大陸邊外緣準則：大陸架權利新標準？－－評孟加拉/緬甸海洋劃界案

The Doctrine of the Outer Edge of the Continental Margin: A New Doctrine of Entitlement to the Continental Shelf? - Comments on Dispute concerning Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary between Bangladesh and Myanmar

國際海洋法法庭於2012年裁決的孟加拉／緬甸海洋劃界案涉及了國際社會第一起200海裡外大陸架劃界糾紛。在本案的裁決中，法庭不僅多次否定自然延伸原則的大陸架權利基礎地位，而且明確提出了一個“大陸邊外緣”準則，聲稱只要大陸邊外緣之所在該沿海國就可以要求200海裡外大陸架的主權權利，而無需考慮其大陸架的地質地貌情況。法庭實際上提出了一個全新的大陸架權利基礎標準，從而可能既因此導致窄大陸架國家主張擴展其大陸架以至於不當地引發大陸架劃界糾紛，也可能因此導致侵蝕“國際海底區域”的範圍，損害全人類共同利益。總體上看，法庭的上述裁決缺乏條約基礎和國際司法判例的支援，無論是1982年《海洋法公約》還是國際司法判例都從未有過“大陸邊外緣”準則這種大陸架權利基礎的法律地位。因而，國際社會尤其是《海洋法公約》的締約國應對此給予高度重視，並有義務宣示主張以維護國際法制的權威和整個國際社會的利益。

On 14 March 2012, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) delivers its judgment on the dispute concerning delimitation of the maritime boundary between Bangladesh and Myanmar in the Bay of Bengal (Bangladesh/Myanmar case) which concerns the first dispute about delimitation of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles (nm) In its judgment, ITLOS repeatedly denies its legal status of the basis of entitlement to the continental shelf of the Natural Prolongation Principle, and definitely puts forward a doctrine of the Outer Edge of the Continental Margin It declares that a coastal State could require having the entitlement to a continental shelf beyond 200 nm by reference to the outer edge of the continental margin, and without basing on both geological and geomorphological evidence of its continental shelf It means that the Tribunal puts forward a new doctrine of the basis of entitlement, which possibly shall bring forth a lot of improper disputes concerning delimitation of continental shelf because of enlarging their continental shelf for the geographically disadvantaged States, or lead to erode the scope of the Area and then damage to the common interest of mankind On the whole, the judgment lacks of basis of treaties or international judicial precedents, because the legal status of the doctrine of the outer edge of the continental margin is never made clear in either the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982) or international judicial precedents Therefore, it is significant for the States of the 1982s Convention to claim their opinion definitely so as to maintain the authority of the international law or to protect the common interest of mankind.