Statement by the Delegation of Ukraine at the 25th meeting of the State Parties of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
12 June 2015 23:15
Statement by the Delegation of Ukraine at the 25th SPLOS
under a.i. 14 “Report of the Secretary-General under article 319 for the information of States parties on issues of a general nature, relevant to States parties, which have arisen with respect to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (A/69/71/Add.1).”
Mr. President,
We thank the Secretary-General and the Division for their useful and comprehensive reports. My delegation would like to intervene under article 319 and make a statement with regard to the fulfilment of Ukraine’s obligations under the United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in Crimea and Ukraine’s territorial sea, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the Black Sea along the coast of the Crimean Peninsula.
Mr. President,
In 1992 Ukraine, acting under Article 16 of the UNCLOS deposited a list of geographical coordinates measuring the breadth of its territorial sea, exclusive economic zone and its continental shelf in the Black Sea, including those along the coast of the Crimean peninsula. Apart from the sovereign rights of Ukraine as a coastal State, Ukraine has taken upon itself a number of obligations under the UNCLOS to provide for the safety of navigation and the regulation of maritime traffic.
Ukraine already stressed that the Russian Federation impedes the fulfillment of a number of Ukraine’s international obligations under the respective treaties and conventional instruments over the part of the sovereign territory of Ukraine. Ukraine’s sovereignty over Crimea is unquestionable. It has been endorsed by the UN General Assembly resolution 68/262 dated 27 March 2014.
This matter has been brought up in the framework of the International Maritime Organization. In order to prevent illegal use of Ukraine`s maritime and natural resources in Crimea by the Russian Federation, the seaports of Ukraine in the cities of Yevpatoria, Feodosia, Yalta, Kerch and Sevastopol were officially closed starting from 15 July 2014 and until the restoration of the constitutional order of Ukraine in the temporarily occupied territory.
Mr. President,
We would like to request the Secretariat to reflect the following in the report of the 25th SPLOS:
Russia’s "taking over" Ukraine’s responsibility for the international shipping issues, including those regarding the safety of navigation, protection of marine environment from ship pollution, search and rescue, ship registration, certification of crew members of seagoing vessels in maritime areas adjacent to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, which are an integral part of the territory of Ukraine, constitutes an internationally wrongful act which entails international responsibility of the Russian Federation.
Mr. President,
Ukraine is resolved to take all necessary measures provided for by the UNCLOS in order to restore the lawful legal regime of UNCLOS over Crimea and Ukraine’s territorial sea, EEZ and continental shelf.
I thank you.
