In a historic move, Ghana has lodged a submission to the United Nations to extend access to additional areas of seabed, potentially by an extra 150 nautical miles. By extending the area of its continental shelf from 200nm to a possible 350nm under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Ghana would gain exclusive sovereign rights to explore and exploit a wealth of natural resources. Ghana, not the Commission, will set the outer limits of the continental shelf "on the basis of the Commission's recommendations" which are "final and binding." What is a continental shelf? The continental shelf of a coastal state comprises the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea throughout the natural prolongation of its land territory to the outer edge of the continental margin, or to a distance of 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured where the outer edge of the continental margin does not extend up to that distance. (Source: Article 76, 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) "As Ghana joins the list of other coastal countries which have already lodged their submissions, it is pertinent to note that we are witnessing the most significant and peaceful acquisition of territory by States during peace time," explains Judy Ndaona, Legal Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat, who helped Ghana prepare their submission. "It is a truly remarkable achievement for countries to acquire thousands of square kilometers of seabed and subsoil without the use of arms." This submission was the result of a project involving technical, scientific and legal advice from a range of Ghana's government agencies as well as external institutions. Ghana emphasised that the submission was "prepared notwithstanding significant challenges posed by technical capacity and financial resources. In this regard, Ghana has received technical assistance from the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources during the preparation of the submission." "For the greater part of this decade, the Commonwealth Secretariat has been encouraging member countries to prepare and submit their claims for additional seabed in order to maximise their maritime areas and the potential benefits that come with them," said Ms Ndaona. Source: allAfrica.org