Professor of International Law: Iraq faces a crucial opportunity to establish its maritime borders
Professor of International Law: Iraq faces a crucial opportunity to establish its maritime borders
2-24-2026
Information/Special..
Professor of International Law, Manal Finjan, confirmed that Iraq’s delay in depositing its maritime maps with the United Nations has negatively affected the establishment of its water rights, stressing the need to expedite the completion of the legal procedures related to determining the baseline for maritime borders.
Finjan told Al-Maalomah News Agency that “Iraq has been late for years in depositing the maps that define its maritime and coastal borders, even though this procedure is stipulated in the Law of the Sea Convention to guarantee the sovereign rights of coastal states, which has weakened its negotiating position in some files.”
She added that “Kuwait deposited its maps in 2011 and made updates in 2014 that included adding maritime corridors and borders without involving Iraq, which calls for an urgent legal review from the Iraqi side.”
She explained that “defining the baseline will delineate three main maritime zones: the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, and the exclusive economic zone, thus granting Iraq sovereign clarity in managing its maritime resources.” She also noted that “this step carries significant economic benefits, particularly in the investment of natural resources and the regulation of navigation.”
She stressed that “depositing the maps provides official legal archiving with the United Nations and gives Iraq a legal basis in case of any future violations,” calling for “the formation of a specialized national team to expedite the resolution of this issue.”
She concluded by saying that “proactive action on this issue is essential to protecting Iraq’s water rights and strengthening the country’s legal and economic position in the coming period.”
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