Abstract

This article examines the Brazilian interpretation and application of Article 121 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) through analysis of the St. Peter and St. Paul insular features, historically considered as a group of rocks. Prior to the entry into force of UNCLOS, Brazil implemented a three-step process to change the legal status of these features in order to claim an exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. More recently, Brazil has strengthened its basis of claim through the employment of straight baselines and the establishment of a large-scale marine protected area around St. Peter and St. Paul. It is argued that Brazil has used a flexible understanding of the human habitation requirement and relied on debatable state practice in order to maximize its maritime areas around these features.

摘要

本文通过对圣彼得和圣保罗岛的特征进行分析，考察了巴西对《联合国海洋法公约》（《海洋法公约》）第121条的解释和适用，这些特征在历史上被认为是一组岩石。在《海洋法公约》生效之前，巴西实行了三步程序来改变这些地物的法律地位，以便获得专属经济区和大陆架。最近，巴西通过采用直线基准并在圣彼得和圣保罗周围建立了大规模的海洋保护区，加强了其主张的依据。有人认为，巴西对人居要求有灵活的理解，并依赖有争议的国家惯例，以使这些特征周围的海域最大化。