海域劃界趨勢之研究

Abstract

海域劃界爭端常在各國謀取最大國家利益時伴隨而來，如何和平的解決爭議便是一個相當重要的議題。本論文探討的部分即為國際法院在解決此般爭議時所採用的方法，並分析解決爭議時法院所採用的程序與方式，進而理解過往案例的判決如何影響現在法院的決策，並依此分析出海域劃界趨勢的演變。 島嶼制度與比例概念是國際法院在解決劃界糾紛之時常作為考量的重要因素，因此本論文從這兩個角度切入，分析1982年的突尼西亞訴利比亞大陸礁層案、1984年的美國／加拿大緬因灣地區海洋疆界案、1985年的利比亞/馬爾他大陸礁層案、1993年的格陵蘭與揚馬延島海域劃界案、2009年烏克蘭與羅馬尼亞間的黑海劃界案以及2012年尼加拉瓜訴哥倫比亞領土與海洋爭端等案中的國際法院判決，並藉由這些案件瞭解法院如何採納並解釋判決，建立劃界時的固定程序，最後驗證劃界結果是否成比例。 島嶼制度上，由於《聯合國海洋法公約》對島嶼的定義仍有許多可討論之處，使的法院在審理時需要因案而異，藉由判決確立島嶼的詳細定義及其所享有之效力。法院在判決中可能會依照爭端國先前的協議、島嶼的面積、人口、與大陸的距離、位置等因素對島嶼的效力做出裁決，由判例中可以觀察出法院需要在審理每一個案件時依據上述的條件進行考量，最後在劃界結果上進行調整，給予島嶼所享有的權利。 而比例概念是自1909年瑞典、挪威間Grisbadarna劃界案提出中線原則後，與後來發展出的等距原則一同納入《海洋法公約》中。並由國際法院在判決中多次運用與實踐，才成為習慣國際法的一部分，但在案件判決之中也可以觀察到從海岸線長度、相關海域面積到島嶼面積等皆可做為考量，顯示出比例具有不確定性與主觀性的特徵。雖然有如此的特徵，法院在由案例判決逐漸建立的三段式劃界方法中仍然採用比例概念作為對劃界線的調整基礎，並在最後驗證時檢驗結果是否成比例。隨著三段式劃界方式已成為審理案件的基礎，比例概念也成為海域劃界趨勢中重要的一個環節。When nations seeking the interest in the maritime, the boundary disputes will occur. This thesis is focused on the methods to solve such issues by submitting issues to the international tribunals such as the International Court of Justice (I.C.J.), International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Based on the judgments of the International Court of Justice, indicated the trends and the mechanisms of how the courts determine the solution of such disputes can be observed. The regime of islands and the proportionality are two primary concerns when the court need to resolve the maritime disputes, this thesis will analyze several case judgments of the I.C.J. from 1982 to 2012 to understand the trends of maritime boundary delimitation. Though the regime of islands is a part of the United Nations Law of the Sea, the definitions of islands are not clear enough, which results disputes and potential conflicts of the claimants, the I.C.J. has to resolve such disputes by defining the rights and the boundary by prior agreements, population and other factors. The judgments indicated that the court has to determine the rights and the boundary of the relevant nations case by case. The proportionality can be considered as a vital part of the three-stage delimitation process implemented by the I.C.J., purposed in 1909’s Grisbadarna case, it has become a part of the UNCLOS. Ranging from the length of the relevant coast, relevant coast area and other factors, the court has defined a three-stage method, in the first stage, the Court establishes a provisional delimitation line between territories of the Parties by using methods that are geometrically objective and appropriate for the geography of the area to construct an equidistance line, where the relevant coasts are adjacent, or a median line between the two coasts, where the relevant coasts are opposite. In the second stage, the court considers whether there are any relevant circumstances which may call for an adjustment or shifting of the provisional equidistance/median line so as to achieve an equitable result. At the final stage, third stage, the court will verify that the line does not, as it stands, lead to an inequitable result by reason of any marked disproportion between the ratio of the respective coastal lengths and the ratio between the relevant maritime area of each State by reference to the delimitation line. Such three-stage process has become a crucial way in the delimitation process.