masakunの日記： CLCS/74 大陸棚限界委員会の議長声明

タレコミ「日本の大陸棚延伸申請が認められる」の続き:

公開されている CLCS/74 - Progress of work in the Commission on the Limits of the continental Shelf - Statement by the Chairperson - Twenty-ninth session より、
日本の申請に関する部分を抽出してみた。

Item 6 Submission made by Japan 5

Consideration of draft recommendations

16. The Commission resumed its consideration of the draft recommendations, which had been introduced to it by the Subcommission at the twenty-eighth session see CLCS/72, paras. 12-15).
17. Addressing the Shikoku Basin Region, the Commission did not agree that the whole area beyond the formula lines should be included in the continental shelf of
apan, and therefore amended the draft recommendations.
18. Addressing the Southern Kyushu-Palau Ridge Region, the Commission noted hat, in accordance with the decision taken by the Commission at its twenty-fourth session (see CLCS/64, para. 26), the Subcommission had prepared the draft ecommendations on all parts of the submission. The Commission also recalled that, ccording to the same decision, it would not take action on certain parts of those ecommendations until it decided to do so. The Commission also took note of all the elevant communications received from China, Japan, Palau, the Republic of Korea and the United States of America, including the most recent communications
eceived from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
19. The Commission proceeded to a formal vote on whether it should take action on the part of the recommendations relating to the Southern Kyushu-Palau Ridge Region. Responding to a question as to whether this was a matter of substance or of procedure, the Chairperson ruled that it was one of substance, requiring a two-thirds majority. That ruling was contested and subsequently upheld by a simple majority of 8 votes in favour, 7 against and 1 abstention. The Commission then discussed the method of voting and decided to follow rule 38 of the Rules of Procedure, which stipulates that “the Commission shall normally vote by a show of hands”. Thereafter, the Commission voted on the proposal to take action on the part of the draft recommendations relating to the Southern Kyushu-Palau Ridge Region. The proposal did not receive a two-thirds majority of votes: out of 16 members, 5 were in favour, 8 were against and 3 abstained. The Commission considered that it would not be in a position to take action on the parts of the recommendations relating to the Southern Kyushu-Palau Ridge Region until such time as the matters referred to in the communications referred to above had been resolved.

Adoption of recommendations
20. On 19 April 2012, the Commission adopted by consensus the
“Recommendations of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in
regard to the submission made by Japan on 12 November 2008”.
21. Pursuant to article 6, paragraph 3, of annex II to the Convention, the
recommendations, including a summary thereof,4 were submitted in writing to the
coastal State and to the Secretary-General on 26 April 2012.

争点の「九州・パラオ海嶺南部海域(KPR)」に関しては、委員会（可決には2/3の得票が必要）の投票によって認められなかったそうだ。なお今回の議長声明にも「沖ノ鳥島」というキーワードはどこにもないのだが、参照資料として提示されている CLCS/64 Item 8 では「沖ノ鳥島」が争点になっている。

よって大陸棚限界委員会は、沖ノ鳥島について、島であるとも岩であるとも判断を下していない。「九州・パラオ海嶺南部海域(KPR)」が日本の大陸棚として認められなかった、ただそれだけのことだ。