entre ambos paises, respf:cto dei cual tenemos posiciones distintas, es lUla
cuestion de naturaleza juridica"). 165
CHILE'SSUPREME DECREE
No. 210
Mor<n>' l'r<>j<<tion
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Figure 4.4 167
(a) A coastal State is indeed free to relinquish its sovereign rights over
either its continental shelf or ïts EEZ, for example by agreeing to transfer
them to another State by way of sale or gift. But the geographical extent
of a State's sovereignty (or sovereign Iights) is central to its very existence
and, as a matter of princip le, any snch h"ansfer is a matter requiring the
clearest evidence and proof. Sovereignty or sovereign rights are not to
be regarded as having been given up inadvertently or by accident, or
incidentally to sOllle other h"ansactioll , or on a 'balance of probabilities'
basis: clear evidence and proofis needed that sovereignty was, and was
intended to have been , given up to another State. There is no snch proof ,
and there was no such intention , in this case.
(b) The words of the Court in the Pedra Branco case may be recalled:
"Critical for the Comt's assessment ofthe conduct of the Parties
is the central importance in intemationallaw and relations of
State sovereignty over territor y and of the stability and celtainty
ofthat sovereignty. Because ofthat , any passing ofsovereignty
over territory on the basis of the conduct of the Parties , as set
out above, must be manifested clearly and without any doubt
by that conduct and the relt:vant facts. That is especially so if
what may be involved , in the case of one of the Parties , is in
effect the abandonment of sovereignty over part of its
territory "273
That wise and trenchant observation applies, mutatis mutandis, to
boundaries between the zones of sovereign Iights of States, whose economic
and political importance is as great as that of land territor y.
(c) That point was recognized by the Comt in the Nicaragua v. Honduras
case , where it said that:
"The establishment of a pennanent maritime bolUldary is a matter
of grave imp011ance and agreement is not easily to be presumed .
m Case Concerning SOl'ereignty Ol'erPedro Branco/Pu/ail Batll Pllteh, Middle Rocks and SOllth
Ledge (Malaysia/Singapore),I.c.J.J/ldgment of 23 May 2008, para. 122. 168
A de facto hile might in certa.in circumsfances correspond to
the existence of an agreed legal boundar y or might be more in
the nature of a provi sional hue or of a hIle for a specifie ,
limited purpo se, snch as sharing a scarce resource . Even if
there had been a provi sionalline found convenient for a period
of time , this is to be distin guished from an international
boundar y."274
(d) The observation is, moreo ver, part of the jur isprud ence constante of
the Court. Thus, in the Gulf a/Ma ine case the Court held that:
"No maritime delimitation between States with opposite or
adjacent coasts may be effected unilaterall y by one of tho se
States.Snch delimitation must be sought and effected by means
of an agreement, followin g negotiation s conducted in good
faith and with the genuine intention of achieving a positive
result. "275
(e) There is no agreement on the maritime boundar y between Peru and Chile.
Despite Peru'sinvitations, thereave been no negotiations on the maritime
boundary between Peru and Chih :o~.Olmdary was set by the simultaneou s
claim s of the two State s in 1947. The 1952 Declaration of Santiago did
not settle the questionthe maritime bOlmdary.Nor did the 1954 Agreement
on aSpecial Zone. The 1954 Agreement on a Special Zone embodied a
practical and provisional alTangmnent for policin g coastal fisheriehich
Peru has applied in good faith , as the record of State practice clearl y
show s: but they did not and do not embody an agreement on the intemational
maritime boundar y.
274 Case Concerning Territorial and Maritime Dïspute betll'een Nicaragua and Honduras in the
Caribbean Sea, 1.c.J. Jlldgment 8 October 2007, para. 253. See also Case Concerning
Maritime Delimitationn the Black Sea, 1.CJ. Judgment of 3 Febmary 2009, paras. 71-76.
m Delimitation of the Maritime BOllndary in the Gulf of Maine Area, Judgment, 1.CJ. Reports
1984, p. 299, para 112. See also the Court's obselvatiolls in the North Sea Continental Shelf
cases, refelTedto in para. 6.4 below. 169
(j) In the absence of an established boundary the Pem-Chile maIitime bOlUldaly
is, therefore , to be detennined by the Court , by the application of the
relevant prillciples of internationallaw - that is, on the basis of international
law, as refelTed to in Article 38 of the Statute of the InternationaCourt
of Justice , in order to achieve an equitable solution.
4.142 Second, there is an uneven record of diplomatie and legal activity on the
part of Peru and Chile in relation to their maritime zones. What is clear
beyond doubt is that there is no consistent record from which the agreement
of the two States on an international maritime boundary cau be illferred.
Snch activity as occulTed was directed not at the establishment of a maritime
boundary befween them but at thl consolidation and defence of the seaward
limit of their zones vis-à-vis third States, and at the adoption of practical
steps to minimize friction betwt!en near-shore fishennen in waters in the
general area of their land boundaly.
4.143 Third , the recorded dealings between the States concerned fisheries matters
- and , indeed , were focused on fishing activityin waters relatively close to
the shore , not activities out to nautical miles. Moreover , not one ofthem
related to the question of the extent of the sea-bed or subsoil which belongs
;pso facto and ab in;No to each State.
4.144 For these reasons , it is Pern's submission that the record demonstrates that
there was and is no international maritime boundary established between
Pern and Chi le. That boundary remains to be delimited by the Comt, and by
the application of the relevant princip les of internationallaw. CHAF'TER V
THE MAP EVIDENCE CONFIRMS THAT THERE IS
NO PRE-EXISTING MARITIME DELIMITATION
BETWEEN llHE PARTIES
1. Introdnction
5.1 In this chapter , Peru will show that the official cartography of the Parties
confinns that there is no pre-existing maritime delimitation between them.
Section II discusses the fact that, contrary to nonnal State practice and, indeed ,
to Chile 'sn delimitation practice, no map has ever been issued jointly by
the Pa11iesdepicting a maritime boundalY between them as part of a maritime
delimitationagreement. In Sect ion III, Petu will then review the official
caltography ofboth Pa11iesto show that Peru has never published any official
map indicating that a delimited maritime boundary exists between itself and
Chile and that , for sOllle 40 years after the 1952 Declaration of Santiago and
1954 instruments were concluded , Chile published no such map eiIfer.
was only in 1992 that Chile , in a belated and self-serving fashion , began to
change its cartography by publishing a map relating to its "Presential Sea"
claim which purported to show a maritime boundalY between itself and Peru
extending along a line of latitude. 172
II. Contrary to Chile's Own Practice, There Was No Delimitation
Map Accompanying the 1'~5 or 1954 Instruments
5.2 The previous chapter has shown that there was no agreement on maritime
delimitation between Peru and Chile either in the 1952 Declaration of Santiago
or in the 1954Agreement on a Special Zone. Neither Peru uor Chile conducted
itself at the time as if it considered that the two States were concluding a
formai maritime delimitation agreement. No details of any delimitation hue
were specified by the Palties , no co-ordinates or other technical information
were indicated regarding the cour:se or end point of the boundalY , and no
map was attached to either instrumt!ut depicting an agreed delimitation hue.
5.3 lntemationallaw ath"ibutes considerable impOltance to maps that are attached
to, and fonn an integral pa11of, an intemational boundalY agreement. As the
Chamber stated in its Judgment in the Burbna Faso-Mali case with respect
to the intrinsic legal force of maps for the purpose of establishing territorial
rights:
"Of course , in some cases maps may acquire such legal force ,
but where this is so the legal force does not arise solely from
their intrinsic merits: it is because such maps fall into the category
of physical expressions of the will of the State or States
concemed. This is the case, for example, when maps are annexed
to an official text ofwhich tbey fonn an integral part. "276
5.4 In the present case, and considering the reasoning ofthe Chamber a conlrar;o ,
the absence ofa map attached to either the 1952 Declaration of Santiago or
the 1954 Agreement on a Special Zone depicting a maritime boundalY, when
coupled with the absence of other details ordinarily found in maritime
delimitation agreements, is significant. This is particularly the case where
the practice of one of the Pa11ies -- Chile - demonstrates that when Chile
intended to enter into a formai and binding maritime delimitation agreement ,
ittook care to set out the details of the delimitation line in the text of the
276Frontier Dispute, JudgmenI.c.J.Reports 1986, p. 582, para. 54. 173
agreement itself and to atfach an illustrative map of the boundary which
fonned an integral part of the agreement.
5.5 It will be recalled that in the Salta Declaration of24 July 1971, the Presidents
of Chile and Argentina reaffinned the rights of both countries to esfablish
their jurisdiction over the sea adjacent to their coasts up to a distance of200
nautical miles taking iuto accomnt the preservation and exploitation of the
277
resources of the sea . Much like the 1952 Declaration of Santiago , this
was a Declaration of princip le regarding the seaward extent of the parties'
maritime entitlements not an instrument dealing with the delimitation of the
maritime boundary befween thelIl.
5.6 The delimitation of the maritime boundary, in contrast , was the subject of a
subsequent , specifie delimitation treaty between Chile and Argentina eoncluded
27
in 1984 &. This agreement inclu ded ail of the details of the dehmitation and
illustrative map .
5.7 Article 7 ofthat 1984 Treaty established the maritime boundary (dealing
with sovereignty over the sea, sea-bed and subsoil) between Chile and Argentina
seaward [rom the end of the existing boundar y in the Beagle Channel that
had been deeided in an earlier aTbitration. It specified by co-ordinates six
points through whieh the delimitation hne ran, and it left open the potential
prolongation of the boundar y beyond the final , or most seaward , point by
stipulating that the EEZ of Chile shaH extend south of the last point fixed by
the agreement "up to the distanet: pennitted by internationallaw ". Article 7
also stated that the maritime boundary so described was shown on a map
that was annexed to the agreement as Map No. 1. Article 17 of the Treaty, in
turn ,provided that the map refened to in Article 7 fonned an integral part
of the Treaty. A eopy of the relevant map attaehed to the Chile-Argentina
Treaty is reproduced as Figure S.1.
277 See para. 3.28 above.
278 Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Chile and Argentina, 29 November 1984. Annex 53. 174
5.8 Nothing of the kind exists with respect to any alleged pre-existing maritime
bmmdary between Peru and Chile. There is no agreed map showing the cmu·se
of a boundary hne , no detailed description of the dehmitation hne , no
description of what maritime zone or zones were being delimited and no
indication of the endpoint of the boundary.
5.9 When considered in connection with the fact that for some 40 years after the
1952 Declaration of Santiago and the 1954 Agreement on a Special Zone
were signed Chile issued no map purporting to depict a maritime boundary
279
with Peru ,these facts confinn that there is no maritime boundalY between
the Parties in existence.
III. The Cartography of the Parties
5.10 For its part, Peru has not published oflicial maps depicting a maritime boundary
between itself and Chile. This is entirely consistent with the fact that no
dehmitation agreement has ever been concluded between the Parties and
that the 1952 and 1954 instruments did not constitute delimitation agreements.
In short , both before 1952 and afterwards , official maps issued by Peru
show no maritime boundary.
5.11 Chile 's own mapping practice has been equally consistent , at least up until
1992 when Chile published a map illustrating its claim to a "Presential Sea"
in which a "maritime boundary " with Peru was implied. Thereafter , starting
in 1994, Chile also began to change its nautical chalts to depict an alleged
maritime boundary between itself and Peru. In other words , as far as Peru is
aware, for some 40 years after the 1952 and 1954 instruments were concluded ,
Chile never published any mal'or chart depicting an existing maIitime bOlmdary
with Peru. Itwas only in 1992 that Chile 's cartography began to change in
a self-serving manner.
279 See paras. 5.1ff. c
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5.12 To illush"ate the position , Peru has included herein a Humber of representative
maps of the Pal1ies. A more extensive compendium of the relevant maps may
be found in the Maps and Figures Annex included as Volume IV to this
Memorial.
A. PERU'S MAPS
5.13 In Peru, official political maps representillg boundaries may oilly be published
280
with the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs .As nofed above , at
no point has Peru's official cartography ever depicted a maritime boundary
with Chile. This was the case before the 1952 Declaration of Santiago was
signed and afterwards as weil.
5.14 In the period after the 1929 Treaty of Lima the map ofPeru published by the
Geographical Service of the Anny in 1938 (Figure 5.2 in Volume IV) shows
the land boundalY between Peru and Chile agreed in 1929 but, evidently , no
maritime boundalY offshore. Other similar maps published for the most part
by the Military Geographie Institute of Peru in 1952, 1953 and 1967 are
included in Vohune IV as Figures 5.3, 5.4 and 5.5, and also depiet no maIitime
boundary.
5.15 For example , the map entitled "Republie of Peru , 1967, Politieal Map" ,
published in that year by the Military Geographie Instihlte ofPeru , indieates
velY clearly Concordia as the starting-point ofthe land boundalY established
pm·suant to the 1929 Treaty ofLîma and shows no maritime boundary with
Chile. It is Figure 5.5 in Volume IV.
280 This provision was established during the fifttiesby means of Supreme Decree No. 570 of 5 July
1957. Annex Il. 178
5.16 The 1989 edition of the Allas of Pe ru publi shed by the Ministry of Defence
and the National Geographie Institute also depicts no maritime boundary
between Petu and Chile. As one oftbe plates taken from that Atlas , reproduced
as Figure 5.6 in Volume IV, shows , the stalting-point of the land boundary is
sihlated at Conconha 28, but no maritime boundalY is shown extelldillg seaward
of that point.
5.17 AlI of these maps are conspicuous for the complete absence of any maritime
boundary existing befween the Palties. This is significant given the fact that
the maps otherwise show Peru 's political boundaries and that Peru claimed
sovereignty over the maritime domain lying off ifs coasts. Had an intemational
boundalY with Chile existed , it would be expected to be depicted on these
official PelUvian maps , which it is not.
B . CHILE' S MAPS
5.18 Chile's official cartography , at least up unti11992 , also reveals no trace of
a pre-existing maritime boundary with PelU.
5.19 Early twentieth cenhlry Chilean maps , such as Figure 5.7 in Volume IV (which
is labelled "Republic of Chile 1935"'), shows no maritime boundary between
the Parties . The same situation is depicted on Figure 5.8, reproduced here.
It is a large-scale 1941 map of the northern part ofChile in the vicinity of
the town of Arica and the land bOlUldarywith Peru. While no maIitime bOlUldruy
is shown, the map does show the stalting-point on the land boundar y which
is clearly labelled Concordia on the map .
281 The map labels the point where the land bOlmdarymeets the sea as 'Hito Concordia' ('Marker
Concordia'). However, 'Marker Concordia'is Marker No. 9, and is located about 7 lans. far from
the shore. •
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l1 181
5.20 Chile's maps did not change after the conclusion of the 1952 Declaration of
Santiago and the 1954 Agreement on a Special Zone. Figure 5.9 and S.10 in
Volume IV are official Maps dating from 1954 and 1955, published by the
282
Military Geographie Institute ofChile . Neither ofthem shows a maritime
boundar y. For example, Figure S.IO is a 1955 map which again depicts the
starting-point on the land boundar y as lying at Concordia in accordance
with the 1929 Treaty of Lima , but it shows no maritime boundary seaward
ofthat point. Similar maps included in Volume IV, dated 1961, 1963, 1966,
1971 , 1975 and 1977 as Figures 5.12, 5.13, 5.14, S.15, 5.16 and 5.17 , are
ail noteworthy for the absence of any indication that a maritime boundary
existed between Petu and Chile at the time . Aiso included in Volume IV is
a 1989 map entitled "Political Administrative Map ofChile " published by
the Chilean Military Geographie Instihlte. H, too, is conspicuous for the absence
of any maritime boundaly 283.
5.21 Turning to Chile's large-scale nautical charts of the boundary region in the
vicinity of the land boundary , Figure 5.19, reproduced here, is a 1973 edition
of Chart No. 101 labelled Ahca. As can be seen from the enlargement of the
relevant portion of the cha11, no maritime boundalY is depicted , and the land
boundary can be seen to extend in an arc over its last part to the point where
it meets the sea pursuant to the 1929 Treaty of Lima. There are two dashed
hnes on the map extending from Boundar y Marker No. 1. These lines indicate
the range ofvisibihty of the light beacon established a Sh0l1distance inland
fi:omthe sea, not a maIitime boundruy, but this light beacon does not conespond
to the actual starting-point on the land boundary , which can be seen on the
Chart as Iying further to the south.
5.22 On 25 May 1979, Chile issued a somewhat smaller-scale cha11(Chart No. 100)
covering the area from the Rada de Arica down to Bahia Mejillones deI Sur
located further to the south. This chart is reproduced as Figure 5.20 here ,
and it too depicts no maritime boundary between Peru and Chile.
2S2 The saille can be seen in 1959 Map revised by the Military Geographie Institute of Chile,
included asFigUl"t'5.11.
2Sl See Figul"t5.18 in Vol. IV. 182
5.23 The saille thing cau be seen on Chile's Chart dated 20 November 1979 coverillg
the area identified as the Rada de Arica a Bahia de Iquique. Once again , no
maritime boundary appears on the ehart which is attached as Figure 5.21 in
Volume IV.
5.24 As nofed in Section II above , in 1984 Chile and Argentina concluded a formaI
maritime bOlUldaly agreement seaward of the boundary decided in the Beagle
Channel Arbitration which included a map depicting the delimitation hue.
Consequently , Chile's large-scale charts of this area dated 1986 began to
depict this boundary with Argentina , as cau be seen in Figure 5.22. At the
saille time , however , Chile 's chalts of the Arica region in the vicinity of the
land boundary with Pern continued to show no similar maritime boundary
with Peru , as ean be seen in the 1989 Chilean Chart Rada y Puerto Ar;ca
reprodueed as Figure 5.23.
5.25 To Peru's knowledge , it was only in 1992 that Chile began to change its
284
mapping with regard to the releva nt area • Figure 7.3 in Volume IV is a
very small seale graphie prepared by the Hydrographie and Oceanographie
Service of the Chilean Navy in 1992 for the purpose of illustrating Chile's
"Presential Sea" theOl·Y . While the map is not easy to read , it appears to
include a hne in the north extending from the land boundary between Peru
and Chile out to sea.
5.26 The situation beeame clearer when , in 1994, Chile re-issued its fonner Chart
No. 100 (Rada de Ar;ca a Bahia de Mepllones deI Sur as a new series
(Chart No. 1000». A eopy of the relevant portion of this Chalt appears as
Figure 5.24. It showed for the first time a dashed hne extending seaward
west of the land boundary with the words "Peru" and ''Chile''plaeed on the
map to the north and south of the da shed hne , respeetively.
2&4 See para. 5.11 above. "
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5.27 In 1998 , Chile made a similar change to its Chart of the Port of Arica area
(Chart No. 1111, which was a new edition of the former Chart 101). This
cau be seen on Figure S.2S in Volume IV, the enlargement ofwhich shows
for the first time on this series of Chilean charts a dashed hue extending out
to sea [rom the land boundary. As noted in Chapter IV, Petu protested the
issuance of this Chart and the "boundary hue " that appeared on it 285.
