May 23, 2019
GeoLimits Consulting assists in the partial submission of Canada to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf regarding its continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean
On May 23, 2019, Canada filed its submission with the Commission on the 
Limits of the Continental Shelf regarding its continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean. The partial submission has been prepared as a joint effort of the Department of Global Affairs, the Department of Natural Resources (Geological Survey of Canada) and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Canadian Hydrographic Service). GeoLimits Consulting provided advice and assisted in the preparation of the partial submission with all three departments.
The outer limits of the continental shelf comprising are delineated by 877 fixed points in two segments: one lying within Canada Basin; and the other lying within Amundsen Basin. In the Arctic, Canada faced the challenge of collecting data in areas that are ice-covered, difficult to access and, in most instances, had not been previously surveyed. Data collection for the purpose of the submission commenced in 2006 and concluded in 2016.
The Executive Summary can be viewed at:
https://www.un.org/Depts/los/clcs_new/submissions_files/can1_84_2019/CDA_ARC_ES_EN_secured.pdf
And additional information about the partial submission can be found at:
December 18, 2012
GeoLimits Consulting assists in the submission by the Tuvalu, France (for Wallis and Futuna) and New Zealand (Tokelau) to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf
The three coastal States of Tuvalu, France and New Zealand made a joint submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on July 26th 2010. The submission concerning the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles in the region of the Robbie Ridge was prepared collaboratively by Government officials from Tuvalu, with assistance by the Commonwealth Secretariat and GeoLimits Consulting; from the Republic of France: Secrétariat Général de la Mer (SGMer), L’Institut français de recherche pour l’exploitation de la mer (Ifremer) and, Le Service hydrographique et océanographique de la Marine (SHOM), and from New Zealand: Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences Ltd and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
GeoLimits Consulting was engaged by the Commonwealth Secretariat to perform the technical analysis, jointly with the other coastal State’s technical teams and assist in drafting technical components of the submission documents. Technical workshops were held in Sydney, Australia and Noumea, New Caledonia in 2012. Geocap software was used to determine the outer limits of the continental shelf pursuant to Article 76 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The Executive Summary can viewed at:
http://www.un.org/Depts/los/clcs_new/submissions_files/submission_tft_62_2012.htm
Commonwealth Secretariat Press Release:
http://www.thecommonwealth.org/news/34580/34581/251777/071212seabedtfnz.htm
May 1, 2012
GeoLimits Consulting assisted the Cook Islands as it appeared before the United Nations to seek approval of its submission for additional areas of resource-rich seabed.
GeoLimits Consulting assisted the Cook Islands, from 23 to 27 April, in preparing and presenting their submission through assistance to the Cook Islands from the Commonwealth Secretariat and shall continue to be a part of the delegation representing the Cook Islands in meetings with the subcommission.
Delegation of the Cook Islands at the offices for the Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea. From left to right: Mr. Paul Lynch, Dr. Jim Gosselin, Mr. Vaipo Mataora (Cook Islands), Dr. Alain Murphy (GeoLimits) and Mr. Joshua Brien (Commonwealth Secretariat)
The Cook Islands became the first small island Pacific country to make a continental shelf submission to the UN, when it lodged its submission on 16 April 2009. In the submission, the Cook Islands seeks to secure access to 416,000 square kilometres of additional seabed in the region of the Manihiki Plateau, making it one of the single largest areas of extended continental shelf in the world to be examined to date.
A 7 member subcommission of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf began their examination of the submission at the 28th session (September, 2011) and addressed a number of initial questions to the delegation of the Cook Islands. The subcommission will continue its examination into the next session of the Commission.
More information can be found at:
http://www.thecommonwealth.org/news/34580/34581/246674/300412cookislands.htm
January 13, 2012
Alain Murphy of GeoLimits Consulting presented a public lecture entitled:
“Arctic Landgrab? Not quite: The Changing geography of the Arctic Seabed beyond 200 nautical miles”
part of the Arctic Forum Lecture Series, sponsored by the Marine & Environmental Law Institute
on FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2012
12:00 – 2:00 PM
Room 406, Schulich School of Law, Weldon Law Building, Dalhousie University
Details of the lecture and others in the Arctic Forum series of lectures can be found at here.
September 30, 2011
Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf establish a subcommission to examine the submission made by the Cook Islands in respect of the Manihiki Plateau
At its twenty-eighth session, the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf established a subcommission to examine the submission made by the Cook Islands in respect of the Manihiki Plateau on April 16, 2009. The 7 member subcommission began their examination of the submission at the 28th session and addressed a number of initial questions to the delegation of the Cook Islands. They shall resume their consideration of the submission from 23 to 27 April, 2012. Details can be found in the Statement by the Chairperson of the Commission (CLCS/72)
GeoLimits Consulting assisted the Cook Islands in preparing and presenting their submission through assistance to the Cook Islands from the Commonwealth Secretariat and shall comprise part of the delegation representing the Cook Islands in meetings with the subcommission.
