Dispute between Argentina and Chile concerning the Beagle Channel

213 Pages·2007·4.68 MB·French

REPORTS OF INTERNATIONAL
ARBITRAL AWARDS
RECUEIL DES SENTENCES
ARBITRALES
Dispute between Argentina and Chile concerning the Beagle Channel
18 February 1977
VOLUME XXI pp.53-264
NATIONS UNIES - UNITED NATIONS
Copyright (c) 2006
PART II
Case concerning a dispute between
Argentina and Chile
concerning the Beagle Channel
Affaire concernant un litige entre la République argentine
et la République du Chili
relatif au canal de Beagle

CASE CONCERNING A DISPUTE BETWEEN ARGENTINA
AND CHILE CONCERNING THE BEAGLE CHANNEL
[Editorial note
A dispute having arisen between Argentina and Chile concerning
the territorial and maritime boundaries between them and the title to
certain islands, islets and rocks near the extreme end of the South
American continent (the region of the eastern Beagle Channel), an Arbi-
tration Tribunal was established pursuant to a compromise signed on
22 July 1971 (see p. 64 below). On 18 February 1977, the Tribunal ren-
dered its award (see p. 77 below).
In an exchange of diplomatic notes dated 25 and 26 January 1978
(see p. 226 below), Argentina declared the award insuperably null and
void in accordance with international law and Chile rejected this "decla-
ration of invalidity".
On 20 February 1978, Argentina and Chile signed an agreement in
Puerto Montt, Chile, to resolve through negotiations issues pertaining to
the relations between the two countries, particularly those stemming
from the situation in the southern region (see p. 237 below). On 8 Janu-
ary 1979, the two States signed the Act of Montevideo by which they
requested the Holy See to act as a mediator with regard to their dispute
over the southern region (see p. 240 below).
On 12 December 1980, the Holy See delivered a papal proposal for
the solution of the dispute in the southern region to the two States (see
p. 243 below). On 23 January 1984, the two States signed a joint declara-
tion of peace and friendship, reaffirming their will to achieve a settle-
ment to the dispute submitted to the mediation of His Holiness, Pope
John Paul II, without delay (see p. 249 below). On 29 November 1984
Argentina and Chile signed a treaty of peace and friendship which,
"taking especially into account the Proposal of the Mediator, sugges-
tions and advise", defined the boundary between the respective sover-
eignties over the sea, seabed and subsoil of the two countries in the sea
oí the southern zone (see p. 250 below).]
55
AFFAIRE CONCERNANT UN LITIGE ENTRE LA RÉPUBLIQUE
ARGENTINE ET LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CHILI RELATIF AU
CANAL DE BEAGLE
[Note de l'éditeur
Un différend ayant surgi entre l'Argentine et le Chili à propos des
frontières terrestres et maritimes entre les deux pays et de la revendica-
tion de certains îles, îlots et rochers situés à l'extrémité du continent
sud-américain (la région orientale du canal de Beagle), une cour d'arbi-
trage a été instituée en vertu d'un compromis signé le 22 juillet 1971
(voir ci-après p. 64). Le 18 février 1977, la cour a rendu sa sentence (voir
ci-après p. 77).
Dans un échange de notes diplomatiques datées des 25 et 26 janvier
1978 (voir ci-après p. 226), l'Argentine a déclaré la sentence nulle et non
avenue au regard du droit international. Le Chili a rejeté cette "déclara-
tion de nullité".
Le 20 février 1978, l'Argentine et le Chili ont signé à Puerto Montt
(Chili) un accord en vue de régler par voie de négociations, les ques-
tions ayant trait aux relations entre les deux pays, notamment celles
découlant de la situation dans la région australe (voir ci-après p. 237). Le
8 janvier 1979, les deux Etats ont signé l'acte de Montevideo par lequel
ils ont prié le Saint-Siège d'intervenir en médiateur dans le différend
dont la région australe faisait l'objet (voir ci-après p. 240).
Le 12 décembre 1980, le Saint-Siège a saisi les deux Etats d'une
proposition de règlement du différend dans la région australe, émanant
du Pape (voir ci-après p. 243). Le 23 janvier 1984, les deux Etats ont
signé une déclaration de paix et d'amitié conjointe réaffirmant leur
volonté de régler rapidement le différend soumis à la médiation de
S. S. le pape Jean-Paul II (voir ci-après p. 249). Le 29 novembre 1984,
l'Argentine et le Chili ont signé un traité de paix et d'amitié qui, "tenant
compte en particulier de la Proposition du médiateur, des suggestions et
conseils", a défini les domaines de souveraineté respectifs des deux
Etats sur la mer, les fonds marins et le sous-sol dans l'espace maritime
de la zone australe (voir ci-après p. 250).]