5.28 Moreover , the depictioll of the inîtial segment of the land boundalY was also
changed from what had previously been shown on the 1973 edition of the
Chart. Whereas previons editions of the chalt showed the land boundary as
extending along an arc to a poin t where itmeets the sea to the south of the
first boundary marker on land, the 1998 edition suppressed this extension
and drew the land boundary as if it met the sea along a parallel of latitude
passing through the BoundalYMarker No. 1.This change in Chile's ca110graphy
was in contravention to the provisions of the 1929 Treaty of Lima discussed
in Chapter F86, and inconsistent with Chile's earher mapping.
5.29 Later editions of Chile's maps also began to reflect this unilateral change of
position. For example , in 2005 the National Atlas of Chile evidenced the
change in Chile's position by showing a "Limit Chile-Peru" extending to sea
from what Chile labelled "Hito ", or Marker , No. 1.281Earlier editions of the
Chilean NaNonal Allas had not depicted such a hne.
5.30 From the above, it can be seen that Chile's official maps up to 1992 did not
show any maritime boundalY existing between itself and Peru. Itwas only in
1992 that Chile's cartography began to change by showing what appeared to
be an intemational boundalY out to sea. However , nothing happened in 1992
or thereafter between the Palties to change the sihlationjustifying this shift
in Chile's official mapping. The Parties agreed no maritime boundalY at that
time, and they had not done so before , as Chile's own maps consistently
demonstrated.
m See para. 4.136 above.
286 See paras.1.32jJ above.
287 See Figul"t' 5.26 in Vol. IV. 194
5.31 The absence of any indication of a maritime boundary on Chile's official
maps over a long period of time carries with it legal consequences to the
extent that Chile maintains that there is a pre-existing maritime delimitation
between the Pa11iesdating from the 1950s. As the Court of Arbih·ation stated
in its Award in the Beagle Channel Arbilrahon:
"Equally , maps published arter the conclusion of the Treaty
can throw light on what the intentions of the Parties in respect
of it were , and, in general , on how it should be interpreted.
But the particular value of sucb maps lies rather in the evidence
they may afford as to the view which one or the other Party
took at the time, or subsequently , concerning the settlement
resulting from the Treaty , and the degree to which the view
now being asserted by that Party as the COlTectone is consistent
with that which it appears fonnerly to have entertained. "288
In the same vein the Court of Arbitration in its Award in the Beagle Channel
noted that-
"the cumulative impact of a large number of maps, relevant
for the particular case, that tell the same story - especially
where some ofthem emanate from the opposing Pa11y , or from
third cOlUltries- cannot but b,~onside, reibereas indications
of general or at least widesp read repute or belief , or else as
confinnatory of conclusions reached , ... independently of the
Inaps."289
5.32 Inthe light ofthese considerations, the map evidence conflllns what is apparent
from the text of the 1952 and 1954 instruments and from the subsequent
conduct of the Parties. While the Pa11iesdid enter into provisional an·angements
of a practical nature to avoid incidents involving small fishing boats , they
never concluded a fonnal delimitation agreement. The Court's task in the
present case is now to delimit the maritime zones between the Parties.
28S Beagle Channel Arbitration between the Republic of Argentina and the Republic of Chile,
Report and Decision the Court of Arbitration, 18 Febnuuy 1977, reprinted in 52 ILR at p. 202,
para. 137.
289Ibid., p. 204, para. 139. CHAPTER VI
THE PRINCIPLES AND RULES OF
INTERNATIONAL LAW GOVERNING
MARITIME DELIMHATION AND THEIR
APPLICATION IN THIS CASE
1. Introdnction
6.1 In this chapter , Peru will review the principles and mies of international
law relevant to maritime delimitation and their application to the geographical
and other circumstances of the present case in order to achieve an equitable
result.Section II starts hy examininthe "equitable principles /relevant
circmllstances" nùe , also refened to as the "equidistance /special circmllstances"
mie. As the Court has repeatedly held, this mie constitutes the basic mie of
maritime delimitation in the absence of an agreed boundar y between Parties
to a delimitation dispute . In Section III, Peru will then identify the relevant
coasts of the Parties for delimitation purposes and the relevant area within
which the "equidistance/ special circmllstances" mie faIls to be applied. Closely
related to theuestion of the relevant coasts and the relevant area is the
question of the starting-pofor the dehmitation where the land boundary
between the Palties meets the sea. Section IV addresses this point and shows
the manner in which that point was agreed in 1929-1930 .
6.2 Based on these factors , Section V will then tum to the constof the
provisional equidistance hne which , lUlderthe Comt's jurispmdence , represents
the first step the delimitation process. In Section VI, Peru will show that
there are no special or relevant circumstcharacterizingthe area to be
delimited calling for the adjustment of that hne, and that an equidistance
line results in an equal division of the areas appertaining to the Palties without
producing any "cut-off" effect or undue encroachment. Finally, in Section VII 196
Petu will demonsfrafe that a delimitation based on the application of the
equidistance method satisfies the test of proportionality and achieves an
equitable result based on the facfs of the case.
II. The Principles and Rule" of Maritime Delimitation
6.3 One constant theme on which the law of maritime delimitation has always
been grounded is that delimitation is to be carried out in accordance with
equitable principles in order to achil ~nvequitable result . This fundamental
princip le findsifs expression not ouly in the jurisprudence of the Court , but
also in Articles 74 and 83 of the Law of the Sea Convention.
6.4 As the COlut pointed out in Judgment in the North Sea Conhnental Shelf
cases, one of the basic legal notions which has, [rom the beginning , reflected
the opinio juris in the matter of maritime delimitation is that-
"delimitation must be the object of agreement between the States
concerned , and that such agreement must be arrived at in
accordance with equitable principles ."29o
As the Court went on to observe:
"On a foundation of vely general precepts of justice and good
faith, actualmles of law are here involved which govern the
delimitation of adjacent continental shelves - that is to say,
mies binding upon States for ail delimitations ; - in short, it is
not a question of applying equity simply as a matter of absh·act
justice , but ofappl ying a mie oflaw which itselfrequires the
application of equitable principles "291.
290 North Sea Continentai Shelf, Jlldgment, I.CJ. Reports 1969, p. 46, pItais appropriate to
point out that thelltemphasized that "agreement" amongst States regarding delimitation must
also "be arrived at in accordance with equitable principles." Idem. In this respect, the COlmnoted
that Partie s are nnder an obligationo to conduct themselves that the negotiation s are
meaningfnl". Ibid., p. 47, parItis apparent in this case, as explained in Chap. IV,tllat no sncll
negotiations ever took place between tlle Parties regarding their delimitation either in 1952 or
1954, or at anyilne thereafter.
291 Ibid., pp. 46-47, para. 85. 197
6.5 The primacy of equitable princip les was further elaborated by the Court in
the Tunisia-Libya case where the Comi stressed the impOltance ofreaching
an equitable result. The relevant passage [rom the Courf 's Judgment is as
follows:
"The result of the application of equitable princip les must be
equitable. This tenninology , which is generally use d, is Ilot
entirely satisfactor y because it employs the tenn equitable to
characferize both the resuh to be achieved and the means to
be applied to reach this result. It is, however , the result which
is predominant ; the princip les are subordinate to the goal. "292
6.6 The Comi has made itquite clear that a delimitation in accordance with equitable
principles is to be distinguished [wm a decision ex aequo el bono, which can
only be taken if the Palties agree. As the Court noted , to it is bound to apply
equitable princip les as part of intemational law."293Stated another way:
"Equity as a legal concept is a direct emanation of the idea of
justice. The Court whose task is by definition to administer
justice is bound to apply iL"294
6.7 This approach to maritime delimitation is aptly summarized in Alticles 74
and 83 of the 1982 Convention 0111the Law of the Sea, each ofwhich contains
a provision to the effect that:
"The delimitation of [the exclusive economic zone or continental
shelf] between States with opposite or adjacent coasts shaH
be effected by agreement on the basis ofintemationallaw , as
referred to in Article 38 of the Statute of the lntemational Court
of Justice , in order to achieve an equitable solution. "295
192 Continental Shelf (TlInisialLibyan Arab Jama hiriya), J/ldgment , I.CJ. Reports 198], p. 59,
para. 70.
29l Ibid., p. 60, para. 71.
294 Ibid.
m Article 74 ("Delimitation of the exclusive economic zones between States with opposite or
adjacent coasts") and Article 83 ("Delimitation of the continental shelf between States with
opposite or adjacentcoasts") of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea. 198
6.8 At the same time , the Comt has also recognized the need for consistency and
predictability with respect to issues of maritime delimitatioll. For example ,
in the Libya-Malra case , the Court stated the following:
"Thus the justice ofwhich equity is an emanation, is not absh"act
justice but justice according to the rule oflaw; which is to say
that ifs application should display consistency and a degree of
predictability ; even though it looks with parti cularity to the
peculiar circumsfances of an instant case , it also looks beyond
it to principles of more general application." 296
6.9 The Court's recent jurisprudence makes it clear that the "equidistance /special
circumstances" mie accommodafes the dual pm"pose of applying equitable
principles so as to achieve an equitahle result,on the one hand, and of impOlting
a degree of consistency and predi · etability to maritime dehmitation more
generally , on the other.
6.10 Application of this rule is now weIl established in practice and involves
essential1ya two-step process:first , a provisional equidistance line is drawn
between the relevant basepoints on the Parties' coasts from which the breadth
of their territorial sea or maritime zones is measured ; second, consideration
is then given as to whether there are any "special" or "relevant" circumstances
calling for the adjustment of the provisionalhne in order to achieve an equitable
result. In certain cases, palticularly where the relevant area within which the
delimitation is to take place is readily identifiable as is the case between Peru
and Chile, the resulting hne can then be tested against the criterion of
proportionality as a finalcheck todetermine whether the hne anived in application
of the two initial steps produces a re:sultwhich is not unduly disproportionate.
6.11 In earlier cases involving maritime delimitation between States with opposite
coasts , such as the Libya-Malta and Denmark-Nonvay cases, the Court
296 Continental Shelf (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya IMalta), JlIdgment,I.c.J.Reports 1985, p. 39,
para.45. 199
proceeded on the basis that the first step in the delimitation process entailed
the adoption of a provisional equidistance , or median , hile followed by a
second step in which the provisional hIle was adjusted , as necessaly , to
reflect the relevant circumstances characterizing the delimitation area. More
recently, this approach has been extended to delimitations involving adjacent,
and quasi-adjacent , coasts.
6.12 In the Qatar /Bahra;n case, for example , the Court had occasion to refer
back to the approach it adopted in L;bya-Malfa. As the Court indicated:
"The Comt will follow the same approach in the present case.
For the delimitation of the maritime zones beyond the I2-mile
zone itwill fifst provisionally draw an equidistance hIle and
then consider whether there are circumstances which must lead
to an adjustment of that hne. »29 7
The Court then expanded on its reasoning in the following way:
"The Court fm·ther notes that the equidistance /special
circumstances mie , which is applicable in particular to the
delimitation of the territorial sea, and the equitable principles /
relevant circumstances mie, as it has been developed since
1958 in case-Iaw and State practice with regard to the
delimitation of the continental shelf and the exclusive economic
zone , are closely interrelated. "298
6.13 The same approach was used in the Cameroon-N;geha case - a case involving
dehmitation between States with adjacent coasts, as is the situation between
Pem and Chile. The relevant passage from the Com1's judgment eXplaining
the methodology employed reads as follows:
"The Court has on various occasions made it clear what the
applicable criteria , princip les and mies of delimitation are
291 Maritime Delimitation and Territorial Question s befween Qatar and Bahrain , Merit s,
Judgment,I.c.J.Reports 2001, p. Ill , para. 230.
198 Ibid., para. 231. 200
when a hue cove ring seve ral zones of coincident juri sdictions
is to be determined . The y are expr esse d in the so-called
equitable prillciples/relevant circmllstances method. This method,
which is very similar to the equidi stance/special circumsfances
method applicable in delimitation of the tenitorial sea, inlves
first drawing an equidi stance hu e, then considering whether
ther e are factors calling for the adjustment or shiftin g of that
hIlein order to achieve an 't:~q abileresult'." 299
6.14 Recent arbitr al practice has followed the Court's appro ach. In the Barbados
Trinidad and Tobago arbitr atioll, for exampl e, the reaso ning of the Arbitr al
Tribun al close ly mirr ored the methodology that the Court arti culat ed in
Qata r-Bahra ;n and Cameroon -N ;geha. As the Arbit ral Tribun al stated in
its Award :
"The determin ation of the hIle of delimit ation thus nonn ally
follws a two-step appro ach. Fir st, a provisional hne of
equidi stance is posited as a hypothesis and a practical staltin g
point. While a conv enient startin g point, equidi stance alone
will in many c ircumstances not ensure an equit able result in
the light of the peculiaritie s of each specifie case. The second
step accordin gly requir es the examination of this provisional
line in the hght of relevant circumstances, which are case
specifie, so as to detennin e whether it is necessary to adjust
the provisional equidistancehne in order to achieve an equitable
result ... This approach is usua refened to as the 'equidistance/
relevant circumstances' prin ciple ."300
6.15 Similar SUppOltfor the primary role of the "equidistance/special circumstances"
rule may be found in the award in the Guyana -Sur ;name arbih·ation, another
299 Land and Maritime BOllndary between Cameroon and Nigeria (Cameroon v. Nigeria:
Equatorial Guinea inten 'ening), Judgment, I.CJ Reports 2002, p. 441, para. 288. For a recent
limpid exposition of the "Delimit ation methodology", see: Case Concerning Maritime
Delimitation in the Black Sea, I.CJ Judgment of 3 February 2009, paras. 115-122.
JOO Award In the Matter of an Arbitration between Barbados and the Repllblic of Trinidad and
Tobago, 11April 2006, para. 242. 201
case involving delimitation between States with adjacent coasts. In the words
of the Arbitral Tribunal:
"The case law of the Intemational Com1 of Justice and arbitral
jurispmdence as weil as State practice are at one in holding
that the delimitation proce ss should , in appropIiate cases , begill
by positing a provisional equ:idistance hue which may be adjusted
illlightof relevant circmllsta:nces in order to achieve an equitable
solution ."301
6.16 If is hue that there may be situation s where the coastal geography of the
Parties does not pennit , for practical reasons, the construction of an equidistance
hIle as the tirst step in the delimitation proce ss. The N;caragua -Hond uras
case is one snch example . There , the Court concluded that, due to the unstable
nature of the basepoint s from which an equidistance line wou Id ordinarily
be drawn , application of the equidi stance method was impractical. Instead ,
the Com1 employed a bisector method between the coastal fronts of the Pal1ies.
In so doing , howe ver, the Com1 was careful to note that, "[a]t the same time
equidi stance remains the general rule ."302The Court also observed that the
bisector method can be used in appropriate situations to give legal effect to
the criterion that "one should aim at an equal divi sion of areas where the
maritime projection s of the coasts of the States .. . converge and overlap."303
6.17 While there are no special circumstances in the present case that render it
impractical to employ the equidistance method as the fIrst step in the delimitation
exerci se, as there were in the Nica ragua -Honduras, it is nonetheles s worth
noting that application of the bisector method between the rele vant coastal
front s of Peru and Chile would pro duce virtually the same result as the
equidi stance method , as will be seen in Section V below .
301 Award In the Matter of an Arbitration betll'een Guyana and Suriname, 17 September 2007,
para. 342.
302 Territorial and Maritime Dispute betll'een Nicaragua and Honduras in the Caribbean Sea
(Nicaragua v. Honduras), LCJ. J/ldgment 0:[8 Dctober 2007, p. 77, para. 281.
30, Ibid., p. 78, para. 287, quoting Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary in the Gulf of Maine
Area, Judgment, LCJ. Reports 1984, p. 327, para. 195. 202
6.18 In the light of these precedents, it is now weil established that the first
step in the delimitation process is to construct a provisional equidistance
hile between the relevant basepoints on the Parties' coasts , and that the
second step then involves assessing whether there are any geographical or
other relevant circumstances justifying an adjustment of the provisionalline
in order to achieve an equitable result. This is the approach that Petu has
adopted in the present case in confonnity with the principles and mies of
international law.
III. The Relevant Coasts of the Parties and the
Relevan t Area
6.19 Having set out the princip les and mies of law applicable to the maritime
de limitation between Peru and Chile , it is appropria te to examine the
geographical setting within which these rules fall to be applied. This involves
an analysis oftwo related concepts : (a) the relevant coasts of the Palties for
delimitation purposes and (b) the relevant area.
A. THE RELEVANT COASTS
6.20 It is evident that it is not the entire coast of each of the Palties that is relevant
to delimitation,but only those portions of the coast which , because of their
relationship of adjacency , generate overlapping legal entitlements to maritime
zones. In other words , the delimitation to be effected in the present case is
between the legal entitlements gen,~ra tyedhe coasts of Parties which , by
virtue ofbeing adjacent to each other, meet and overlap. As the Cmut observed
in the Tun;s;a-Dbya case, another case involving delimitation between adjacent
Stateswith a common land boundary:
"Nevertheless, for the purpose of shelf delimitation between
the Parties , it is not the whole of the coast of each Party
which can be taken into account; the submarine extension of
any part of the coast of one Party which, because of its
geographic situation, cannot overlap with the extension of 203
the coast of the other , is to be excluded [rom fUI"fller
consideration by the Court."304
6.21 Because oftheir relationship ofadjacency , the relevant coasts of the Parties
for delimitation purposes are initially defrned by an aspect of political geography
- namely, the starting-point on the land boundalY between the two States. As
has been noted in Chapter II, and will be discussed in more detail in Section
IV below , the starting-point on the land boundary where itmeets the sea is
located at Point Concordia , the co-ordinates of which are 18°21'08" S,
70°22'39" W WGS84.
6.22 Figure 6.1 shows that the starting-point on the land boundary befween Peru
and Chile lies ahnost exactly at the point where the configuration of the
Pacifie coast of South America as a whole changes direction. The Peruvian
coast north of the land boundary runs in a southeast-northwest direction ,
while the configuration of the Chilean coast south of the land boundary is
almost due north-south.
6.23 Offshore, there is only a narrow band of sea-bed having depths of 200
metres or less. Thereafter , as noted in Chapter II, the ocean floor plunges
rapidly due to the existence of a plate boundary that mns along the west
coast of South America. This can be seen from the bathymetric contours on
Figure 6.1.
6.24 As for the coasts themselves , while there are some gentle undulations along
both Parties' coastal fronts , there are no significant promontories , islands or
low-tide elevations in the vicinity of the land bOlmdary or within 200 nautical
miles of it on either side.
6.25 As can be seen on Figure 6.1, the Peruvian coast extends from Point Concordia
in a northwest direction corresponding more or less to a straight coastal
304 Continental She/f (TlinisialLibyan Arab Jamahiri ya), Jlldgment , I.CJ. Reports 1982, p. 6l ,
para.75. 204
front as far as the city of 110. At this point, there is a slight concavity in
Peru 'scoast north ofl1o, but the coast then reassumes its southeast to n0l1hwest
direction up to Punta Pescadores, which lies between the town s of Ocona
and Atico. The latter is situated close to the 74° W meridi anju st over 200
nauti cal mile s from the startin g-point on the land boundal y.
