ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the development of the international law of the sea with particular focus on the legal regime relating to the delimitation of petroleum-related maritime zones, namely the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf. It examines some historical perspectives on the law of the sea with particular emphasis on the role that seabed resources have played in its progressive development. The chapter explores the most representative efforts held at an international level to determine and codify the legal framework of maritime delimitation. It describes the preparatory works carried by the International Law Commission before and during the 1958 Codification Conference. The chapter reviews the negotiations held at United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) III Conference. It discusses how the International Court of Justice and other international decision-making bodies have interpreted and applied the provisions of UNCLOS on maritime delimitation in the cases that followed the conclusion and entry into force of the 1982 Convention.