56
I
BEAGLE CHANNEL ARBITRATION BETWEEN
THE REPUBLIC OF ARGENTINA AND THE REPUBLIC OF CHILE
REPORT AND DECISION OF THE COURT OF ARBITRATION
18 February 1977
ARBITRAGE CONCERNANT LE CANAL DE BEAGLE
ENTRE LA RÉPUBLIQUE ARGENTINE ET LE CHILI
RAPPORT ET DÉCISION DE LA COUR D'ARBITRAGE
18 février 1977
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART i: REPORT
Section
A. PERSONNEL OF THE CASE
B. STEPS PRECEDING THE REFERENCE TO ARBITRATION
C. TEXT OF THE ARBITRATION AGREEMENT OR COMPROMISO
D. SUMMARY OF THE PROCEEDINGS
Preliminary steps and written proceedings
Visit to the disputed region
The oral proceedings
E. FORMAL SUBMISSIONS OF THE PARTIES
F. THE COURT'S DELIBERATION
PART II : DECISION
1. Main Heads
I. SCOPE AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE DISPUTE AND TASK OF THE COURT
II. PRELIMINARY HISTORICAL CONSIDERATIONS
III. THE BOUNDARY TREATY OF 1881
IV. CONFIRMATORY OR CORROBORATIVE INCIDENTS AND MATERIAL
V. DISPOSITIF OF THE DECISION
57
58 ARGENTINA/CHILE
2. Detailed Headings
Section Paragraphs
I. SCOPE AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE DISPUTE AND TASK OF THE COURT.... 1-8
' Text of Parties' requests for decision 2
II. PRELIMINARY HISTORICAL CONSIDERATIONS 9-14
"Uti possidetis" 9-11
"Oceanic" principle 11
III. THE BOUNDARY TREATY OF 1881 15-111
A. Preliminary matters 15-23
(1) General considerations 15-17
Text of Treaty 15
(2) The title of the Treaty 18
(3) The Preamble 19-23
B. The territorial provisions (Articles I-III) 24-111
(1) General structure of the territorial settlement 24-25
Text of the 1876 "Bases" 25
(2) Patagonia and the nature of the compromise (Articles I
and II) 26-31
(3) The Magellanic area and Chile's attribution under Article II... 32-49
(4) The Isla Grande clause of Article III 50 & 51
(5) The "Islands clause" of Article III 52-102
(i) Preliminary questions 52-54
(ii) Analysis of the Argentine attribution under the
"Islands clause" of Article III—Contentions of the
Parties 55-79
Meaning of "Tierra del Fuego" 56 & 57
Meaning of "Patagonia" 58
The expressions "... to the east of..." and "... to
the east of the eastern coasts of..." 59-63
The archipelago 60 (1)
Cape Horn 60 (2)
"que haya" 61 (1)
"las demás islas" 61 (2) & (3)
The "Atlantic principie" 62
Cape Horn again 62 (b) & (c)
The allegedly unallocated western islands 63
(iii) The Court's view of the Argentine attribution 64-66
General impressions of the Parties' contentions 64 & 65
Tierra del Fuego 65 (a)
Patagonia 65 (b)
"Coasts" 65 (c)
"las demás islas que haya" 65 (d)
"sobre el Atlántico" 65 (e) & (f)
Weaknesses of the Argentine interpretation 66
(opening)
Weaknesses of the Chilean interpretation 66 (1)
(opening)
The "Atlantic" principle 66 (2)
Contemporary or subsequent official statements
and declarations 66 (3)
CASE CONCERNING THE BEAGLE CHANNEL 59
Section Paragraphs
(iv) The "Voiderrama"proposal 67-72
(v) The Protocol of 1893 73-78
(vi) Conclusion regarding the Argentine attribution 79
(vii) The Chilean attribution under the "Islands clause"—
Preliminary points 80-83
(viii) The same—Geography of the two arms of the Beagle
Channel 84-86
(ix) The same—Which arm of the Channel is the "Treaty"
arm? 87-91
Obstacles to interpretation 87-88
Some other sources of information 89
The data available to the negotiators 90
(x) Factors pointing to a particular arm as being the
"Treaty" arm 92-98
Three pointers to a conclusion 92-97
Refutation of possible objections 98
(xi) Conclusion on the Chilean attribution south of the
Beagle Channel 99
(xii) The western islands 100-102
(6) The small islands within the Channel and the tracing of the
boundary-line on a chart 103-110
(7) The unresolved question of the Chilean allocation under Arti-
cle II of the 1881 Treaty Ill
IV. CONFIRMATORY OR CORROBORATIVE INCIDENTS AND MATERIAL 112-175
1. The immediate post-Treaty period 113-135
(a) Argentine acts 113-128
(i) Señor Irigoyen 's speech of August/September 1881 113-116
The Atlantic coasts and Cape Horn 114-115