6.26 On the Chile an side, Chile 's coast e:xtends for a very Sh011distance south of
Point Concordia (less than 10 miles) in a n011hwest-southeast direction down
to the coastal city of Arica. At that point , the coast of Chile adopt s an almost
due north- south configuration to Tocopilla , which lies ju st south of the 22°
S parallel of latitude , and beyond.
6.27 As a glan ce at the map revea ls, the coastal geogra phy in thi s area is
unrem arkable and presents no distor ting characteri stics. Il follows that there
are no geog raphi cal feature s that distinctl y stand out as limitin g the extent
of the rel evant coasts of the Partie s as ther e were , for example , in the
Tun;s;a /Libya case where Ra s Kaboudi a on the Tuni sian coast and Ra s
Tajo ura on the Lib yan coast repre sented the clear limit s of the Partie s'
rele vant coas ts.
In its recent Judgment of3 Februar y 2009, the C01ll1 recalled that-
"the coast , in order to be considered as relevant for the purpo se
of the delimitation , must generate projection s which overlap
with projection s from the coast of the other party. Consequently
'the submarine extension ofany part of the coast ofone Party
which, because of its geogra phic situation , cannot overlap with
the extension of the coast of the other , is to be excluded from
f1l11herconsideration by the Court'(Cont inental Shelf (Tunisia/
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya), Judgment, I.CJ Reports 1982 , p.
61, para . 75)."305
m Case Concerning Maritime Delimitation in the Black Sea, I.c.J . JlIdgment of 3 February
2009,para.99. ,
••ri• ••• •• ct c(
'!lIIII!! ....
o; !!!liI! III
....
-
:z:
u
, J
:.
J,
IJ
....
IJ
:::: 207
6.28 In these circumstances , it is logical to identify the relevant coasts of the
Parties that give fise to overlapping maritime entitlemenfs by reference to
their distance [rom Point Concordja - the stalting-point on the land bOlUldary.
Figure 6.2 indicafes the segments of each Party's coast that lie within 200
nautical miles of the land boundary starting-point. On the PelUvian side , the
relevant coast exfends up to a point on the coast mentioned above calied
Punta Pescadores , which lies a short distance to the southeast of Atico. On
the Chilean side, the relevant coast may be viewed as extending down to
Punta Arenas , which is virhlally the same distance south of the land boundary
that Punta Pescadores is to the llOlthwest. It is these sh·etches of coast which ,
because of their adjacent relationship , generate maritime entitlements which
meet and overlap and thus give rise to the need for delimitation. For practical
pUl]Joses, they may be considered to constitute the relevant coasts in this case.
B. THE RELEVANT AREA
6.29 Taking the relevant coasts of the Parties as described above , it is possible
to identify the area within which the delimitation is to take place by reference
to the entitlements generated by those coasts. As the Court observed in its
recent Judgment in the Black Seo case - "the legal concept of the 'relevant
area' has to be taken into account as pait of the methodology of maritime
delimitation"306. Figure 6.3 depicts 200-mile arcs drawn [rom the initial
point of the land boundary which define the seaward extent of each Party's
potential maritime entitlements in this area.
6.30 In addition to the staiting-point on the land boundary , the two other points
that circumscribe the limits of each Party's entitlements are ,firsf the minor
projection on Peru's coast at Punta Pescadores which is some 200 nautical
miles [rom the land boundary , and second , the point on Chile's coast located
at Ptmta Arenas which is also about 200 miles fi:omthe land boundary starting
point.
306 Case Concerning Maritime Delimitation in the Black Sea, I.c.J. JlIdgment of 3 February
2009, para.110. 208
6.31 The resulting area of overlapping legal entitlements is depicted on Figure
6.3. It is within this area that the delimitation falls to be effected and with
respect to which the Parties ' claims may be assessed by reference to the test
of proportionalit y307.The relevant area is thus circumscribed by 200-mile
arcs extending from the point where the land boundalY meets the sea and
encompassing equivalent sfrefches. of coast appertaining to the Parties on
each side of the land boundary . As will be seen in subsequent Sections of
this chapter , in the geographical circumstances of the case , delimitation of
the overlapping maritime zones of the Parties on the basis of the equidistance
method produces an equal division of the area , and an equitable result , due
to the straightforward nature of the coastal geography.
IV. The Starting-Point for the Delimitation
6.32 At this stage , it is necessary to consider the land boundary between the two
Parties because that determines the location of the starting-point of the maIitime
boundaries between them . As pointed out in Chapter II, within the rele vant
area , both Parties ' baselines are "normal " baselines constituted by the low
water mark on the coast. It follows that the starting-point of the land boundalY
308
where it meefs the sea is situated at the low-water mark .
6.33 As has been noted 30, Pem and Chile did not share a land bOlmdalY when
they achieved independence. As a result of the war declared in 1879 by Chile
against Bolivia and Peru - the War of the Pacific - land boundaries changed
dramatically . Bolivia lost ifs rich province of Antofagasta and consequently
its presence on the Pacific coast, and in the Treaty of Ancan (1883) , Peru ceded
to Chile ifs large province of Tarapaca and agreed that Chile would occupy
the southem provinces of Tacna and Arica for 10 years, after which a plebiscite
would be held to determine their future . The plebiscite was never held.
l07 The application of the test ofpropol1ionality to the Parties' daims is discussed in Section VII of
this chapter, below.
lOS See paras. 2.14, 2.21 above. Moreover, as noted in paras. 4.15, 4.16, 4.19 above, it was the
historical practiee of the Parties to measnre the outer limit of their maritime zones by referenee to
the low-water mark.
lO9 Para. 1.4 above. See also Figure 1.2. ,
, Il-,
-.
l---+-i----t-n -.
w
~- , , 1
... ,
u1/ , , ~ u
... laj , li ~ ... q;
~ w ,l;.1 il,, -~
0:.. , • ,, Q. g
... 1
- . l
, i ,'.
, ,
, 1
.. 1
«: • ! j
!Z I!~ l,
ii:'l!M,1-•• 1l'
.. 1 •
.. • • 1i
... 1
· . 1
l 213
6.34 Chile and Petu subsequently reached agreement on territorial questions
concerning Tacna and Arica , in the 1929 Treaty of Lima.
6.35 Vnder Article 2 of the 1929 Treaty of Li ma 3!OTacna was given back to Peru
and Arica was ceded to Chile. Article 2 reads as follows:
"The territory of Tacna and Arica shaH be divided iuto two
pOl1ions of which Tacna , shaH be allotted to Petu and Arica
to Chile. The dividing hile between the two portions , and
consequently the [rontier hetween the territories of Chile and
Peru , shaH start from a point on the coast to be named
'Concordia ', teu kilomeh "es to the north of the bridge over the
river Lluta. It shaH contillllle eastwards parallel to the hile of
the Chilean section of the Arica La Paz railway and at a distance
of ten kilometres therefrolIl , with such sinuosities as may be
necessary to allow the loc:al topography to be used , in the
demarcation , in such a way that the sulphur mines of the Tacora
and their dependencies shall remain within Chilean territOly.
The line shaHthen pass through the centre of the Laguna Blanca,
so that one portion thereof shall be in Chile and the otller in
Peru ."
Spanish text reads as follows:
"El territorio de Tacna y Arica sera dividido en dos partes ,
Tacna para el Pen.'!y Arica para Chile . La linea divisoria entre
dichas dos partes y, en consecuencia , la frontera entre los
territorios dei Pen.'!y de Chile , paltira de un punto de la costa
que se denominara 'Concordia ', distante diez kilometros al
Norte dei puente dei Rio 1Juta , para seguir hacia el Oriente
paralela a la via de la secciôn chilena deI Ferrocarril de Arica
a La Paz y distante diez kilômetros de eHa, con las inflexiones
necesarias para utilizar , en la demarcaci6n , los accidentes
geograficos cercanos que permitan dejar en territorio chileno
las azufreras dei Tacora y sus dependencias , pasando luego
por el centro de la Laguna Blanca , en forma que una de sus
partes quede en el Pen.'!y la otra en Chile ."
310 Atmex 45. 214
6.36 Article 3 of the Treaty of Lima then stipulated that:
"The frontier-hne refelTed to in the first paragraph of Article
2 shaH be detennined and marked by means of posts in the
tenitOly itselfby a Mixed COlmnission consisting of one member
appointed by each of the signatory Governments."
Spanish text reads as foHows:
"La linea fronteriza , a que se refiere el inciso primero dei
articulo segundo , sera fijada y sei'ialada en el territorio con
hitos , por una comisi6n mixta compuesta de un miembro
designado por cada uno de los Gobiernos signatarios".
6.37 There was, however , a dispute within the Commission regarding the exact
location of Point Concordia , the starting-point on the coast of the land border.
The dispute was solved by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the two counhies
by agreeing that Point Concordia was the intersection between the land boundary
and the sea and identical inshuctions conveying the agreement were sent to
both delegations on the ground in April 1930.
6.38 Thus , on 24 April 1930, Peru instructed its delegate as foHows:
"Concordia BoundalY Marker.- Starting Point, on the coast, of
the borderhne .-
To fix this point:
Ten kilometres shaH be measured from the first bridge of the
Arica-La Paz railway, over the River Lluta, mnning northwards ,
at Pampa de Escritos , and an arc with a radius of ten kilomeh·es
shaH be traced westwards , its centre being the aforementioned
bridge ,mnning to intercept the seashore , so that any point of
the arc measures a distance of 10 kilomeh ·es from the refened
bridge of the Arica-La Paz railway hne over the River Lluta .
This intersection point of th·e traced arc with the seashore ,
shaH be the starting-point of the dividing hne between Peru
and Chile. 215
A boundary marker shaH bl ~laced at any point of the arc , as
close to the sea as allows preventing it from being destroyed
by the ocean waters. "311
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Hito Concordia.- Puuto lnicial , en la costa, de la linea
fronteriza.-
Para fijar este punto:
Se mediran diez kilomeh " os desde el primer puente dei fenocanil
de Arica a La Paz sobre el rio Lluta , en direccion hacia
el NOlte, en la Pampa de EscIitos, yse hazara , hacia eponiente,
un arec de diez kil6mefros de radio , euyo cenh"o estanJ en el
indicado puente y que vaya a intersectar la orilla dei mar,
de modo que, cualquier punto dei areo, disfe 10 ki16mefros dei
refeIido puente dei fenocanil de Arica a La Paz sobre el rio Lluta.
Este punto de infersecci6n dei arec trazado con la orilla dei
mar, sera el inicial de la linea divisoria entre el Pen.'!y Chile.
Se colocara un hito en cualquier punto dei arco, 10mas pr6ximo
al mar posible , donde quede a cubierto de ser destruido por
las aguas dei océano."
6.39 On 28 April 1930 Chile issued ins.tructions to ifs delegate. The corresponding
passage in the instructions is identical to that in the Peruvian instructions ,
except that the border is referred to as "the dividing hne between Chile and
Peru " instead of "the dividing hne between Peru and Chi le".
6.40 From the point north of the first bridge of the Arica-La Paz railway , over the
River Lluta , the course of the boundalY as it approached the sea was agreed
to be an uninterrupted arc, centred upon that bridge.
6.41 If will be noted that there was no question of the border approaching the
coast along a parallel of latitude or, indeed , along any otller straight hne.
The border approached the sea as an arc, tending southwards. Peru does not
contend that there was an intention that the boundalY should continue seawards
3ll Agreement to Detelmine the BOlllldaryLine and Place the Corresponding BOlllldaryMarkers at
the Points in Disagreement in the Peruvian-Chilean Limits Demarcation Joint Commission of 24
April 1930 (Identical mstructions Sent to the Delegates). See Annex 87. 216
in an arc, generating a curved maritime boundalY along the lO-kilometre arc
(Figure 6.4). On the contraly , the sheer implausihility of any snch constmction
demonstrafes that there was no intention that the agreed land boundalY should
simply be extended seawards so as to produce a maritime boundary.
6.42 The Joint Commission ofLimits duly demarcated the border. The Final Act
of the Commission of Limits Containing the Description of Placed Boundary
Markers (1930) 312,dated 21 July 1930 and agreed by the two sides , recorded
that the demarcated border 5talt5 at a point on the coast located teu kilomeh "es
to the north-west of the bridge ove:r the River Lluta. That starting-point is
named "Concordia " in Article 2 of the 1929 Treat y of Lima. On the other
hand , delegates agreed to name Marker No. 9, located some seven kilometres
away from the coast , as "Marker Concordia ", as can be seen in the list of
markers contained in the Final Act of the Commission of Limits Containing
the Description of Placed Boundary Markers (1930) (Figure 6.S).
6.43 The first marker of the physical demarcation of the boundalY is Boundary
Marker No . 1, made of concrete and located as near to the seashore as was
possible in order to avoid being washed away by the sea, at latitude 18°21'03"
S, and longihlde 70°22'56" W 313."1v1arkerConcordia " which is Marker No.
9 in the list in the Final Act of the Commission of Limits Containing the
Description ofPlaced Boundary Markers (1930) , was located at 18°18'50.5"
S, 70°19'56.6" W.
m Final Act of the Commission of Limits Contaitüng the Description of Placed Boundary Markers
of 21 July 1930. Annex 54. Although the Final Act does not identify the geographical datmn
according to which the latitude and longitudef the boundary markers were fixed, it c1early
refered to astronomical co-ordinates. Astronomical co-ordinates are obtained through terrestrial
obselVationsof the Stm, planets, or stars, made by sUlr on the smface of the Earth.
J13 The astronomical calculation of the parallel of latinlde of BOlUldaryMarker No. 1 (18°21'03" S)
isequivalent to 18°21'00" WGS84. The World Geodetic System (WGS84) is a global, geo
centric reference systemn that the centerth, W~GS84 ellipsoid, as a datum, is itltended to be
the Earth'scenter ofmas s. Given that astronomical co-ordinates are obtained from an individual's
terrestrialselvations on the Earth's smface, any inaccuracies in taking a co-ordinate reading
are tmique to that particular obselvation. Simply stated, obsetvational errors are not necessarily
uniform from place to place and therefore astronomical co-ordinate s are not uniformly
transferableto modem global geodetic reference systems, such as WGS84, by applyillg the
dattnn trallsfOimation parameters for a particular geodetic reference system. ,
/
"1'1 [ !
!III
_ , ; '1'l ,","1.,,11H h, il,I
• U...~i~P'II l'11•.'1 1.
~ _ q IIIl'l' 'j·lu'I
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,
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,,~
1
"POINT CONCORDlA" vs.
"MARKER CONCORDIA"
MD..:WGS-M, .ion
(kM.,..'n)...
• .. ..
tbu"ikio
• ..
••
PERU
i i
Tacna
, S'S ..
Soma
"l ,"""dei Rio
HPoint Conoordia "
(Seaw ard of Hit o;;;;;;0;=""<
(.8'21'1)8 '5 - 70'2.1'l'}'W)
Note: ,ho locatIOn of 'Po,n' Concord.. - WM
""ng ,ho WGS.M globol ...1.... ",. 'Y'tom
PA CIFIC CH 1LE
K,let,Vito r
OCEAN PuntaArgolla
Figure 6.5 221
6.44 The April 1930 inshllctions to the Joint Commission of Limits had stipulated
that:
"A boundalY marker shall be placed at any point of the arc, as
close to the sea as allows preventing it [rom being destroyed
by the ocean waters. "314
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Se colocanJ un hito en cualquier punto dei areo, 10Imis proximo
al mar posible , doude quede a cubierto de ser destruido pOl"
las aguas dei océano. "
That is precisely what was done. Marker No. 1 was not intended to mark the
start of the agreed boundaly. Nor was it intended to sit on any particular
parallel of latitude. It was intended to mark a point on the arc that constituted
the agreed boundary , that point being chosen on the basis of convenience to
ensure that the close st marker to the shoreline was not washed away by the
sea.
6.45 The actual start of the boundary at the coast was described accordingly in
the Final Act of the Commission of Limits Containing the Description of
Placed Boundary Markers (1930). There it was recorded that:
"The demarcated boundalY hne starts from the Pacific Ocean
at a point on the seashore ten kilometres northwest from the
first bridge over the River Lluta of the Arica-La Paz railway ,
and ends in the Andean mountain range at Boundary Marker V
of the former dividing hne between Chile and Bolivia. "315
314 Atmex 87.
m Final Act of the Commission of Limits Containing the Description of Placed Bowldaly Markers
of 21 July 1930. See Atmex 54. 222
Spanish text read s as follow s:
"La linea de frontera demarcada paite dei océano Pacifico en
un punto en la orilla dei mar situado a diez kil6metro s hacia
el noroeste dei primer puente sobre el rio Llufa de la via ferrea
de Arica a La Paz, y termina en la cordillera andina en el hito
quinto de la antigua linea divisoria entre Chile y Bolivia ."
6.46 Thu s, as noted in Chapter II, the point where the land boundar y meet s the
sea, according to what was agreed between the Partie s in 1929 -1930 and
discussed above, is kno wn as Poînt Concordia , having the co-ordinates
18°21'08" S, 70°22'39" W WGS84. It is [rom this point that the delimitation
of the maritime zones between the Partie s staff s a matter which is addressed
in the following Sections.
v. Constrnction of the Provision al Eqnidistance Line
6.47 As was noted in Section II above, the first step in the delimitation proce ss
carried out in accordance with the "equidi stance/special circumsfances" rule
invol ves the establi shment of a pro visional equidistance hile commencing
from the starting-point of the land boundary.As the Court made clear in its
Judgment in the Qatar-Bahra;n case, the criteria for constructing the provisional
equidistance line are expressed in the followillg fonnula , which may be regarded
as reflectin g customaly international law :
"The equidistance hile is the hIle every point of which is
equidistant from the nearest points on the baselines from which
the breadth of the telTitorial seas of each ofthe two States is
Inea sured ."316
J16 Maritime Delimitation and Territorial Questions between Qatar and Bahrain (Qatar v.
Bahrain), Merits,lldgment, I.CJ Reports ]001, p. 94, para. 177, cited with approval in Land
and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria (Cameroon v. Nigeria: Equatorial
Gllinea inten'ening), I.cReports ]00], p. 442, para. 290. See also the 2007 Award in The
Matter of an Arbitration between: Guyana and Suriname, para. 352, where the Arbitral
Triblmal emploed the same definition of the provisional equidistance line. 223
6.48 These criteria are consistent with the provisions of Article 15 of the 1982
Convention on the Law of the S(!a, which in turn reflects the provisions of
Article 12 of the 1958 Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous
Zone , and fi:om which the "equidistance /special circumstances " rule is derived.
