As the dispute over the Sir Creek maritime boundary with Pakistan remains unresolved, India is filing its claim in the United Nations for extending its continental shelf before the May 13 deadline, a senior armed forces official said in New Delhi on Sunday (22nd March). If India's claim is approved by the UN, India will get exclusive rights over mineral and non-living resources in nearly 250 square miles of area in the Kutch region.

 

Though Indian authorities are confident of resolving the issues during the next dialogue with Pakistan, the government will be staking a claim before the UN. The official also said that, all the nations have been asked to stake their claim to the continental shelf by May 13, 2009 and if a nation does not meet the deadline, all the countries can come and explore the waters.

 

The Cabinet Committee on Security has already cleared the claim. The Ministry of External Affairs will soon stake the claim before the 21-member UN Committee on Legal Continental Shelf. The United Nations’ Convention on the Laws of Sea, gives coastal countries an exclusive right over the resources in the continental shelf, even if it extends beyond their Exclusive Economic Zone. Both India and Pakistan are signatories to this convention.