The historic Anglo-Argentinean dispute, since 1833 has flared up again over territorial claims over the Atlantic Sea Bed in the search for oil, mineral and gas reserves.

In a recent submission to the United Nation’s, both Argentina and Britain has requested to extend control over almost identical underwater land area’s in the Falkland and surrounding area of South Georgia and South Sandwich islands, to meet the United Nations Commissions on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (UNCLCS) deadline of 13 May 2009.

The 63 page document, prepared by the British government was submitted only 2 weeks after the Argentinean application, which is said to identify very similar territories.  Argentineans Deputy Foreign Minister, Victorio Tracetti has presented 40 volumes of documentation, which consists of 11 years of research into defending Argentina’s national sovereignty in opposition to the British claim.  Argentina has also extended its claim as far as the Antarctic lands, extending to millions of square kilometres.

The claims have been presented to the UN for review, but it appears that a decision cannot be made if two claims for the same land area are received.  The UN has already heightened old and new tensions between the two states, already resulting in a visit by Gordon Brown to Argentina, but in the case of overlapping claims, the UN will ‘freeze’ any exploitation of land within 200 miles of existing ownership both countries reconsider.

Unfortunately, the Unites States has not ratified its UN convention for the Law of the Sea, which may generate further underwater land disputes as Australia, Ghana, Pakistan, Norway, South Africa, Iceland, Denmark, France, Vietnam, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Kenya and others have submitted their claims to the sea!  This carving up of the ocean to exploit natural minerals is a tough battle all countries are prepared to fight for, due to the significant long terms financial rewards that lay ahead.

The cancellation by Buenos Aires’s agreement with the British government to co-operate on underwater prospecting is a signal of significant tensions ahead, thus the role of the UN will be critical in minimising the deteriorating relationship (politically and in terms of trade) between Britain and Argentina.

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