In relevant part , Article 15 provides:
"Where the coasts of two States are opposite or adjacent to
each other, neither of the two States is entitled , failing agreement
between them to the contraly , to extend ifs tenitorial sea beyond
the median hIle every point ofwhich is equidistant [rom the
nearest points on the baselines from which the breadth ofthe
territorial seas of each of the two States is measured. "317
6.49 Given the uncomplicated nature ofthe Parties ' coasts in the vicinity of the
land boundary , and the fact thal their baselines in this area are "normal "
basehnes constituted by the low-water mark along their coasfs , the plotting
of the equidistance hne is a straightforward exercise . The basepoints that
control the course of that hne correspond to the nearest points on the low
water mark of the Palties 'respective coasts from which their maritime zones
are measured.
6.50 Figure 6.6 depicts thequidist anncdta:n~in accordance with the principles
enunciated by the Court togetl wHthrthe control points on each Party 's
coast which dicta te the course of the li 318 The hne starts at the initial
ne
point of the land boundary (Point Concordia) and ends at the hmit of the
Parties ' respective 200-mile maritime entitlements.Ifcan be seen from the
orientation of the hne, and the basepoints used for ifs conshllction , that there
are no distinguishing features on either Party 's coast , and no islands , which
unduly influence , or distort , the course of the hne.
311Altic1e 15, 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea ("Delimitation of the tenitorial sea between
States with opposite or adjacent coasts").
m [n Almex 115, Pem has provided the teclmical basis for the equidistance line together with the
co-ordinates of the turning points on the line using the WGS84 datum, as weil as the tine's
endpoint. 224
6.51 If follow s that, becau se of the relah vely smooth nature of the coasts of the
Partie s, the equidistance line is more or less a straight line that effects an
equal division ofthe maritime spact:s Iying off the Partie s' respective coasts.
As noted ab ove 319 the line produced by the application of the equidistance
method is practicall y the same line that wouId be produced by use of a
bisector method dividing the angle fonned by the Partie s' respective coastal
fronts. This can be seen on Figure 6.7, which shows the result that would be
produ ced by application of the bisector method . The fact that the bisector
method produces viItual1y the same result as the equidistance method is hardly
surprising given the straightforward nature of the coastal geography abuttin g
the delimitation area.
VI. The Absence of Any Special Circnmstances Calling for an
Adjnstment of the Equidistance Line
6.52 Turnin g to the second step in the delimitation proce ss, the question arises
whether there are any special or relevant circumstances which would justify
the shiftin g of the equidistance line one way or another. The starting-point
for this assess ment is the geographical character of the area within which
the delimitation is to take place . As the Court underlined in the Cameroon
Nigeria case:
"The geographical configuration of the maritime areas that the
Court is calied upon to delimît is a given. Ifis not an element
open to modifi cation by the Court but a fact on the basis of
which the Court must effect the delimitation . » 320
6.53 As Peru has previously eXplained321 , the geographi cal configuration of the
Parties' coasts abutting the area to be delimited is uncomplicated . There are
no geogra phical features that skew the course of the equidistance hne .
J19 See para. 6.17 above.
no Land and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria (Cameroon li.Nigeria:
Equatorial Gllinea intervening), Jlldgment, I.CJ. Reports 2002, pp. 443, 445, para. 295.
m See, generally, Chap. II and paras. 6.20-6.28 above. , ! , • •
\ ,
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6.54 In addition , both Parties' coasts maintain their overall orientation and
relationship to each other throughout the relevant area. Pem's coast h"ends
in a north-west direction from tilt: initial point on the land boundalY for well
over 200 miles past a point on the coast calied Punta Pescadores. Chile's
coast also maintains ifs overall ll011h-south orientation down to, and beyond ,
Punta Arenas.
6.55 It cau readily be seen that there is no disparity in the lengths of the Palties'
coasts bordering the relevant area , or other dist0l1ing feahlfes , which might
othelwise cali for an adjustment of the equidistance hue. This situation may be
conh"asted with more complex geographical settings snch as, for example , in
the Gulf o/Maine ,bbya-Malta , and Denmark-Nonvay cases,where the geography
of the area merited an adjustment being made to the equidistance hne.
Here, application of the equidistance method results in an equal division of the
relevant area between coasts of the Parties that are broadly equal and equivalent.
6.56 If was in the hght of this straightforward geographical context that , on 27
August 1980 - sorne 29 years ago - the Head of the Peruvian delegation to
UNCLOS III made a statement indicating that "the median line should as a
general rule be used , as suggested in the second revision , since it was the
most likely method of achieving an equitable solution "322which remains
Peru's position to the present.
6.57 FUltherconfinnation of the absence of any circmllstances calling for the adjustment
of the equidistance line in the present case derives from two additional
considerations. First , the equidistance hne results in an equal division of the
area to be delimited. Second , it respects the change in direction in the Parties'
coasts that occurs very near to the point where the land boundary meets the
sea, and accords to the coast of each Party an equivalent projection into and
under the sea. In other words , the equidistance method produces no undue
"eut-off 'effect or encroachment on the maritime entitlements of the Parties.
322 Declaration of the Head of the Peruvian Ddegation , Ambassador Alfonso Arias Schreiber, at
UNCLOS III, 27 August 1980, para. 164.Annex 107. 230
6.58 The notion that , absent the existence of special circumstances , delimitation
should achieve an equal division of the relevant maritime area finds support
in the Judgment of the Chamber of the Com1 in the Gulf of Ma;ne case where
the Chamber put the proposition in the following way:
"To return to the immediate concems of the Chamber , it is,
accordingly , towards an application to the present case of criteria
more especially derived from geography that it feels bound to
hml. What is here lUlderstood by geography is of course mainly
the geography of coasts , which has primarily a physical aspect ,
to which may be added , in the second place , a political aspect.
Within this framework , it is inevitable that the Chamber's basic
choice should favour a criterion long heId to be as equitable
as it is simple , namely that in principle, while having regard
to the special circumstances of the case , one should aim at an
equal division of areas where the maritime projections of the
coasts of the States between which dehmitation is to be effected
converge and overlap."323
6.59 In the present case, the maritime projections of the coasts ofPeru and Chile
that front the area to bedehmited meet and overlap throughout the area Iying
off the relevant coasts of the Parties on both sides of the tenllinal point of
the land boundary out to a distance of 200 nautical miles. It is apparent , and
will be graphically demonstrated in the next Section deahng with the test of
proportionahty , that an equidistance hne produces an equal division of the
relevant area of overlapping entitlements. Because there are no geographical
circmllstances that dist011the course of the equidistance hne, the equal division
produced by such a hne is clearly equitable.
6.60 Moreover, dehmitation by means of the equidistance method also allocates to
the Parties equal access to the resourcesof the disputed area, a fmiher equitable
criterion. The importance to Peru ofbeillg accorded equal and equitable access
to the marine resources of the area has been discussed in Chapter IP24.
m Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary in the Gulf of Maine Aren, Judgment, 1.CJ. Reports
1984, p. 327, para. 195.
m See paras. 2.25-2.3l above. 231
6.61 Related to the concept of the equal division of overlappillg maritime entitlements
is the principle of non-encroaclunent , otherwise referred to as the need to
avoid a "eut-off' effect on the natural prolongation or projection of either
Party's coast iuto and uuder the sea.
6.62 By ifs very nature, maritime delimitation between States with opposite or
adjacent coasts enta ils scme degree of amputation , or curtailment, of the
legal entitlements that a coastal State wou Id otherwise enjoy if there was no
neighbouring State bordering the saille area. As eXplained by the Arbih "ation
Tribunal in the Guinea-Gldnea-Bissau Maritime DelimUafion case:
"Between two adjacent countries , whatever method of
delimitation is chosen , the likelihood is that both will lose
certain maritime areas which are unquestionably situated
opposite and in the vicinity oftheir coasts. This is the cut-off
effect. "32s
6.63 Nonetheless , the Court has mad(! it clear that the process of effectuating a
delimitation between two States in accordance with equitable principles
carries with it the requirement that the delimitation line should avoid cutting
off as far as possible, or encroaching unduly , on areas lying off one State 's
coast to the detriment ofthat State.
6.64 The principle ofnon-encroachment finds expression in the Court 's Judgment
in the North Sea cases where the Comt indicated, inter alia , that delimitation
is to be carried out in accordance with equitable princip les "in such a way
as to leave as much as possible to each Party ail those paits of the continental
shelf that constitute a nahlfal prolongation of its land territory into and under
the sea, without encroachment on the natural prolongation of the land tenitOly
of the other "326.
m GlIinea-GlIinea-Bissall Maritime Delimitation, 77 I.L.R. 636, af p. 681, para. 103.
326 North Sea Continental ShelfCa ses, J/ldgment, I.c.J. Reports 1969, p. 53, para. 1O(1). 232
6.65 In the present case, application of the equidistance method does not produce
any cut-off effect or encroaclunent on the maritime rights of either Party
because of the nahlfe of the Parties >coasts abutting the area to be delimited.
It is, indeed , the very absence of any special geographical circumstances
which renders the application of equidistance equitable in this case. As Professor
Weil observed in his seminal work on The Law of Mar;Nme Delimuarion
- Rej7echons:
"When maritime areas to which two States have title overlap ,
the equidistance method allows each of them to exercise
sovereign Iights up to a certain distance fi:omits coasts wherever
these rights come up against the equivalent rights of the other
State. At the saille time the princip le of non-encroachment is
safeguarded since, except in a few special situations which
then require corrections, equidistance allows the boundary to
be fixed at the maximwn distance from both States and so avoids
any excessive amputation of their maritime projections."327
6.66 In contrast , what would produce a dramatic cut-off effect , or encroadunent ,
on Petu 's maritime entitlements would be a delimitation hne drawn , not
equidistant from the Parties' coasts., but rather along the parallel oflatitude
extending from the tenninal point on the land boundary. Yet this is precisely
the delimitation line that Chile has previously espoused. As can be seen
from Figure 6.8, a hne drawn acco:rding to Chile's position would he much
doser to Petu's coast than to that of Chile. Figure 6.8 shows , at various
places along the coast, how a delimitation hne following the parallel of
latitude seaward from the initial point on the land boundary would severely
and inequitably encroach on Peru 'smaritime entitlements. Such a hne dearly
contravenes the non-encroachmenl: principle , produces a radical cut-off of
the maritime rights generated by the projection of Peru 's coastal front, and
in no way achieves the primaly goal of achieving an equitable result.
m Weil, Prosper: The Law of Maritime Delimitation - Reflectioll s. Cambridge, Grotius, 1989,
p.60. INEQUITABLE CUTOFF EFFECTCAUSED BALANCED CUTOFF EFFECT
BY CHILE'S DELIMITATION POSITION OF PERU'S DELIMITATION CLAIM
"':::r.:" ~:.:::::-
_ .... ._--_ . .
PERU .. . PERU ---
..-.,..~..-...-.-...."'''.'- "'.._..._......_..._.-.." ."..._
....- _a~
1 1
1
PACIFIC CH 1LE PACIFIC
OCEAN OCEAN
Figure 6.8 235
6.67 For example , just north ofthe land boundary starting-point , Petu would be
limited to a projection perpendicular to its coast of just 17 miles while
Chile would receive a full 200-·mile projection perpendicular to ifs own
coast. At the city of 110, Pem 's projection would be just 48 .2 miles while
Chile would continue to receive a 200-mile projection off ifs coast in the
vicinity of Pisagua . In conti"ast, a:scau be seen on Figure 6.8,if an equitable
boundary based on the equidistance method is posited , as Petu has shown to
be appropriate , each Party would enjoy maritime projections off the varions
points along their coasts of equivalent, and equitable, length .
6.68 For ail of these reasons , there are no special circumstances justifying an
adjustment of the provisional equidistance hne . Just as in the Cameroon
N;geha, Qatar-Bahra;n and Guyana-Sur;name cases the equidistance hne
in and of itself achieved an equîtable result , so also does it do so here .
VII. The Equidistance Line Satisfies the Test of
Proportionality
6.69 In this Section , Petu will apply the proportionality test to its claim - the
equidistance hne - and show that an equidistance boundary fully satisfies
that test in accordance with the application of equitable pIinciples. In conh·ast,
as will also be seen , a dehmitation hne which would follow the parallel of
latihlde extending from the initial point on the land boundalY would produce
a wholly disproportionate , and hence inequitable , result.
6.70 In discussing the role ofproportionality in this case , Petu is mindful ofthe
fact that proportionality , in tenus of a mathematical ratio between coastal
lengths and maritime areas appertaining to those coasts , is not a method of
dehmitation in and of itself. As the Chamber of the Court stated in the Gulf
of Ma;ne case:
"The Chamber's views on t-his subject may be summed up by
observing that a maritime delimitation can certainly not be
established by a direct division of the area in dispute proportional 236
to the respective lengths of the coasts belonging to the partie s
in the releva nt area"32S.
6.71 Rather , propOltionalit y provide s an ex post facto test of the equitable nature
of a delimitation hile arrived at by other means - namel y, by application of
the principle s and rules of maritime delimitation to the facts of the case. To
quote the relevant passage from the Court's Judgment in the Libya-M alta
case on the role of proportionalit y:
" If has been emphasized that this latter operation is to be
emplo yed solely as a verification of the equitableness of the
result arrived al by other mean s."329
In contrasting the role that a marked difference in coastallengths cau play as
a rele vant circumstance, on the one hand , and the element of propOltionalit y
as an a posteriori test, on the othe:r, the Court added that -
"the test of a rea sonable deg ree of proportionahty ... is one
which can be applied to check the equitablene ss of any hne ,
whatever the method used to arri ve at that hne ."HO
6.72 In the pre sent case , Petu has shown in Section III above that the Partie s
possess equivalent coastal fronts extending on both sides of the land bOlmdaly.
Regardles s ofhow those coasts are mea sured, there is no disprop0l1ion between
the lengths of the respective coasts of Petu and Chi le that abut the area to be
delimited . Coastallengths , therefore , do not constitute a relevant circumstance
caUing for any adjushnent to be made to the equidistance hne . In addition , due
to the sh·aightfor ward configuration of the Partie s' coasts fronting the area to
be dehmited and the absence of tbird States in the region, the element of
proportionaht y can readil y be employed on an ex post facto basis to test the
equitablene ss of the equidi stance hue within the rele vant dehmitation area.
m Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary in the Gulf of Maine Aren, Judgment, 1.CJ. Reports
1984, p.323, para.185.
m Continental Shelf(Libyan Arab Jnmahiriya/Malta), Judgment, 1.c.J. Rep1985,p. 49,para.66.
B O Ibid. 237
6.73 Figure 6.9 shows the results of applying the proportionality test to Pem's
delimitation hile constructed on the basis of the equidistance method within
the relevant area. The relevant area , it will be recalled , was identified earlier
in this chapter as comprising the area of overlapping maritime entitlements
appertaining to the Parties within 200 nautical miles of the initial point of
their land boundary.
6.74 It cau be seen that the equidistance line results in scme 84,782 square kilometres
of maritime area appertaining to Peru, and some 80,143 square kilometres
to Chile , or a ratio of 51.4% to 48.6%. Quite clearly , there is no dispropOltion
at ail produced by application of the equidistance method in this situation.
As noted earlier, the equidistance hne can also be seen to pro duce an equal
division of the area of overlapping entitlements. The proportionahty test
confirms this fact , and demonstrates that the equidistance hne is entirely
equitable.
6.75 What is striking , on the other hand, is the result that wou Id be produced by
adopting the parallel of latitude advocated by Chile as the maritime boundary.
Figure 6.10 iIlustrates how such a hne produces a radicaIly disproportionate
result: 118,467 square kilometres , or some 71.8% of the area would faIl to
Chile, while ouly 46,458 square kilometres, or 28.2% of the area, would
appertain to Pem. Given the similarity of the Parties' coasts bordering the
relevant area, such a result clearly fails the proportionality test and is
inequitable in the extreme.
VIII. Conclusions
6.76 Based on the previous discussion , Peru presents the foIlowing conclusions
with respect to the application of the principles and mies of maritime
delimitation to the facts of the case.
(a) The overaIl aim of maritime delimitation is to achieve an equitable
result . 238
(b) The applicable princip les and rlldes of delimitation find their expression
in the "equitable principleslrelevant circumstances" mie which is similar
to the "equidistance /special circumsfances" mie.
(c) The relevant coasts of the Parties and the relevant area within which the
delimitation is to be effectuated are circumscribed by the coasts of each
Party lying within 200 nauticalmîles of the initial point on the land bOlUldary.
(d) The starting-point for the delimitation is Point Concordia identified and
established pursuant to the 1929 Treaty of Lima and the subsequent
agreement of the Parties in 1930 on the Treaty's implementation.
(e) The provisional equidistance hIle is a hue drawn from the nearest points
on the baselines on the Parties' coasts from which the outer limit of their
maritime zones is measured. The construction of such a hne in this case
is a straightforward exercise.
(j) There are no special circumstances calhng for an adjustment of the
provisional equidistance hne which therefore represents an equitable
maritime dehmitation.
(g) The equitable character of a ddimitation carried out by application of
the equidistance method is confinned by the fact that the resulting hne
effects an equal division of the Palties' overlapping maIitime entitlements
and does not result in any undue encroaclunent on the projections of the
Parties' respective coasts or any cut-off effect.
(h) Application of the element of proportionality as an ex post facto test
confinns the equitable nature of the equidistance hne.
(i) In contrast, a boundary line drawn along the parallel of latihlde extending
from the initial point on the land boundary does not satisfy the test of
proportionality , and produces a line that cuts-off , and seriously encroaches
upon , Peru's maritime rights. ..
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OU
'" - ! CHAPTER VII
PERU'S MARITIME ENTITLEMENTS
OFF ITS SOUTHERN COAST
THE 'OUTEIIl TRIANGLE'
1. Introdnction
7.1 As will be apparent [rom Chapter III above, Peru is entitled to a maritime
domain up to a distance of 200 nautical miles "[rom the baselines [rom which
the breadth of the territorial sea imeasured. "331 Although, as a matter of
princip le, Chile has recognised the right of ail States - and especially Peru
- to claim such a jurisdictional zone 33, it neverthelessdenies the rights of
Peru over an area offits southern coasts and lying within 200 nautical miles
ofPeru's baselines but more than 200 nautical miles from Chile's own coasts.
This denial was made with palticular clarity in the Statement of the Chilean
Government of 12 September 2007 , by which it expressed its disagreement
with the Pemvian Supreme Decree No. 047-2007-RE of Il August 2007
approving the Chart of the Outer Limit - Southern Sector - of the Maritime
Domain of Peru and with the attached mapm and protested against the alleged
"intent " ofthese inshumenfs "to attribute to Peru a maritime area , which is
fully subject to the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Chile , as weIl as an
adjacent area of the High Seas:>334
33\Alticle 57 ("Breadth of the exclusive economic zone"), 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea;
see also Article 76, para. 1 ("Definition of the continental shelf ').
332See paras. 3.24-3.36 above.
3H See para. 3.18 and Figure 2.4 above.
334Statement by Chile received by the Secretariat of the United Nations on 12 September 2007.
