ABSTRACT
South America is a vast region of the American continent that has States in two different oceans: the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. This chapter examines the geographical extent and governance framework of South America that are relevant to seabed mining. South American Pacific States from north to south are Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile. On this side of the region, the smaller number of States simplifies the territorial issues. In this sense, it must be welcomed that every maritime boundary between these four States is delimited, either by agreement. In any case, the adoption of updated mining codes by these states, that would establish the normative framework of seabed mining activities, could very likely help in overcoming the current uncertainties of these activities, particularly in terms of their environmental impact. In other words, the updating of national legislations could potentially make a significant contribution.