Tierra del Fuego 116
(ii) The "Apuntes" of October 1881 117
(iii) Señor Garcia and British Admiralty Chart No. 786 118-121
(iv) The "Irigoyen" map 122-125
(v) The 1882 "Latzina" map 126-128
(6) Chilean acts in the immediate post-Treaty period 129-135
(i) Señor Valderrama 's speech of September 1881 130
(ii) The Chilean Hydrographie Notice, No. 35/223, and
"Chile's 1881 Authoritative Map" 131-135
2. The cartography of the case 136-163
(a) Relevance of cartography as such 137
(b) The Argentine attitude regarding the cartography of the case 138-141
Non-official cartography 139
Official and semi-official cartography 140 & 141
(c) Applicable principles of evaluation 142-143
(i) Provenance and indications—(a) Maps emanating from
the Parties themselves 142 (1)
(ii) The same—(b) Maps produced in third countries 142 (2)
60 ARGENTINA/CHILE
Section Paragraphs
(iii) The temporal or chronological factor 142 (3)
(d) Some general facts 144-145
(e) Temporal considerations—the "time-frame" 146-161
(i) In general 146-147
(ii) The 1881-1887/8 period 148-150
The "Paz Soldán" maps 149
(iii) The post 1881-1887/8 period 151-152
(iv) The same—The "Pelliza" map 153-155
(v) The Argentine change of policy in 1889 and the Decrees
of 1891 and 1893 156-161
The later "Latzina" maps 157
The "Moreno" maps 158
The "Hoskold" maps 159
The 1903 Delachaux map 160
The "third-country" maps 161
{f) Conclusion or cartography 162-163
3. Acts of jurisdiction considered as confirmatory or corroborative
evidence 164-175
V. "DISPOSITIF" OF THE DECISIONS 176
Declaration of Judge Gros
ANNEXES
I. The 1967 Chilean Notes
H. British inter-departmental exchanges, September 1915-January 1919
HA. Extracts from the Argentine written Reply
III. Sea-traffic to and from the eastern Beagle Channel region
IV. The tracing of the boundary-line
V. (1) Inaugural speech of the President of the Court, Alabama Room, Geneva, 7 Sep-
tember 1976; and (2) closing speech at the end of the oral hearing, 23 October 1976
MAPS*
Map A Large scale depiction of Picton, Nueva and Lennox Islands and
the area of the "Hammer" (Decision, paragraph 1).
Map B Map of the area between the Dungeness-Andes line and Cape
Hom, i.e. Magellanic region, Tierra del Fuego and archipelago
(Islands)—ibid, paragraph 2.
MapC British Admiralty Chart 1373 (1879 edition), Decision, para-
graph 90.
Boundary-Line Chart showing boundary-line between Argentina and Chile resulting
from the Court's Decision—see paragraphs 103-110 and An-
nex IV.
* [Maps are not reproduced.]
CASE CONCERNING THE BEAGLE CHANNEL 61
PART I: REPORT
A. Personnel of the Case
THE COURT:
Members (as appointed on 22 July 1971):
Judge Sir Gerald Fitzmaurice (President)
Judge André Gros
Judge Sture Petrén
Judge Charles Onyeama
Judge Hardy C. Dillard
Registrar
Professor Philippe Cahier
THE PARTIES:
The Argentine Republic, represented by
As Agents:
His Excellency Señor Ernesto de la Guardia, Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary on Special Mission.
His Excellency Señor Julio Barboza, Ambassador Extraordi-
nary and Plenipotentiary on Special Mission.
As Advisers:
His Excellency Señor Luis María de Pablo Pardo, Ambassa-
dor Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Argentine
Republic in the Swiss Confederation, Professor of Interna-
tional Law in the Argentine Catholic University, Buenos
Aires.
Rear-Admiral Señor Raúl A. Fitte, Argentine Navy.
As Counsel:
Professor Roberto Ago, Professor of International Law in the
Faculty of Law of the University of Rome.
Professor Robert Y. Jennings, Q.C., Whewell Professor of
International Law in the University of Cambridge.
Professor Paul Reuter, Professor in the University of Law,
Economics and Social Sciences of Paris.
Other Advisers, Experts and Secretaries:
Señor Enrique J. A. Candioti, Minister Plenipotentiary,
Argentine Agency, Geneva.
Señor Marcelo Delpech, Minister Plenipotentiary,
Argentine Agency, Geneva.
Señorita Susana Ruiz Cerutti, First Secretary,
Argentine Agency, Geneva.