Almex 114. 244
7.2 Thi s maritime zone over which Chile has no right whatsoever , and which
entirely falls under the exclusive jurisdictionof Pern , constitutes what will
be called hereinafter "the outer trian gle".
7.3 If one were to follow Chile's argument as under stoo d by Pern at this stage ,
the maritime border between the Partie s would follow the 18°21'00" S
Hs
WGS84 parallel up to a distance of 200 nautical mile s from the coast.
The hne would thu s stop at point X as depicted on Figure 7.1 , where the
hmit claimed by Chile is repre sellted by the red hne D-X (D being the
point of departure from the coast - see Chapter VI). Point X is the extreme
point beyond which Chile cannot daim any sove reign rights. Howe ver, as
also shown on Figure 7.1 , point X is situated only 120.5 nautical mile s
from the clo sest point ofthe Pern vian basehne. As a result , independentl y
of the general argument set out in the pre vious chapter of thi s Memorial ,
Pern 's rights over the area represelltedby the dark blue triangle X-Y-Z on
Figure 7.1 are clearly ind putabl und~er the most basic princip les of the
Law of the Sea.
m The maritime boundary claimed by Chile is a rhumb line (or a small circle) as opposed to a
geodesic (or great c1e). By definition, a great circle is fonned by a plane that passes through
the center of the Ealth and a small circ1eis fonned by any plane that passes through the Earth but
does not pass through the Earth's centre. A rhumb line is also characterized as a line of constant
compass direction, whereas most geodesics are not Chile's maritimel line plotted on a
map (based on WGS84 datum) would have a starting-point of 18 degrees 21 minutes 00.43
seconds South latitude - 70 degrees 22 minutes 34.72 seconds West longihlde and a directional
bearingof North 270 degrees East. TIlese two parameters, the starting-point claimed by Chile and
the directional bearing, derme a rhumb linul due west along the latitude of 18 degrees 21
minutes 00.43 seconds South.~~---- ' ---- '---'il-r--r--- ------ ~lj[
~~...r-
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7.4 In effect , as has been recalled in Chapter IV above , the modern Law of the
Sea grants to ail coastal States a maritime domain which extends to a distance
of 200 nautical miles [rom its coasts Of ,more precisely , from ifs baselines.
This fundamental princip le - in the establishment of which both Chile and
Pem have played an essential role 3J6- is now embodied in the 1982 Convention
on the Law of the Sea and , in particular , in Articles 57 and 76 (1), which
must be quoted again:
"Article 57
Breadth of the exclu sive economic zone
The exclusive economic zone shaHnot exfend beyond 200 nautical
miles [rom the baselines from which the breadth of the tenitOlial
sea is measured.
Article 76
Defin;t;on of the continental shelf
1. The continental shelf of a coasfal State comprises the seabed
and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its
territorial sea throughout the natural prolongation of its land
territory to the outer edge of the continental margin , or to a
distance of 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which
the breadth of the territorial sea is measured where the outer
edge ofthe continental marglll does not extend up to that distance."
7.5 As a consequence , in cases such as the present , where the outer edge of the
continental shelf in its geomorphological sense does not extend beyond 200
nautical miles fi:omthe baselines , this distance constihltes the maximmll extent
of the maritime domain of the coastal States. Beyond that area lies the high
seas as is unambiguously recalled by Article 86 of the 1982 Convention on
the Law of the Sea:
"The provisions of this Pa:rt [VII , "High Seas "] apply to ail
parts of the sea that are not included in the exclusive economic
zone , in the territorial sea or in the internai waters of aState ,
or in the archipelagic waters of an archipelagic State ."
336 See Chap. IV, Sec. II above. 248
7.6 The combination of these principles leads to two main obvions
conclusions:
F;rsf ,the Peruvian maritime domain exfends up to 200 nautical miles
from its baselines ; and
Second , for its pal1,the Chilean maritime domain cannot extend any further
than to a distance of 200 nauti-cal miles from Chile's own baselines.
If one looks at Figure 7.1 it will be apparent that , quite independently of the
laferal delimitation between the res.pective maritime domains of the Parties
up to the distance of 200 miles from the Chilean coasts , there exists off
Peru's Southem coast a maritime area fonning a "h"iangle " over which Chile
has no rights and over which Peru possesses exclusive and inherent sovereign
rights. This is the 'outer triangle '.
7.7 However , this unambiguous sihlation has not prevented Chile from disputing
Petu 's rights over this area that Chile now describes as its "Presential
Sea" ("Mar Presenc;al") and over which it itself purports to have preferential
rights. As will be shown in the present chapter , such a claim is entirely
incompatible with Peru's exclusive sovereign rights over the are a in
question .
II. The Chilean Claim"d Rights in the Area
7.8 By fabricating the novel concept of "Presential Sea" , Chile introduced into
the already long list of maritime areas subject to specifie legal regimes a
new concept which , in its geographical extent as defined by Chile , is, in the
present case , clearly incompatible with the exclusive sovereign rights
appertaining to Peru .
7.9 This new concept seems to have appeared in the Chilean official vocabulary
in the early 1990s. On 4 May 1990 , Admirai Jorge Martinez Busch ,
Commander in Chief of the Chilean Navy , defined it as a part of the high 249
seas appertaining to the Chi lean "ocea nic territory " (ferrirorio oceimico)337.
According to Admirai Martinez Busch , this concept emphasizes-
"the need 'to be present in these high seas , observing and
participating in the saille activities as those calTied out in them
by other States' and , working within the legal statns of the
high seas established by the United Nations Convention on the
Law of the Sea , those activities constituting for the Chilean
State a means of safeguarding national illterests and counteracting
direct or indirect threats to its development and , therefore , to
its security."338
Spanish text reads as follows:
"la necesidad de 'estar en esta alta mar , ob servando y
participando en las mismas actividades que en ella desarrollan
otros Estados ' y que , actuando dentro dei estatus juridico de
la alta mar establecido pOl"la Convenci6n sobre el Derecho
dei Mar de las Naciones Unidas , constituyan para el Estado
de Chile una forma de cau telar los intereses nacionales y de
contrarrestar amenazas directas 0 indirectas a su desarrollo
y, por 10 tanto , a su seguridad."
7.10 Although in 1992 the Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs presented the concept
of the Presential Sea as an "ac ademic thesis "339,that concept had already
m Martmez Busch, Jorge: "Ocupaci6n efectiva de nuestro mar, la gran tarea de esta generaci6n".
(Revista de Marina No. 3, 1990, p. 242).
m Ibid.
339 "Discurso dei sefior Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Chile, don Enrique Silva Cimma, con
motivo de celebrarse cuarenta anos de D<~clara dciS6ntiago, sobre zona maritima de las
200 millas marinas". Typed document, Santiago , 18 August 1992, p. 15, quoted by Agüero
Colunga, Marisol, op. cit., p. 328. For the literahrre on the "Presential Sea", see e.g.: Joyner C.
and de Cola P.: "Chile's Presential Sea Proposai: Implications for Straddling Stocks and the
International Law of Fisheries". (Ocean Del'elopment and International Lmv, Vol. 24, 1993, pp.
99-121); Orrego VÎcuîia, E: "The 'Presential Sea': Defining Coastal States Special Interests in
High Seas Fisheries and Other Activities". (German Yearbook of International Law, Vol. 35,
1993, pp. 264-292); Clingan, ThomaA., Jr.: "Mar Presencial (the Presential Sea): DéjàVu Ali
Over Again? - A Response to Francisco Orrego VÎcufia". (Ocean Development and Intemational
Law, Vol.24, 1993, pp. 93-97); Dalton, J.G: "TIleChilean Mar Presencial: A Hannless Concept or
a Dangerous Precedent?". (Journal of Marine and Coastal Law, Vol.8, No. 3, 1993,pp. 397-418). 250
been fonnally sanctioned by the Chilean Law No. 19.080 of28 August 1991
amending the General Fishing and Aquaculture Law No . 18.892 of 22
December 1989 , according to whieh:
"Presential Sea: Is that portion of the high seas , existing for
the intemational comlllunity , between the limit of our continental
exclusive economic zone and the meridian which , crossing
through the western border of the continental shelf of Easter
Island , exfends from the parallel of Boundary Marker No. 1 of
the international border hue separating Chile and Peru , to the
South Pole .»340
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Ma r presencial: Es aquella parte de la alta mar, existente
para la comunidad intemacional enh"e el limite de nuestra zona
economica exclusiva continental y el meridiano que, pasando
por el borde occidental de la platafonna continental de la Isla
de Pascua , se prolonga desd t:p~aralelo dei hito N° 1 de la
linea fronteriza internacional que separa Chile y Peril , hasta
el Polo Sur."
Thus , the area in question is not merely a political daim made by the Chilean
Navy but a statutory reality fonnally endorsed by the Chilean State.
7.11 In Chile's Defence WhUe Book edited in 2002 , the Presential Sea is also
defined as -
"the ocean space comprised between the border of our
Exclusive Economic Zone and the meridian that going through
the western [edgeP41 of the continental shelfofEaster Island
,40 Law No. 19.080 of 28 August 1991,Art.ICa).Allnex 38; Decree No.430/91 of 28 Septelllber
1991, estab1ishingthe Consolidated, Co-ordillated and SystelllatisedText of Law No. 18.892 of
1989 and its Amendlllents, General Law on Fishing and Aquaculture , Art. 2 (2<http ://
www.directemar.cVreglalllar/publica-es/tm/tm-066.pdC>accessed 27 November 2008; see also
Arts. 43,124 or 172.In the same sense, see Suprellle Decree No. 598 of 15 October 1999.
Allllex1.
,41 This word is mistakenly omitted in Chile's Dejence White Book. 251
stretches out [rom the parallel of BoundalY Marker No. 1 up
to the South Pole. This concept expresses the wish of Chile to
have a presence in this area of high seas for the purpose of
projecting maritime inferests with respect to the rest of the
international community , monitoring the environment and
preserving marine resourct!S , with unresfricted adherence to
International Law"342.
Spanish text reads as follows:
El espacio oceanico comprendido entre el limite de nuestra
Zona Economica Exclusiva y el meridiano que, pasando por
el [borde] occidental de la platafonna continental de la Isla
de Pascua, se prolonga desde el paralelo deI hito fronferizo
N° 1 hasfa el Polo Sur. Estl c~ncepto expresa la voluntad de
ejercer presencia en esta area de la alta mar con el proposito
de proyectar intereses ma.ritimos respecto dei resto de la
comunidad intemacional, vigilar el medio ambiente y conservar
los recursos marinos, con irrestricto apego al Derecho
lntemacional.
7.12 It may be noted that the Chilean Navy website includes a map illush·ating the
extent of the Presential Sea (20 million square kilometres) along with other
areas. That map is reproduced as Figure 7.2 343.
342 Libro de la Defensa Naeional de Chile 2002, Part 1,Point 2.2, p. 32. Aunex 111.
34, Vision Oeéano Palitiea on the webpage of the Chilean Navy - <http ://www.armada .cl/
p4_annada_aetual/site/artie/20050404/pags/20050404130814.html > aecessed 10 Deeember
2008. 252
7.13 The General Fishing and Aquaculture Law as amended refers to concrete
activities which Chile purports to regulate and control within the "Presential
Sea". They include prohibitions , such as closed seasons and capture quotas
(Article 3), prohibition of specifie types of rigs (Article 5); orders and
management plans, snch as determination of sizes and weights (Article 4),
unloading percentage (Article 3); sanctions (Article 2, paragraph 47), provisions
on security (the Navy must keep a record of activities in the Presential Sea)
(Article 172) and the right to colle et registration fees (Article 43). And , in
accordance with Article 124:
"Proceedings for violations of this Law must be brought before
civil courts with jurisdiction in the districts where those
violations occurred or where they first began.
Had violations occurred or begun in internai waters , the
territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone or the presential
sea or in the case of Article 110 h), in the high seas; civil
courts of the cities of Arica , Iquique , Tocopilla , Antofagasta ,
Chafiaral , Caldera , Coquimbo , Valparaiso , San Antonio ,
Pichilemu , Constitucion , Talcalmano , Temuco, Valdivia, Puerto
Montt , Castro , Puerto Aysén, Punta Arenas or Easter Island
shall have jurisdiction over those violations. "344
Spanish text reads as follows:
"El conocimiento de los procesos por infracciones de la presente
ley correspondera a los jueces civiles con jurisdiccion en las
comunas donde ellas se hubieren cometido 0 donde hubiesen
tenido principio de ejecucion.
Si la infraccion se cometiere () tuviere principio de ejecucion
en aguas interiores marinas , el mar territorial , en la zona
economica exclusiva , 0 en el mar presencial 0 en la alta mar
l44 Decree No. 430/91 of 28 September 1991, establishing the COllsolidated, Co-ordinated and
Systematised Textf Law No. 18.892 of 1989 and ils Amendments, General Law on Fishing and
Aquaculture,Art. 124 <http://www.directemar.cl/reglamar/publica-es/tm/tm-066.pdC>accessed
27 November 2008. 253
MARITIMEAREAS THATPERTAINTO CHILE
ACCORDING TO THECHILEAN NAVY
Map published on the Chilean Navy web site at
www.annada.cllp4 _armada _actuallsitelarticJ20050404lpagsI20050404130814.html
.. _..- ......
•
1.&nFelix (
1.San Atl\bros,-
• •
C1il ~e
•
L AVI SIODELA ARM A DA
•
• 20 Millonesrde km2a~fi.l_l~iicd
Mar .sencial .""~O
Zona Econ6mica km2 ••, Chile
Exclusiva J,Fema~e~elago
4,6 Milionesde km2
756km20itorial
Figure 7.2 255
en el casa de la letra h) dei articulo 110, sera competente el
juez civil de las ciudades de Arica , Iquique , Tocopilla ,
Antofagasta , Chafiaral , Caldera , Coquimbo , Valparaiso , San
Antonio , Pichilemu , Constihlcion , Talcahuano ,Temuco,Valdivia,
Puelto Montt , Cash"o, Puerto Aysén, Punta Arenas , 0 el de Isla
de Pascua ."
7.14 Chile has also extended to ifs "Presential Sea" the application of ifs Laws
No. 18.302 of Nuclear Security of 16 April 1984, as modified on 1 Ocfober
2002 345,and No. 19.300 of 1 MareIl 1994 on the Environment 34.
7.15 Although the se laws assert that these practices shaH be carried out without
prejudice to intemational agreements , the fact is that the main inshument
regulating the matter -the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea which
reflects general international law on this point - does not provide for any
intennediary zone between the high seas and the EEZs or continental shelves
of coastal States and clearly excludes jurisdictional and sovereign regulations
of this nature in the exclusive maritime zone of another countly.
m See Art.4 of Law No. 18.302of 16April 1984, Law of Nuclear Security, as amended:" .. for the
entry or transit of nuclear substances or radioactive materials across the national territory, the
exclusive economic zone, the presentiol seo and the national airspace" (emphasis added). Annex
35. (Spanish text: "... para el ingreso 0 transito por el territorio nacional, zona economica
exclusiva, mar presencial y espacio aéreo nacional de sustancias nucleare s 0 materiale s
radiactivos");Art. 54: "Besides, to the effect of this law, an camers of nuclear substances or
radioactive materials that use Chile's national airspace, territorial sea, presentiol seo and
exclusive economic zone shan be considered as operators" (emphasis added). (Spanish text:
"Ademas, sent considerado como explotador, para efectos de esta ley, todo transportista de
sustancias nuc1eares 0 de materiales radiactivos que utilice el espacio aéreonacional, el mar
territorial,lmar presencial y la zona economica exc1usiva chilena").
346 See Art. 33 of Law No. 19.300of 1 March 1994, General Environmental Law: "TIle competent
State agencies shall develop programmes to measure and control the enviromnentalquality of air,
water and soil so as to ensure fidl respect t4)rthe right to live in a pollution-free environment.
These programmes shan be regionalized. lRegarding the Exclusive Economic Zone and the
Presentinl Sen on Chile, the antecedents on these subjects will be compiled (emphasis added)."
Annex 39. (Spanish text: "Los organismos competentes dei Estado desalTollaranprogramas de
medicion y control de la calidad ambiental dei aire, agua y suelo para los efectos de velar por el
derecho a vivir en un medio ambiente libre de contaminacion. Estos programa s seran
regionalizados. Respecto de la Zona Econ6mica Exc1usiva y dei Mar Presencial de Chile se
compilanill los alltecedelltes sobre estas materias."). 256
7.16 The Chilean legi slation makes clear that Chile unilaterally claims a right to
"extend its jurisdiction within a certain range beyond the EEZ to proteet and
conserve maritime resources, illcluding straddling and migratOly fish stockS"347
and to ellforce ifs regulations in this area.
7.17 As might have been expected , the Chilean claim provoked protests from
other States , notably from the European Communities , and , in particular,
from Spain.
7.18 As nofed by the European Commission , the Chilean claim-
"provides for a peculiar and insofar isolated interpretation of
the concept of Exclusive Economie Zone as described in the
LOSC.
While the main emphasis of Mar Presencial is resource
conservation and managed resource exploitation, it amounts
in fact largely to the exclusion of non-Chilean fishing fleets
from the area. Moreover it breaks the delicate balance struck
between the coastal states and the high sea fishing nations when
the LOSC was adopted"348.
7.19 For their part , the Spanish authorities pointed out that the promulgation of
these regulations was a Chilean unilateral act embedded within the expansionist
context of the "Presential Sea" concept 34.
,47 European Commission, Report to the Trade Barriers Regulation Committee, "TBR proceedings
conceming Chilean practices affecting transit of swordfish in ChilP0l1S",MardI 1999, p. 35
<http ://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib /docs /2004 /october /tradoc _112193 .pdf> accessed 28
November 2008.
,48 Ibid., pp. 35, 38.
,49 Report presented by Chile'sNational Section in the First Session of the 1 Ordinary Assembly of
the Penllanent Commission for the South Pacifie held in Guayaquil, Ecuador on 23-24 July 2002
<http://www.cpps-int.org/spanish/asambleas/iasamblea/primerasesion/Contr…
%20poro/o20el%20pez%20espada.pdt> accessed 5 December 2008. 257
7.20 Itis notPeru's intention to offer general views as to the lawfulness ofChilean
daims to a "Presential Sea" or tht! compatibility ofthis very unusual concept
with the modern Law of the Sea, either customary or as embodied in the
1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea. For present purposes , suffice it to
note that even though the area is prudentl y described as a "portion of the
high seas" in several Chilean re:gulations , it is clear that this unilaterall y
defmed zone encroaches upon Peru 'sexclusive maritime zone and is therefore
clearly incompatible with Peru 's sovereign rights up to a distance of 200
nautical miles [rom its baselines.
III. The Chilean Claim Is Incompatible with Peru's Exclusive
Sovereign Rights Up to :aDistance of 200 Nantieal
Miles Off Its Sonthern Coast
7.21 The definition of the geographie .al extent of the "Mar Presencial " claimed
by Chile in these various inshuments is highly revealing of Chile's intent to
use this concept as a means of depriving Peru of its sovereign rights over
this area.
