Opening Statement by Mr. Yasuhisa Shiozaki, Senior Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan

at the International Symposium on Scientific and Technical Aspects on the Establishment of the Outer Limits of the Continental Shelf beyond 200 Nautical Miles

March 2006

Mr. Chairman,
Honourable Delegates,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the organisers of this symposium, I would like to thank you and extend a cordial welcome to all of you, who have come from all over the world to be here.

This "International Symposium on Scientific and Technical Aspects on the Establishment of the Outer Limits of the Continental Shelf beyond 200 Nautical Miles" is being held under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the United Nations University, and is supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the Japan Coast Guard and the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy.

Due to Japan's geography, it has been, and still is, essential for us to fully utilise the ocean. This is why Japan has been very active in ocean-related works at various international fora. Organising this symposium is one of many examples that show our strong commitment in this regard.

I myself have long been a staunch advocate of Japan's leadership in ocean affairs. In June last year, with many colleagues from the Diet, I went on board one of Japan's research vessels anchoring at Tokyo harbour. There, I enjoyed discussions with experts on the functions of the vessel and their research activities. I see some familiar faces from the Diet in the front seats this morning. Some of my colleagues are here today, because, I believe, we share the same cause.

On the opening of the symposium, I would like to give you some of my views related to the theme of the symposium, and share with you some hopes that I have for this symposium.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea provides the rules for establishing the outer limit of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles, and the parties to the Convention are given 10 years to prepare and submit information to this end.

Let me briefly touch on a couple of important aspects of establishing the limits of the continental shelf.

The first aspect relates to its economic significance.

So far, few of the resources under the sea ground have been utilised, because our technologies are not up to it yet. However, this does not diminish their economic importance. Maybe not now, but in future, resources buried under the seabed will surely have great significance not just for coastal states but also for the prosperous future of human kind.

The benefit of establishing the limits of the continental shelf is not limited to the economic sense.

In my view, it is to stabilise the geographical order of the sea. It is another important aspect of the issue. Throughout the last century, we all worked hard to establish the geographical order of and under the ocean. This resulted in the epoch-making adoption of the UN Convention. The UN Convention has then tasked us to go further to establish the outer limits of the continental shelf. When the limits of the continental shelf are fixed, the geographical order of the sea becomes finally stabilised.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In 1999, the United Nation's Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf issued the guidelines on establishing the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. Since then, many states have begun researching to prepare information, which they then will submit to the Commission. Japan is no exception.

However, some developing countries are facing difficulties in their pursuits due to insufficient scientific and technical knowledge.

While Japan and many other nations are still in the midst of the research phase, we have gained experience and knowledge that can be shared with others. Countries which have already submitted their information to the Commission have acquired skills and experience that could be helpful to us. It is my belief that such exchange of information will facilitate the submission processes in many countries.

I am certain that sharing of information is also of great benefit to the members of the Commission. They are the ones who examine the information submitted by coastal states. They are the ones who need to know what are at stake in establishing the outer limits of the continental shelf.

Geography and geology of the seabed vary greatly. It is common knowledge among experts, I was told, that the geography and geology of the seabed of the northwest Pacific Ocean are extremely complex. Nations located in this part of the Pacific share the same kind of concerns in their submissions. I consider it highly beneficial to all concerned to exchange information on the results of marine research and the analyses of different marine environments.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me now share with you three hopes that I have for this symposium.

First, I hope to see this symposium as an occasion to exchange information with a view to helping countries which are preparing, or going to prepare, for their submissions to the Commission.

I understand that our colleagues from Australia will kindly share with us their experiences of the submission. We will also hear the experiences of some Asia-Pacific countries, and the difficulties they face. I am sure that the participation from two international organisations, UNEP/GRID and AB-LOS, and from the UN Secretariat will be valuable input to our discussions.

My second hope is to make this symposium an opportunity to exchange information on diverse geology, geophysics and hydrography. We are honoured to have Professor Le Pichon, eminent authority in "active margins", who will speak about that tomorrow. We have a number of leading experts in their respective fields with us here. I would expect that participants will be able to deepen their knowledge on the latest findings and the most advanced analyses through active discussions.

My third and last hope is that this symposium will give impetus to the international community to help developing countries in their submissions to the Commission. Opportunity to establish the limits of the continental shelf is open to developed and developing countries alike. All countries wishing to benefit from this unprecedented project will have to do so, regardless of their economic development stages or natural environments. I will be truly pleased if today's and tomorrow's discussions will be of any help in this regard.

I would like to end my speech with an earnest wish for the great success of this symposium. I also hope each of you a good and enjoyable stay in Tokyo.

Thank you.