July 22, 2011
GeoLimits Consulting assists Pacific Islands States with Maritime Boundary Issues at a Regional Workshop
GeoLimits Consulting recently participated in the continuing series of workshops, regularly held in Sydney, aimed at settling unresolved maritime boundaries and make a series of new extended continental shelf submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. The workshop, part of an ongoing series, is based on a regional approach to resolving maritime boundary issues and is organised by the Pacific Islands Applied GeoScience Commission (SOPAC), the UN Environment Programme, Grid-Arendal, Geoscience Australia. GeoLimits Consulting provided technical assistance through the Commonwealth Secretariat.
GeoLimits Consulting assisted a number of Pacific coastal States to prepare new submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, in addition to assessing new developments and data for existing submissions. This workshop also saw a shift in focus to maritime boundary determination with work done baselines, EEZ calculation and equidistance line calculation.
May 28, 2011
GeoLimits Consulting presents at the Joint Annual Meeting of the Geological Association of Canada, the Mineralogical Association of Canada, the Society of Economic Geologists and the Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits.
Alain Murphy of GeoLimits Consulting presented a talk entitled “Lessons from recommendations of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf” coauthored with Jacob Verhoef of the Geological Survey of Canada. The talk presented an analysis of the recommendations issued to date by the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf and what implications these recommendations may have for future submissions. The abstract can be viewed at:
http://gac.esd.mun.ca/gac_2011/search_abs/sub_program.asp?sess=98&form=10&abs_no=168
Recommendations of the Commission can be viewed at:
http://www.un.org/Depts/los/clcs_new/commission_recommendations.htm
March 31, 2011
GeoLimits Consulting assists the Republic of Maldives in its presentation to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf
The Republic of Maldives formally presented its submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf at the United Nations in New York on March 31st, 2011. The Maldives delegation was led by HE Mr. Ameen Faisal, National Security Advisor to the President. GeoLimits Consulting provided technical support through the Commonwealth Secretariat.
The Executive Summary can be viewed at:
http://www.un.org/Depts/los/clcs_new/submissions_files/submission_mdv_53_2010.htm
November 12, 2010
GeoLimits Consulting assists Pacific Islands States with Maritime Boundary Issues at a Regional Workshop
GeoLimits Consulting participated in a workshop, held in Sydney, aimed at settling unresolved maritime boundaries and make a series of new extended continental shelf submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. The workshop, part of an ongoing series, is based on a regional approach to resolving maritime boundary issues and is organised by the Pacific Islands Applied GeoScience Commission (SOPAC), the UN Environment Programme, Grid-Arendal, Geoscience Australia. GeoLimits Consulting provided technical assistance through the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Further information can be found at the Commonwealth Secretariat website at:
http://www.thecommonwealth.org/news/34580/34581/231796/151110maritimeboundariespacific.htm
And the SOPAC website at:
October 1, 2010
GeoLimits Consulting assists Kenya prepare for maritime boundary negotiations with Somalia
GeoLimits Consulting recently participated in a workshop held in Kenya to assist in the preparation of maritime boundary negotiations with Somalia. GeoLimits Consulting is providing technical assistance through the Commonwealth Secretariat. The Commonwealth Secretariat is assisting the Government of the Republic of Kenya to prepare for maritime boundary negotiations with Somalia by providing legal and technical expert advice.
More information on the workshop can be found at:
http://www.thecommonwealth.org/news/34580/34581/231326/271010kenyasomaliamaritimeboundaries.htm
July 20, 2010
GeoLimits Consulting assists the Republic of Palau in its presentation to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf
The Republic of Palau formally presented its submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf at the United Nations in New York on August 20th, 2010. The Palau delegation was led by HE Amb. Hersey Kyota. GeoLimits Consulting providing technical support.
The Executive Summary can be viewed at:
http://www.un.org/Depts/los/clcs_new/submissions_files/submission_plw_41_2009.htm
July 27, 2010
GeoLimits Consulting assists in the submission by the Republic of Maldives to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf
The Republic of Maldives made its submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on July 26th 2010. The submission for 168,000 sq km of continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles was prepared by Maldives Government officials, with assistance by the Commonwealth Secretariat and GeoLimits Consulting, in record time.
GeoLimits Consulting was engaged by the Commonwealth Secretariat to perform the technical analysis and assist in drafting technical components of the submission documents. Analysis was carried out in Malé, Republic of Maldives and Bedford, Canada on bathymetric and geophysical data from a variety of sources. Geocap software was used to determine the outer limits of the continental shelf pursuant to Article 76 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“The submission is world-class and stands as a testament to the hard work of a dedicated team of government officials and external advisors who have completed this complex task in record time.” said Joshua Brien, Programme Leader and Legal Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat who oversaw the project.
The Executive Summary can viewed at:
http://www.un.org/Depts/los/clcs_new/submissions_files/submission_mdv_53_2010.htm
Commonwealth Secretariat Press Release:
http://www.thecommonwealth.org/news/34580/227436/270710maldivescontinentalshelf.htm