A. CHILE'S CLAIMED " PRE SENTIALSEA" ENCROA CHE S VPON PER V'S
MARITIME DOMA IN
7.22 As mentioned above 35, the Chilean "Presential Sea" would be situated-
"between the limit of [Chile 's] continental exclusive economic
zone and the meridian whîch, crossing through the western
border of the continental shelf of Easter Island , extends from
the parallel of Boundary Marker No. 1 of the ;nternat;onal
border hne separahng Ch;Je and Peru , to the South Pole
(emphasis added)."35!
350 See para. 7.10 above.
m Law No. 19.080 of 28 August 1991. Annex 38. 258
Spanish text reads as follows:
"entre el limite de nuest:razona economica exclusiva continental
y el meridiano que , pasando pOl" el borde occidental de la
platafonna continental de la Isla de Pascua , se prolonga desde
el paralelo deI hito N° 1 de la linea fronferiza internacional
que separa Chile y Peru , hasta el Polo Sur ".
This description substituted the original definition ofthis concept , as it was
presented by Admirai Jorge Mal1inez Busch, according to which the "Presential
Sea" would lie -
"between the limit of[Chile 's] continental exclusive economic
zone and the meridian which , crossing through the western
border of the continental shelfofEaster Island ,extendsfrom
the paraI/el of Arica (marker 1) to the South Pole ." (Emphasis
added) 352 .
Spanish text reads as follows:
"entre el limite de nuest:razona economica exclusiva continental
y el meridiano que pasando por el borde occidental de la
platafonna continental de la isla de Pascua se prolonga desde
el paralelo de Arica (hito 1) hasta el Polo Sur."
The nuance might seem limited ; it is nevertheless significant of the will of
Chile to: (a) reaffmn the existence of a limit between both countries constihlted
by the parallel and (b) assert its own rights beyond this erroneously allegedly
agreed limit.
Hl Martinez Busch, Jorge, loccit. 259
7.23 This extension of the "Presential Sea" has been confinned on one official
map issued by the Chilean Hydrographie Office in 1992, which is reproduced
as Figure 7.3 and in the 2005 National Atlas ofChile 353.As will be apparent ,
the area thus defined and illush"ated includes a maritime area which exfends
beyond the limit of200 nauticalmiles from the Chilean baselines , thus depIiving
Petu of part of ifs legal continental shelf and of its rights to an EEZ in an
area which lies within 200 miles of Peru's coast but more than 200 miles
[rom the coast ofany other State. IfChile's daim were to be accepted , Petu
would be deprived of ifs legitimate sovereign and exclusive rights in the
area in question , which fonns a triangle of 8,257 square nautical miles (28,356
square kilometres) pa11icularly rich in halieutic resources.
7.24 Consequently , Peru would be doubly penalized:
(a) as a consequence of the argument of the parallel , Chile would obtain
sovereign rights over the area extending up to 200 nautical miles from
its coasts ail along its littora l, while , for ifs part , Pem would be able to
exercise the sovereign rights to which it is entitled , only starting 370
kilometres N011hof the border with Chile - that is N011hof the depal1ment
of Arequipa ; more precisely, as shown on Figure 6.8, it would enjoy
sovereign Iights extending only to 1.2 nauticalmiles at Santa Rosa (Tacna),
17 nautical miles at Vila Vila (Tacna), 25.4 nautical miles at Punta Sama
(Tacna), 48.2 nautical miles at Punta Coles (Moquegua) , 100 nautical
miles at Punta Islay (Arequipa) and 120 nautical miles at Camana
(Arequipa); and,
(b) at the same time, Pem's maritime domain would also be deprived ofan
area of more than 28,000 square kilometres - the outer triangle -
approximately equivalent to the area of countries such as Albania or
Equatorial Guinea.
m See also Figlll"7.4 in Vol. IV. 260
B. THE Ipso FACTO SOVEREIGN RIGHT S OF PER U IN THE AREA
7.25 As recalled in some detail in Chapter III above , a maritime zone lying less
than 200 nautical miles from the coasts of the coastal State fonns ipso/acto
part of the maritime domain of the latter. As a consequence , in the present
case this means that the triangle X-Y-Z on Figure 7.1, which represents an
area lying within 200 nautical miles [rom Peru's baselines as defined by
Pem's Baselines Law 3\ is an area over which Pem is entitled to exercise
its exclusive sovereign rights. Since , by virtue of the customary mie codified
in Article 76 of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea , a coasfal State
is entitled in ail cases and as a minimum to a continental shelfup to a limit
of 200 nautical miles from its baselines even where the outer edge of the
continental margin does not extend up to that distance , the area within the
triangle thus constitutes an integral palt ofPem's continental shelf.
7.26 The legal unacceptability of Chile's apparent position is further underlined
by considerations of principle relating to the very nature of the continental
shelf appertaining to a State. The continental shelf is the nahu·al prolongation
of the coastal State's land territ01y -- a notion developed by the lntemational
Court of Justice 355and reflected in Article 76, paragraph 1, of the 1982
Convention on the Law of the Sea. A mere glance at Figure 2.1 shows that
Pem's coastal frontage faces roughly southwest for practically ail of its
length , and it is a prolongation of the landmass lying behind that coast - or
projection of that coast seaward - in that general southwest direction which
is initially and in principle called f01· 356. Chile's coastal frontage , on the
other hand, runs approximately north-south and faces approximately due west ,
and it is a prolongation in that general direction which is called for in Chile's
case.
j~ Anllex 23.
m See para. 3.9 above.
>56 See paras. 2.2.-2.4 above. "
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7.27 However, in the absence ofa significant continental margin in the area relevant
357
to this case , the Chilean d aim cannot extend more than 200 nautical mile s
[rom ifs base lines, as is cle arly expresse d in Article 76, par agraph 1, of the
3S8
1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea and, consequ ently, it cau have no
overlappillg d aim to acontinent al shelfb eyond the line X-Z drawn on Figure
359
7.1 .And , as far as the EEZ is cOllcerned, it follows clearly fro m the limpid
draftin g of Articl e 57 of the Conventi on, that snch a zone "shaHnot exfend
beyond 200 nautical mile s from the baselines from which the breadth of the
territ orial sea is measured".
7.28 In other words, since the geomorph ological composition of the sea-bed and
subsoil in the area is snch that Chile cannot claim a continental shelf includin g
areas Iying more than 200 nautical mile s from its baselin es und er Article 76
of the 1982 Convention on the Law ofth e Sea, Chile cannot claim any rights
competing with those o fP em over the outer niangle -let alone can it unilaterally
procl aim "presential rights" infrin ging the exclusive rights belonging to Pern
in the area.
7.2 9 Moreover, in the present case Chîle can invoke no agreement given by Pern,
nor any fo rmai relinqui sillnent of Pem 's soverei gn rights, nor Pem vian
acquie scence in the so-called "pre senti al rights" claimed by Chile, which
would infringe on its own sovereigl1and exclusive rights- such a relinquishment
or acquie scence cannot , mor eover, be presumed lightly360.On the contrar y,
Pem 's ;pso facto and exclu sive rights over the area are confinned by a
numb er of element 361s
m See para. 3.7 above. See also Figure 7.5.
m Quoted above, para. 7.4.
3~9 See para. 7.3 above.
360 See: Case Conceming Maritime Delimitation in the Black Sea, LCJ. Judgment of 3 February
]009, paras. 71-76.
361 See paras. 4.140-4.143 above. 264
7.30 Any suggestion that Peru would have agreed to a limitation of ifs sovereign
rights in the area that Chile includes in ifs "Presential Sea", is irreconcilable
with the general spirit which has inspired the Parties since they were among
the main initiators of the mobilization against the traditional Law of the Sea
which led to a spectacular widening of the rights of coastal States. It is
inconceivable that Peru would have agreed that the outer triangle , over which
it possesses exclusive sovereign rig;hts, could be considered pait of the high
seas, stilliess an area subject to the regulation and enforcement measures of
another State. To the contrary , and totally in line with the basic concern
which has guided these countries since the 1950s in their maIitime aspirations
- namely the protection of the fishing reSOlU"ces and other economic reSOlU"ces
in front of their coasfs - it seems hard to imagine how such practice of
creating an area of seas belonging to nobody by means of self-restraint by
one of the Parties , could have served their cause.
7.31 It is important to keep in mind that the main , if not the sole , pm·pose of the
1952 Declaration of Santiago was to muhmlly recognize claims to sovereignty
over maritime areas extending up to a minimum distance of 200 nautical
miles from the coasfs. In this instrument Chile has accepted that the Peruvian
claim legitimatel y extended up "to a minimum distance of200 nautical miles"
from its coasts 36.
363
7.32 For its part , as shown above in this :Memorial ,Pem has constantl y upheld ,
including in ifs Constihltion , that ifI~xclu sovevreign righfs and jurisdiction
364
extend up to 200 nautical miles distance .
l6 2See para. II of the 1952 Declaration of Santiago. Annex 47.
l6l See paras. 3.11-3.23 above.
l64 See Article 98 of the 1979 COllstinltion and A11icle54 of the 1993 Constirutioll, reproduced at
paras. 3.16-3.17 above. .:
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7.33 Petu has coherently and finnl y maintained its position in its relation s with
Chile as weil as with third States. Just to give two examples:
In November 1954, five whaling ships belonging to the shipowner Aristotle
Onassis, covered by a Lloyd's insmance poliey, were alTested by Peruvian
warships 126 nautical mile s from the Peruvian coast. In answer to a
Note ofprotest [rom the Britis.h Emba ssy in Lima, the Minisny of Foreign
Affair s ofPeru replied on 25 Nove mber by eXplaining that the deci sions
were "ac ts ofsovereignty in relation to which [the Peruvian] Govemment
cannot accept any reservation s or complaints"36 s. Finall y, following a
deci ion by the Harbour Authorit y of Paita 36, the ships were relea sed
after the payment of a fine of US$ 3 million ;
In Januar y 1955, a factor y ship, the Tony Bay , and other tuna clipper s
also under American flag were fined for unauthorized fishing within the
200-mile zone. Here again , the Pernvian Mini ster of Foreign Affair s
rejected a prote st of theUnih: S~tdtes Government by stating , ;nfer aNa,
Ihal:
"The criterion of Pern for the determination of the Maritime
Zone ... does not cOlTespond to necessities of militar y or police
nature ,but to the defence of a richne ss usefui to mankind , that
is found inmaIitime area adjacent to its tenitor y and incOlporated
tonational welfare by virtue of nature . "367
m On this episode, see also above, para. 4.83.0: Se.g.:Note (M).-6/17/41 of25 November 1954
from the Minister of Foreign AtTairs to the Ambassador of Great Britain, quoted in Ministerio de
Relaciones Exteriores (1955), op. cit., pp. 148-149. (Spanish text: "actos de soberania respecto
a los cuales mi Gobiemo no puede aceptar ni reservas ni reclamaciones."). Atmex 98.
366 Harbom Autority ofPaita, Petu, Decision of26 November 1954, ibid., pp. 149-153. (Ellglish
translation in: The American JOl/rnal of International Law, Vol. 49, No. 4, 1955, October, pp.
575-577).
361 Millisterio de Relaciones Exteriores (1955), op. cit., p. 176. Annex 98. On this episode, see
also Garcia Sayan, Enrique: Derecho dei mar: las 200 millas y la posicion peruana. Lima,
1985, p. 35. 268
Spanish text reads as follows:
"El criterio dei Peru para la detenninaci6n de la Zona Maritima
... no corresponde a necesidades de orden militar 0 policial ,
sino de defensa de una riqueza util a la Inunanidad , que se
encuentra en are a maritima adyacente a su territorio e
incorporada al patrimonio nac.ional por obra de la nahlfaleza. "
7.34 When Chile published (on 23 August 2004) Decree No . 123, dated 3 May
2004 , on the "Poliey for the Use of National POl1s by Foreign Flag Vessels
that Fish in the Adjacent High Seas"36&, Petu sent a diplomatie note to the
Chilean Ministr y of Foreign Affairs , in which it made a formai reservation
in relation to this Decree "in ail ofwhich itmight affect Peruvian rights and
interests in the maritime spaces" to which said Decree makes reference 369.
This note added that: "Pem maintains its reservations with regard to any
legal act, including conventions or agreements and political acts by the Republic
of Chile that affect Pemvian sovereignty , jurisdiction and interests in its
maritime space. "370
7.35 The Pemvian position is also recorded in a Memorandum dated 9 March
2005 , handed over to the Chilean Ambassador to Pem , in relation to the
entry into force of the "Galapagos Agreement " of August 2000:
"The Pemvian Delegation on that occasion infonned the
representatives of the Govenunent of Chile that Peru could
not participate in the GalapagosAgreement because if the outer
limit of Penl was not recognised , there would be a possibility
for third cOlUltriesto consider part ofthis outer limit as belonging
to the high seas.Taking into aceount that the scope of application
of the Galapagos Agreement is a high seas area adjacent to the
,68 Annex 42.
,69 Note No. 5-4-Ml281 of 4 November 2004 from the Embassy of Peru to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Chile. Annex 81. (Spanish text: "en todo aquello que pueda afeetar los dereehos e
intereses pemanos en los espacios maritimos").
HO Ibid. (Spanish text: "Peru mantiene su reserva sobre eualquier aeto jmidieo, inc1uidos eonvenios
o aeuerdos, y aetos politieos de la Republiea de Chile, que afeeten la soberania, jurisdieei6n e
intereses deieru en su espacio maritimo."). 269
zone ofsovereignty andjurisdiction of the coasfal States , it is
necessary for the counh"ies that benefit from this Agreement to
have no misunderstanding whatsoever regarding the extension
of the maritime spaces of sovereignty and jurisdiction of each
of the coasfal States and the area of application of the
aforementioned agreement. We are confident that the sis ter
Republic of Chile will accede to the Peruvian petition ." 37\
Spanish text reads as follows:
"La delegaci6n pemana manifesta , en esa oportunidad , a los
representantes dei Gobierno de Chile que el Perù no podria
participar en el Acuerdo de Gahlpagos ya que si no se reconoce
el limite exterior dei Perù cabria la posibilidad que terceros
paises consideren parte de este limite exterior como alta mar.
Teniendo en cuenta que el ambito de aplicacion dei Acuerdo
de Galapagos es un area de alta mar aledai'ia a la zona de
soberania y jurisdiccion de los Estados riberei'ios, es necesario
que los paises que se beneficien de este acuerdo no tengan
malentendido alguno sobre la extension de los espacios
maIitimos de soberania y jurîsdiccion de cada une de los Estados
costeros y el area de aplicacion dei mencionado acuerdo. Se
tiene la confianza que la hennana Repùblica de Chile accedera
a la peticion pemana. "
7.36 Pem has systematically opposed any attempt to treat its outer triangle as
part of the high seas during the negotiations for the creation of a regional
fishing organization that would opera te in the high seas. Thus , in a Note
dated 29 August 2005 sent to the Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs , the
Pemvian Embassy in Chile stated:
"Facsimile No. 13 dated June 10 of the present year, sent by
the Chilean National Section of the Permanent Commission
for the South Pacific to the Secretary General (a.i.) of said
organization , refers to the area of application of the future
agreement for the administration offisheries in the South Pacific,
and points out as one of its limits parallel 18°21'03" south
m Memorandmn of 9 Mareil 2005, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pem to the Ambassador
of Chile. Annex 82. 270
latihlde that, as that Honourable Government knows , is related
with the conh"oversy on maIitime boundar y that exists between
Petu and Chile.
In this sense, the EmbassyOfPt: r~ierafes ifspersistent position
regarding the pending maritime delimitation between both
countries and thus makes reser vation over any act, convention
or agreement that may affect Pemvian sovereignty , jmisdiction
or inferesfs in ifs maritime space"372.
Spanish text reads as follows:
"Facsimil No. 13, de 10 de junio dei presente ano , enviado
por la Seccion Nacional chilena de la Comision Permanente
dei Pacifico Sur al Secretario General (e) de dicha organizaci6n ,
contiene una menci6n al area de aplicaci6n dei fumro convenio
para la administraci6n pesquera en el Pacifico Sur, y sei'iala
como une de sus limites el paralelo 18°21'03" de latitud sur
que, como conoce ese Ilustrado Gobierno , gtlarda relaci6n con
la controversia sobre limite maritimo que existe entre el Perù
y Chile.
En ese sentido, la Embajada dei Perù reitera su persistente
posici6n sobre la delimitaci6n maritima pendiente entre ambos
paises y por tanto hace reser va sobre cualquier acto , convenio
o acuerdo que pueda afectar la soberania ,jmisdicci6n e intereses
dei Perù en su espacio maritimo ."
7.37 These episodes bear clear witness to the fillnness of Peru 's intention not to
relinquish its sovereign rights in the area.
7.38 In view of this consistent pattern of conduct , it is impossible to allege that
Petu has either by agreement or by its conduct abandoned its ;pso facto
exclusive rights on the area extending beyond 200 nautical miles from the
Chilean baselines but within the distance of 200 nautical miles from the
Petuvian baselines which clearly falls in the exclusive jurisdiction of Peru.
m Note 5-4-M/276 of 29 August 2005, from the Embassy of Pem to the Ministry of Foreign
AtTairsof Cltile. Annex 83. CHAPTER VIII
SUMMARY
In accordance with Practice Direction II, Peru presents the following smnmaly
of ifsreasoning.
8.1 This case concerns (a) the delimitation of the maritime areas between Peru
and Chile and (b) Peru 's right to maritime areas lying within 200 nautical
miles of its coast but further than 200 nautical miles from Chile's coast - the
outer triangle.
8.2 The jurisdiction of the Comt is based on Alticle XXXI of the Pact of Bogota
to which both Peru and Chile are Palties.
8.3 There is no pre-existing agreement between the Palties effectuating malitime
delimitation between them. Neither the 1952 Declaration of Santiago , nor
the 1954 Agreement on a Specia.l Zone purported to effectuate a maritime
delimitation between Petu and Chile. The Palties to this case engaged in no
negotiations at the time regarding their maritime boundary; the instruments
in question were not dehmitation agreements ; and no cmu·se of a dehmitation
hne with specific co-ordinates , a technical datum , a defined endpoint , or an
illustrative map was ever discussed or agreed by the Parties at that time.
8.4 The primary purpose of the 1952 Declaration of Santiago was to estabhsh ,
on a provisional basis between Peru , Chile and Ecuador, and as a common
maritime policy, a minimum 200··nautical-mile outer limit to their exclusive
maritime jurisdiction in order to conserve and safeguard the marine resources
lying within those hmits [rom fishing by other States or their private entities. 272
8.5 The purpose of the 1954 Agreement on a Special Zone was to reduce friction
between fishennen on small boats and thereby to avoid unnecessary tension
between the States Palties while they were focused on defending their daims
towards third countries in an exe:rcise of regional solidarity.The 1954
Agreement on a Special Zone did not modify or derogate from the 1952
Declaration of Santiago.
