ICJ: Peru Files Application in Maritime Boundary Dispute with Chile

Today, Peru instituted proceedings against Chile before the International Court of Justice concerning a dispute regarding “the delimitation of the boundary between the maritime zones of the two States in the Pacific Ocean, beginning at a point on the coast called Concordia, . . . the terminal point of the land boundary established pursuant to the Treaty . . . of 3 June 1929,” and the recognition in favour of Peru of a “maritime zone lying within 200 nautical miles of Peru’s coast, and thus appertaining to Peru, but which Chile considers to be part of the high seas.” Peru “requests the Court to determine the course of the boundary between the maritime zones of the two States in accordance with international law . . . and to adjudge and declare that Peru possesses exclusive sovereign rights in the maritime area situated within the limit of 200 nautical miles from its coast but outside Chile’s exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.” Peru invokes Article XXXI of the American Treaty on Pacific Settlement (Pact of Bogotá) of April 30, 1948, as the basis for the Court's jurisdiction. The ICJ press release is here.