8.6 In 1968-1969 , Pern and Chile arranged for the construction of two light
beacons in the vicinity of the star ting-point of their land boundary. This
exercise related to provisional arrangements regarding local fishennen and
was designed as a bilaferal measure of a pragmatic nahlre to enable small
vessels operating close to the coast to avoid becoming entangled in fishing
incidents.
8.7 From 1986 onwards , following the conclusion of the 1982 Convention on
the Law of the Sea, Pern sought to initiate discussions with Chile for the
delimitation of a maritime bOlUldalybetween the two States. These initiatives
did not bear fmit: Chile refused to engage in any negotiations.
8.8 Throughout the period from 1952 to 1992, the Parties issued no official
maps indicating that any maritime boundary existed between them. If was
only in 1992, some 40 years after the signature of the 1952 Declaration of
Santiago , that Chile unilaterally , and in a self-serving fashion, began to amend
ifs caltography to show a "maritime boundary " with Pem along the parallel
of latitude extending from the initial point on the land boundaly. This was
first done in connection with Chile's alticulation of a daim to the "Presential
Sea". In contrast , when Chile delimited its maritime boundalY with Argentina
in 1984, the Palties to that agreement agreed a list of geographical co-ordinates
and a map which depicted that boundary.
8.9 In these circumstances , and given Chile's refusai to negotiate the issue, the
delimitation of the maritime zones between the Parties remains to be effected.
That task falls to the Court in this case. 273
8.10 In the light of the fact that Pern is not a Party to the 1982 Convention on the
Law of the Sea while Chile is, the applicable law in this case is customary
international law as developed mainly by the jurisprudence of the Court
with respect to maritime delimitatioll. In this connection , the delimitation
provisions of the 1982 Convention , while not binding as a source of
conventional law per se , reflect well-established principles of customary
international law.
8.11 The primaly aim of maritime dehmitation is to achieve an equitable result
by means of the application ofequitable principles . This aim is reflecfed in
the "equitable principles /relevant circumstances" or "equidistance /special
circumstances" mie.
8.12 Application of this mie involves a two-step process. Firsl ,a provisional
equidistance hne is plotted which is a hne, every point ofwhich is equidistant
from the nearest points on the basehnes of the Palties from which the breadth
of the outer hmit of their maritime zones is measured. Second , the relevant
circumstances characterizing the area to be delimited are assessed in order
to determine whether any adjustment, or shifting , of the equidistance hne is
calied for to arrive at an equitable result . The equitable nature of the
dehmitation hne that emerges as a result of the application of the two initial
steps in the pro cess is then tested , using the 'proportionality ' test.
8.13 The delimitation begins from the stalting-point on the Parties' land boundalY
which was agreed by the Parties in 1929-1930 . Thereafter , the construction
of the equidistance hne is a straightforward exercise in the light of the
geographical characteristics of the Parties ' relevant coasts. Given the
uncomphcated nature of the Partïes' coasts, there are no reasons that justify
an adjustment being made to the equidistance line in this case. A dehmitation
carried out pursuant to the equidistance method produces an equal division
of the overlapping entitlements of the Parties and results in no undue
encroaclllnent or eut-off effect on the maritime projection of each Party 's
respective coast. 274
8.14 The equidistance hne fully satisfies the test ofproportionality by allocating
to each of the Pal1ies maritime areas commensurate with the length oftheir
relevant coasts fronting on the area to be delimited. For ail ofthese reasons ,
the equidistance hne produces an equitable result in this case.
8.15 ContraI)' to Chile's so-called "Presential Sea" daim , Peru possesses exclusive
sovereign rights over the maritime areas situated within 200 nautical miles
of its baselines that are more than 200 nautical miles from Chile's basehnes. 275
SUBM1[SSIONS
For the reasons set out above , the Republic of Peru requests the Court to
adjudge and declare that:
(1) The delimitation between the respective maritime zones between the
Republic of Petu and the Republic of Chile , is a hile starting at "Point
Concordia " (defined as the intersection with the low-water mark of a
lO-kilometre radius arc, having as its centre the first bridge over the
River Lluta of the Arica-La Paz railway) and equidistant from the baselines
ofboth Parties , up to a point situated at a distance of200 nautical miles
from those baselines , and
(2) Beyond the point where the COlmnon maIitime border ends, Petu is entitled
to exercise exclusive sovereign rights over a maritime area lying out to
a distance of 200 nautical miles from its baselines.
The Republic of Petu reserves its right to amend these submissions as the
case may be in the course of the present proceedings.
20 Marcll 2009.
ALLAN WAG N ER
Agent of the Republic of Peru LIST OF ANNEXES
(VOLUMES II AND III)
VOLUMEll
OFFICIALINSTRUMENTS OF PERU
Annexl Supreme Decree of 6 September 1833 3
Annex2 Supreme Decree of 5August 1840 7
Annex3 Supreme Decree of15 November 1921 11
Annex4 Supreme Decree of 13 November 1934 15
Annex5 General Order of the Navy No. 10 of9 April 1940, Regulation
ofCaptaincies and NationalrchantNavy 19
Annex6 Supreme Decree No. 781 of 1August 1947 23
Annex7 Supreme Decree No. 21 of 31 Oetober 1951, Regulation of
Captaincies and National :Merchant Navy 29
Annex8 Law No. 11780 of 12Marell 1952, Petroleum Law 33
Annex9 Supreme Resolution No. 23 of 12 Janualy 1955, The PelUvian
200-Mile Maritime Zone 37
Annex 10 Legislative Resolution No. 12305 of 6 May 1955 41
Annexll Supreme Decree No. 570 of 5 July 1957 45
Annex 12 Law No. 15720 of Il November 1965,Law on CivilAeronautics 51
Annex 13 Decree Law No. 17752 of24 July 1969,General Law on Waters 55
Annex 14 Decree Law No. 17824 of 23 September 1969, Corps of
59
Captaincies and Coastguard
Annex 15 Decree Law No. 18225 of 14 April 1970, Providing for the
Adoption ofthe General1\t1ining Law 63
Annex 16 Decree Law No. 18810 of25 March 1971, General FisheIies
Law 67
Annex 17 Political Constitution ofPeru of 1979 71
Annex 18 Law No. 25977 of7 December 1992, General Fisheries Law 75 278
Annex19 Political ConstitutiofPeru of 1993 79
Annex20 Law No. 26620 of 30 May 1996, Law on the Control and
Supervision of Maritime , Fluvial and Lacush·ine Activities 83
Annex21 Law No. 27261 of9 May 2000, Law on Civil Aeronautics 87
Annex22 Supreme Decree No. 028-DE./MGP of25 May 2001,Regulation
of the Law on the Control and Supervision of Maritime ,
Fluvial and Lacustrine Activities 91
Annex23 Law No. 28621 of 3 November 2005 , Peruvian Maritime
Domain Baselines Law 95
Annex24 Supreme Decree No. 047-2007-RE of Il August 2007,Approval
of the Chart of the Outer Limit - Southem Sector - of the
Maritime Domain ofPeru 117
OFFlCIAL INSTRUMENTS OF CHILE
Annex25 Chilean Civil Code of 1855 123
Annex26 Supreme Decree (M) No. 1.340 of 14 June 1941 127
Annex27 Presidential Declaration Concerning Continental Shelf of 23
June 1947 131
Annex28 Law No. 8.944 of21 January 1948, Water Code 137
Annex29 Decree with Force of Law No. 292 of25 July 1953, Funda-
mental Law of the Directorate General of MaIitime TelTitOly
and Merchant Marine 141
Annex30 Supreme Decree No. 432 of23 September 1954, Approval of
the Declarations and Conventions between Chile,Peru and Ecua-
dor agreed at the First Conference on Exploitation and
Conservation of the Marine Resomces of the South Pacific 145
Annex31 Decree No. 332 of 4 June 1963,Appointment of the AuthOlity
which Grants Fishingennits toForeign Flag Vessels in Chilean
Jmisdictional Waters 153
Annex32 Decree No. 453 of 18 July 1963, Regulation ofPennits for the
Exploitation by FactOlyhips in the Specified Zone 157
Annex33 Decree No. 519 of 16August 1967,Approval of the Agreement
Relating to apecial Maritime Frontier Zone 161
Annex34 Decree No. 416 of 14 July 1977, Establishing the Straight
Baselines Between ParaUels 41° Sand 56° S, Traced in the
ChartLHA (Hydrographie Institute ofthe Navy) N 5 of 1977 167
Annex3S Law No. 18.302 ofl6Apri11984, Law ofNuclear SeeUlity 179 279
Annex36 Law No. 18.565 of 13 OClober 1986, Amendment 10 the Civil
Code Regarding Maritime Spaces 183
Annex37 Slipreme Decree(M) No. 991 of26 October 1987,Establishing
the Jurisdiction of the Maritime Gobemations of the Republic
and Establishing the Harbour Authorities and their Respective
Jmisdictions 189
Annex38 LawNo. 19.0800f28AlI glist 1991,Ame ndment toLaw 18.892,
General Law on Fisheries and Aquaculrure 193
Annex39 Law No. 19.300 of 1MardI 1994,General Environmental Law 197
Annex40 Supreme Decree No. 210 of 4 May 1998, Establishing Areas
for the Management and Exploitation of Benthonic Resources
for Region 1 201
Annex 41 Supreme Decree No. 598 of 15October 1999,ApplyingArticle
No. 165 of the General Fishing and Aquaculture Law t.othe
Swordfish 205
Annex42 Decree No. 123 of3 May 2004, Approvalof the Poticy for the
Use of National Ports by Foreign Flag Vessels that insthe
Adjacent High Seas 209
TREATIES
Annex43 Treaty ofPeace and Friendship between the Republics ofPem
and Chile ("The 1883 Treaty ofAncen"). Signed at Ancon on
200c tober 1883 215
Annex44 Treaty on Internationalenal Law Adopted at Montevideo on
23 Janualy 1889 221
Annex45 Treaty for theettlement of the Dispute Regarding Tacna and
Arica,withAdditional Protocol.Signed al Limaon 3Jlme 1929 225
Annex46 American Treaty on Pacific Settlement. "Pact of Bogota".
Adopted at Bogotà, 30 April 1948 243
Annex47 Declaration onThe Maritim e Zone.("The 1952 Declaration of
Santiago"). Signed at Santiago on 18August 1952 257
Annex48 Agreement Relatin g to the Organization of the Pennanent
Commission of the Conference on the Exploitation and
Conservation of the Marine Resources of the South Pacific.
Signed at Santiago on 18August 1952 263
Annex49 Regulations for Maritime Hunting Operations in the Waters of
the South Pacific.Signed at Santiago on 18August 1952 269
Annex50 Agreement Relating to aSpecial Maritime Frontier Zone.("The
1954 Agreement on a Special Zone"). Signed al Lima on
4 December 1954 273 280
AnnexSl Complementaly Convention to the Declaration ofSovereignty
on the Two-Hundred-Mi:le Maritime Zone ("The 1954
Complemental y Conventio n"). Signed in Lima on 4 December
1954 279
AnnexS2 Protocol of Accession ttht De~laration on "Maritime Zone"
of Santiago. Signed at Quito on 6 October 1955 285
AnnexS3 Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Chile and Argentina.
Signed atVatican City on29 November 1984 293
ACIS
AnnexS4 Final Act of the Commission of Limits Containing the
Description ofPlaced Boundary Markers of21 July 1930 303
AnnexSS Act of5 August 1930 311
AnnexS6 Act of the First Session of the Jmidical Affairs Commission of
the First Conference on the Exploitation and Conservation of
the Marine Resomces of the South Pacific of Il August 1952 317
AnnexS7 Act of the Second Session of Commission 1 of the Second
Conference on the Exploitation and Conservation the Marine
Resomces of the South Pacific of 3 December 1954 321
AnnexS8 Act of 12April 1955: Agret!ment between Ecuador , Pem and
Chile for a Joint Response to the Unitedes and Great BIitain
on their Observations to the "Declaration of Santiago " 325
AnnexS9 Document of26April1968 333
Annex60 Execution Act of 13November 1999 339
VOL UMEill
DIPLOMATIC CORRESPOl\'DENCE
Annex61 Note No. 11 (152 /8/48) of 6 February 1948 , from the
Ambassadorofthe United Kingdom to the Minister of Foreign
AffairsofPem 357
Annex62 Note No. 1030 of 2 July 1948, from the chargé d'affaires a.i.
of the United States to the M:inister of Foreign Affairs ofPe361
Annex63 Note No. (SM)-6-3 /64 of 11 May 1952, from the Minister of
Foreign Affairs ofPem to theAmbassador of the United States
ofAmeIica 365 281
Annex64 Note No. 86 of 10 July 1952, from the Ambassador ofChile to
the Minister of Foreign Affairs ofPem 379
Annex65 Note No. (N): 6117/14 of 12 April 1955, from the Minister of
ForeignAffairs ofPeru to theAmbassador ofthe United Kingdom 385
Annex66 NoteNo. (M): 6/3/290fl2ApriI1955 ,fromtheMinisterofForeign
Affairs ofPem to the charg;éd'affaires aj. of the United State393
Annex67 Memorandum of the Embassy ofPem in Chile of26 May 1965 401
Annex68 Memorandum of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile of
6 Oetober 1965 405
Annex69 Memorandum of the Embassy ofPenl in Chile of3 December
1965 409
Annex70 Note 6-4/8 of7 FebrualY 1967, [rom the Minister of Foreign
AffairsofPem to the Ambassador ofChile 413
Annex 71 Note No. (J) 6-4/9 of 6 February 1968, from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs ofPem to the chargéd'affaires a.i. ofChile 419
Annex72 Note No. 81 of8 Mareh 1968, from the chargéd'affaires a.i. of
Chile to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (in charge) 423
Annex73 Note No. (J) 6-4/19 of 28 Mareh 1968, from the Seeretary
General of Foreign Affairs ofPem to the chargéd'affaires a.i.
ofChile 429
Annex74 Note No. (1)6-4/43 of 5 August 1968, fi'oru the Seeretary
General of Foreign Affairs to the chargéd'affaires ofChile 433
Annex75 Note No. 242 of29 August 1968, fi:omthe Embassy ofChile to
the Minishy ofForeignAffairs ofPem 437
Annex76 Diplomatie Memorandum annexed to Note 5-4-M/147 of 23
May 1986, fi:omthe Embassy ofPem to the Minishy of Foreign
Affairsof Chile 441
Annex77 Note RE (GAE) No. 6-41113 of 20 Oetober 2000, ji"om the
Ministryof Foreign Affairs ofPem to the Embassy ofChile 449
Annex78 Note No. 7-1-SGI005 of9 Janualy 2001, from the Pennanent
Mission ofPem to the Sec:retary-General ofthe United Nations.
Statement by the Government of Pem conceming parallel
18°21'00", referred to by the Govenunent of Chile as the
maritime boundary between Chile and Pem 453
Annex79 Diplomatie Note (GAB) No. 6/43 of 19 July 2004, ji"omthe
Ministerof Foreign Affairs ofPem to the Minister of Foreign
Affairsof Chile 459 282
Annex80 Diplomatie Note No. 16723 of 10 September 2004, fi:om the
Minister of Foreign Affairs ofChile to the Minister of Foreign
Affairs ofPem 467
Annex81 Note No. 5-4-:M/281 of 4 November 2004, fi:om the Embassy
ofPem to the Minishy of Foreign Affairs ofChile 471
Annex82 Memorandum of9 Mareh 2005, from the Minister of Foreign
AffairsofPem to the Ambassador ofChile 475
Annex83 Note 5-4-M/276 of29 August 2005, from the Embassy ofPenl
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile 481
Annex84 Note No. 76 of 13 September 2005,from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs ofChile to the Embassy ofPeru 485
Annex8S Note No. 18934 of28 November 2005, from the Minister of
Foreign Affairs ofChile to the Ambassador ofPem 489
OTHER DOCUMENTS
Annex86 Joint Report to the ArbitratofTacna-Arica Arbitration , by
General John J. Pershing, First President , and Major General
William Lassiter , Second President , of the Plebiscitary
COimnission,Tacna-Arica Arbitration 495
Annex87 Agreement to Detennine the BoundalY Line and Place the
Conesponding BOlUldaryMarkers at thePoints inDisagreement
inthe Peruvian-Chilean Limits Demarcation Joint COimnission
of24 ApIiI 1930 (Identical Instmctions Sent to the Delegates)501
Annex88 Truman Proclamations 2667 and 2668 of28 September 1945
and Executive Orders 507
Annex89 Declaration ofthe President of Mexico on the Continental Shelf,
29October1945 513
Annex90 Argentinean Declaration Proclaiming Sovereignty over the
Epicontinenal Sea and the Continental Shelf 519
Annex91 Instructions given by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr.
Manuel C.Gallagher tothe Chainnan ofthe Delegation ofPeru ,
Dr.A. Ulloa for the Signing of the "Declaration of Santiago" 525
Annex92 Message from the Chilean Executive to the Congress for the
Approval of the 1952Agreements. Santiago,26 July 1954 529
Annex93 RepOliofthe ForeignAffairs Committee of the Chilean Senate
Regarding the Project thatroposes the Approval of the 1952
Agreements. Approved in session of3 August 1954 533
Annex94 RepOliNo. 41 of the Foreign Affairs COimnittee ofthe Chilean
Deputies Chamber. Approved in session of31 August 1954 539 283
Annex95 Official LetterNo. (M)-3-0-A/3 of7 February 1955 fj-omthe
Ministry of Foreign Affairs ofPeru 545
Annex96 Report of the Foreign Affairs COimnittee of the Congress of
Petu on the Agreements and Conventions signed hy Peru, Chile
and Ecuador in Santiago, on 18 August 1952; and in Lima,
4 December 1954 551
Annex97 Declaration of the Head ofthe Chilean Delegation contained in
the Act of the Closing Ceremony of the Conference on the
Exploitation and Conservation ofMarille Resources ofthe South
Pacifie of 19August 1952 557
Annex98 Memoria dei Ministro de Relaciones ExteIiores (28 de julio
de 1954 - 28 de julio de 1955). Lima, Talleres Gnificos P. L.
Villanueva , 1955 561
Annex99 Memoria dei Ministro de Relaciones ExteIiores (28 de julio
de 1955 - 28 de julio de 1956). Lima, Talleres Gnificos P. L.
Villanueva , 1956 583
Annex 100 Declaration by the Head of the Peru vian Delegation , Dr.
Alberto Ulloa , at the First United Nations Conference on the
th
Law of the Sea, 5 Session , Geneva, 5 March 1958 597
Annex 101 Statement by Peruvian Delegate , Enrique Garcia Sayan, at the
Ninth Meeting of the Second Committee on the High Seas
Regime of the First United Nations Conference on the Law of
the Sea, 13 Mareil 1958 601
Annex 102 Declaration by the Chainnen of the Delegations of Chile,
Ecuador and Pem at the First United Nations Conference on the
Law of the Sea, 27 April 1958 605
Annexl03 Declaration by the Peruvîan Delegation at the Second United
Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, 27 April 1960 607
Annexl04 Statement made by Pre:sidents Lanusse of Argentina and
Allende ofChile. "Sa lta Declaration " of24 July 1971 611
Annex lOS Joint Declaration of Presidents Juan Velasco Alvarado ofPem
and Salvador Allende ofChile , 3 September 1971 617
Annex 106 Joint Declaration of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Pem
and Chile , 16 Jlme 1978 623
Annexl07 Declaration ofthe Head of the Pemvian Delegation,Ambassador
AlfonsoArias-Schreiber al:the Third United Nations Conference
on theLaw of the Sea, 27 August 1980 629
Annexl08 Joint Declaration of the Representatives of Chile, Colombia ,
Ecuador and Pem at the Third United Nations Conference on
the Law of the Sea, 28 April 1982 631
Annexl09 Official COIlllmmiquéof the Minisb:yofForeignAffairs of Chile
ofl3 June 1986 635 284
Annex110 List ofGeographical Co-ordinates Deposited by Chile with the
Secretary-General of the United Nations on 21 September2000 639
Annex 111 Chile 's Defence White Book , 2002 643
Annex 112 Declaration of Santiago of 14August 2002 647
Annex113 Joint COlmnuniquéof the M:inisters of Foreign Affairs ofPenl
and Chile, Rio de Janeiro , 4 November 2004 657
Annex114 Statement by Chile of 12 September 2007 661
Annex11S TechnicalAspects ofPeru's Equidistance Claim Line 665 285
LIST OF MAPS AND FIGURES
(VOLUME IV)
Chapter 1
Figure 1.1 First Official Map of Peru: Prepared in 1864 hy order of the
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariano Felipe Paz-Soldan. Mapa
deIPerll 3
Figure 1.2 Chile's TerritOlial Acquisitions Resultillg [rom the War of the
Pacifie 5
ChapterII
Figure 2.1 General Configuration of the Pemvian and Chilean Coasts 9
Figure 2.2 EcuadoIian Islands Near P(!m'sNorthem Land Boundary& Lack
ofPemvian Islands Near Pem's Southem Land BOlUldaly 11
Figure 2.3 Pem 's Coastline and Saight Baselines 13
Figure 2.4 Map Showing the Outer Limit - Southem Sector of Pem 's
Maritime Domain. Carta deI LimUe Exterior - Secfor Sur -
deIDominio Marilimo dei Perû 15
Figure 2.5 Chile's Coastline and Straight Baselines 17
Figure 2.6 Chile 's Maritime Claims Published in 2001 by the United
Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea 19
ChapterIV
Figure 4.1 200 Mile Limit Using the 'Arcs ofCircles 'Approach 23
Figure 4.2 The 1939 Declaration of Panama 25 286
Figure 4.3 The Coasfal Lights Established by the 1969 Joint Commission 27
Figure 4.4 Chile's Supreme Decree No. 210 29
ChapterV
Figure 5.1 Map No. 1 Annexed to the Chi le/Argentina Maritime
33
Delimitation Treaty of 1984. Carra N°l
Figure 5.2 Map published by Servicio Geografico deI Ejército dei Peru,
1938. Mapa Esco/ar deI Penl 35
Figure 5.3 Map published by Instituto Geognifico Militar dei Pen.'!,1952.
Mapa deI Perll 37
Figure 5.4 Map published by Instituto Geognifico Militar dei Pen.'!,1953.
Mapa deI Perll 39
Figure 5.5 Map published by Instituto Geognifico Militar dei Pen.'!,1967.
Repûblica deI Peril, Mapa Po!i,;co 41
Figure 5.6 Map published by Illstihlto GeogrMico Nacional dei Peru, 1989.
Allas deI Pertl, Frontera Perû-Ch;!e 43
Figure 5.7 Map published by Illstihlto Geografico Militar de Chile, 1935.
Repûblica de Chde 45
Figure 5.8 Map published by Instihlto Geografico Militar de Chile, 1941 47
Figure 5.9 Map published by Instihlto Geografico Militar de Chile, 1954 49
Figure 5.10 Map published by Instihlto Geografico Militar de Chile, 1955 51
Figure 5.11 Map revised by Instituto Geografico Militar de Chile, 1959.
Mapa de Chde 53
Figure 5.12 Map published by Illstihlto Geografico Militar de Chile, 1961.
Mapa de Chde 55
Figure 5.13 Map published by Illstihlto Geografico Militar de Chile, 1963.
Mapa de Chde 57
Figure 5.14 Map published by Illstihlto Geografico Militar de Chile, 1966.
Mapa de Chde 59
Figure 5.15 Map published by Illstihlto Geografico Militar de Chile, 1971.
Mapa de Chde 61
Figure 5.16 Map published by Illstihlto Geografico Militar de Chile, 1975.
Mapa de Chde 63
Figure 5.17 Map published by Illstihlto Geografico Militar de Chile, 1977.
Mapa de Chde 65
Figure 5.18 Map published by Illstihlto Geografico Militar de Chile, 1989.
Mapa de Chde Po/ilico AdminislraNvo 67 287
Figure 5.19 Arica 1973, Chilean Nautical Chart No. 101. Chile, Arica 69
Figure 5.20 Rada de Arica Chilean Nautical Chalt No. 100, May 1979.
Chile, Rada de Arica a Bahia Mepllones deI Sur 71
Figure 5.21 Rada de Arica a Bahia de Iquique , Chilean Nautical Chart No.
110,November 1979. Chi!e, Rada deArica a Bahia de Iqu;que 73
Figure 5.22 Chile/Argentina Maritime Boundary Agreement: 1984. 1986
Chilean Nautical Cha1t No. 1300. Chile, Boea Oriental deI
75
Estrecho de Magallanes a Islas Diego Ramirez
Figure 5.23 Rada y Puerto Arica 1989, Chilean Nautical Chart No. 101.
Chile, Rada y Puerto Arica 77
Figure 5.24 Rada de Arica 1994, Chilean Nautical Chart No. 1000. Chile,
Rada de Arica a Bahia lvlejillones deI Sur 79
Figure 5.25 Rada y Puelto Arica 1998, Chilean Nautical Chali No. 1111.
Chile, Rada y Puerto de Arica 81
Figure 5.26 Map Limite Chile-Peru , Chilean National Atlas 2005 83
ChapterYl
Figure 6.1 Bathymetry ofthe Relevant Area 87
Figure 6.2 The Relevant Coast:s 89
Figure 6.3 The Relevant Area 91
Figure 6.4 Initial Sectoof the Land Boundary as Defined by the 1929
Treaty 93
Figure 6.5 'Point Concordia 'vs. 'arker Concordia' 95
Figure 6.6 The Equidistance Methodology 97
Figure 6.7 The Bi-Sector Methodology 99
Figure 6.8 Inequitable Cutoff Effecf Caused by Chile 's Delimitation
Position& Balanced Cuto:ffEffect ofPeru 's Delimitation Claim 101
Figure 6.9 PropOliionality TestApplied to The Equidistance Methodology 103
Figure 6.10 PropOliionality Test Applied to Chile 's Delimitation Claim 105
ChapterVll
Figure 7.1 Chile's Claim toPalis ofPeru's Maritime Domain 109
Figure 7.2 Maritime Areas that Pelia.ito Chile According to the Chilean
Navy III 288
Figure 7.3 Chile's Mar Presencial , 1992. Chilean Nautical Chart No. 22.
Chile, Mar Presencial , Formas deI Relieve Submarino 113
Figure 7.4 Map of "El Espacio Geografico Chileno". Chilean National 115
Atlas,2005
Figure 7.5 Limited Extent ofthe Continental Shelfin the Relevant Area 117 289
LIST OF DOCUMENTS DEPOSITED
WITH THE REGISTRY
OFFICIAL I NSTRUMEl\'TS OF PERU
1. Supreme Decree of6 September 18303.
2. Supreme Decree of5 August 1840.
3. Supreme Decree of 15 November 1921.
4. Supreme Decree of 13November 1934.
5. General Order of the Navy No. 1001'9 April 1940, Regulation ofCaptaincie s and
National Merchant Navy.
6. SupremeDecreeNo. 781 oflAugust 1947.
7. Supreme Decree No.21 of31 Ocfober 1951,Regulation of Captaincies and National
Merchant Navy.
8. Law No. 11780of 12March 1952,Petroleum Law.
9. Supreme Resolution No.23 of 12Janu31y 1955, The Peruvian 200-Mile MaIitime
Zone.
10. Legislative Resolution No. 12305 of6 May 1955.
Il . Supreme Decree No. 570 of 5 July 1957.
12. Law No. 15720 of 11November 1965, Law on Civil Aeronautic s.
13. Decree Law No. 17752 of 24 July 1969, General Law on Waters.
14. Decree Law No. 17824 of23 September 1969,COlpSofCaptaincie s andCoastguard.
15. Decree Law No. 18225 of 14 April 1970, Providillg for the Adoption of the
General Mining Law.
16. Decree Law No. 18810 of25 MardI 1971, General Fisheries Law.
17. Law No. 25977 of 7 December 1992, General FisheIies Law .
18. Law No.26620 of 30 May 1996, Law on the Control and Supervision of Maritime ,
Fluvial and LacustrineActi vitie.
19. Law No. 27261 of 9 May 2000, Law on Civil Aeronautic s. 290
20. Supreme Decree No. 028-DEIMGP of 25 May 2001, Regulation ofthe Law on the
Conti"ol and Supervision of Maritime ,Fluvial and Lacust:rineActivities.
21. Supreme Decree No. 047-2007-RE of 11 August 2007, Approval of the Chalt of
the Outer Limit - Southem Sector- ofthe Maritime Domain ofPeru.
OFFICIAL INSTRUME NTS OF CHILE
22. Supreme Decree (M) No. 1.340 of 14 Jrme 1941.
23. Presidential Declaration Concerning Continental Shelf of 23 June 1947.
24. Law No. 8.9440f21 January 1948, WaferCode.
25. Decree with Force of Law No. 292 of 25 July 1953, Fundamental Law of the
Director ate General of Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine.
26. Supreme Decree No. 432 of23 September 1954,Approval of the Declarations and
Convention s between Chile, Petu and :Ecuador agreed at the First Conference on
Exploitation and Conservation ofthe Nlarine Resomce s of the South Pacific .
27. Decree No. 332 of 4 Jmle 1963,Appoinbnent oftheAuthOlity which Grants Fishing
Pennit s to Forei gn Flag Vessels in Chilean Jmisdictional Waters.
28. Decree No. 453 of 18 July 1963, Regulation of Pennit s for the Exploitation by
Factory Ships in the Specified Zone.
29. Decree No. 519 of 16 August 1967, Approval of the Agreement Relating to a
Special Maritime Frontier Zone.
30. Decree No. 416 of 14 July 1977, Establishing the Straight Baselines Between
Parallel s 41° Sand 56° S,Traced in the Chal1LH.A. (Hydrographic Instihlte ofthe
Navy) N 5 of 1977.
31. Law No. 18.302 of 16 April 1984, Law ofNuclear Security.
32. Law No. 18.565 of 13 October 1986, Amendment to the Civil Code Regarding
MaIitime Spaces.
33. Supreme Decree (M) No. 991 of 26 October 1987, Establishing the Jmi sdiction
of the Maritime Gobemations of the Republic and Establi shing the Harbom
Authorities and their Respective Jmi sdiction s.
34. Law No. 19.080 of 28 August 1991,Amendment to Law 18.892, General Law on
Fisheries andAquaculhu ·e.
35. Law No. 19.300 of 1Marcll 1994, General Environmental Law.
36. Supreme Decree No. 210 of 4 May 1998, EstablishingA reas for the Management
and Exploitation ofBenthonic Resource s for Region L
37. Supreme Decree No. 598 of 15 October 1999, Applying Article No. 165 of the
General Fishing and Aquaculmre Law 1:the Swordfish.
38. Decree No. 123 of 3 May 2004, Approval of the Pohc y for the Use of National
Ports by Forei gn Flag Vessels that Fish in the Adjacent High Seas. 291
TREATŒS
39. Treaty of Peace and Friend ship betvveen the Republic s of Peru and Chile ("The
1883 Treaty ofAncon"). Signed at Ancon on 20 Ocfober 1883.
40. Agreement Relatill g to a Special MaIitime Frontier Zone. ("The 1954 Agreement
on a Special Zone"). Signed at Lima on 4 December 1954.
41. Complementary Convention to the Declaration ofSovereignty on the Two-HlUldred
Mile Maritime Zone ("The 1954 Complementaly Convention"). Signed in Lima on
4 December 1954.
42. Protocol ofAccession to the Declaration on "Maritime Zone " of Santiago. Signed
at Quito on 6 Detober 1955.
ACT S
43. Final Act of the Commission of Limit s Containing the Description of Placed
Boundal Y Markers of 21 July 1930.
44. Act of 5Augu st 1930.
45. Act of the First Session ofthe JmidicalAffair s Commission ofthe First Conference
on the Exploitation and Conservation of the Marine Resources of the South Pacifi c
of 11August 1952.
46. Act of the Second Session of Commission 1 of the Second Conference on the
Exploitation and Conservation of the Marine Resources of the South Pacific of
3 December 1954.
47. Act of 12 ApIiI 1955: Agreement between Ecuador , Peru and Chile for a Joint
Response to the United States and Great Britain on their Observations to the
"Declaration of Santiago".
48. Document of 26 April 1968.
49. Execution Act of13 November 1999.
DIPLOi\1ATI C CORRESPO NDENCE
50. Note No. 11 (152/8/48) of 6 February 1948, from the Amba ssador of the United
Kingdom to the Minister ofForeignAffairs of Peru.
51. Note No. 1030 of 2 July 1948, from the chargé d'affaire s a.i. of the United States
to theMini ster of Forei gn Affair s of Peru.
52. Note No. (SM) -6-3/64 of 11 May 1952, fj-om the Minister of Forei gn Affail"Sof
Petu to the Amba ssador ofthe United States of AmeIica.
53. Note No. 86 of 10 July 1952, from the Amba ssador of Chile to the Minister of
ForeignAffair s ofPeru. 292
54. Note No. (N): 6/17/14 of 12April 1955, from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Pem to theAmba ssador of the United Kingdom .
55. Note No. (M): 6/3/29 of 12 April 1955, from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Peru to the chargéd'affaires a.i. of the United States.
56. Memorandum of the Embassy ofPem in Chile of26 May 1965.
57. Memorandum ofthe Ministry of ForeignAffairs ofChile of6 October 1965.
58. Memorandum ofthe Embassy ofPem in Chile of 3 December 1965.
59. Note 6-4/8 of 7 Febmary 1967, from the Minister of Foreign Affairs ofPenl to the
Ambassador ofChile.
60. Note No. (1) 6-4/9 of6 Februar y 1968, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Peru to the chargéd'affaires a.i. of Chile.
61. Note No. 81 of 8 MardI 1968, from the chargé d'affaires a.i. of Chile to the
Minister of ForeignAffairs (incharge).
62. Note No. (1) 6-4/19 of28 MardI 1968, from the Secretary General of Foreign
Affairs ofPem to the chargéd'affaires a.i. ofChile.
63. Note No. (1) 6-4/43 of 5 August 1968, from the Secretaly General of Foreign
Affairs to the chargéd'affaires ofChih!.
64. Note No. 242 of29 August 1968, from the Embassy ofChile to the Ministry of
ForeignAffair s ofPem.
65. Diplomatie Memorandmll annexed to Note 5-4-:M/147 of23 May 1986, from the
Embassy ofPeru to the Ministry ofForeignAffairs of Chile.
66. Note RE (GAB) No. 6-4/113 of20 October 2000, from the Minishy of Foreign
Affairs ofPem to the Embassy ofChile.
67. Note No. 7-I-SGI005 of 9 Janualy 2001, JJ'01 n the Pennanent Mission ofpem to
the Secretary-General ofthe United Nahon s. Statement by the Government ofPem
concerning parallel 18°21'00", referre:d to by the Govemment of Chile as the
maIitime boundary between Chile and Pem.
68. Note No. 5-4-:M/281of 4 November 2004,from the Embassy ofPem to the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs ofChile.
69. Memorandmll of 9 Marcl12005 , from the Minister of ForeignAffairs ofPem to the
Ambassador ofChile.
70. Note 5-4-:M/276 of29 August 2005, from the Embassy ofPem to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs ofChile.
71. Note No. 76 of 13 September 2005, from the Minishy of Foreign Affairs ofChile
to the Embassy ofPeru.
72. Note No. 18934 of 28 November 200:5, from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Chile to the Ambassador ofPem. 293
ÛTHER DOCUMENTS
73. Joint Report to the Arbit:rator,Tacna-Alica Arbitratioll ,by General JoJ. Pershing ,
First President , and Major General William Lassiter, Second President , of the
Plebiscitary Commission , Tacna-Arica Arbitratioll.
74. Agreement to Defennine the Boundary Line and Place the Con"esponding BOlUldary
Markers af the Points in Disagreement in the Pemvian-Chilean Limits Demarcation
Joint Commission of24 April 1930 (Identical Instmctions Sent to the Delegates).
75. Message fi:omthe Chilean Executive to the Congress for the Approval of the 1952
Agreements. Santiago , 26 luly 1954.
76. Report ofthe ForeignAffairs Committee ofthe Chilean Senate Regarding the Project
that Proposes the Approval of the 1952 Agreements. Approved in session of
3August 1954.
77. Report No. 41 of the ForeignAffairs COimnittee of the Chilean Deputies Chamber.
Approved in session of31 August 1954.
78. Official LetterNo. (M)-3-0-A/3 of 7 Febmary 1955 from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs ofPem.
79. RepOliof the Foreign Affairs COimnittee of the Congress ofPem on theAgreements
and Conventions signed by Peru, Chile and Ecuador in Santiago, on 18 August
1952;and in Lima, 4 December 1954.
80. Declaration of the Head of the Chilean Delegation contained in the Act of the
Closing Ceremony ofthe Conference on the Exploitation andConselvation ofMaIine
Resources of the South Pacific of 19August 1952.
81. Memoria del Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores (28 de julio de 1954 - 28 de julio
de 1955). Lima, Talleres Gràficos P. L. Villanueva, 1955.
82. Memoria del Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores (28 de julio de 1955 - 28 de julio
de 1956). Lima, Talleres Gnificos P. L. Villanueva, 1956.
83. Statement made by Presidents Lanusse of Argentina and Allende of Chile. "Salta
Declaration" of 24 luly 1971.
84. Joint Declaration of Presidents Juan Velasco Alvarado ofPem and Salvador Allende
ofChile, 3 September 1971.
85. loint Declaration of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs ofPem and Chile, 16 llUle
1978.
86. Official COlmmmiquéof the Minishy ofForeignAffairs ofChile of 13JIme 1986.
87. List ofGeographical Co-ordinates Deposited by Chile with the Secretary-General
of the United Nations on 21 September 2000.
88. Declaration of Santiago of 14August 2002.
89. Joint COlmmmiquéof the Ministers of Foreign Affairs ofPeru and Chile, Rio de
Janeiro , 4 November 2004.
Memorial of Peru