358. Bangladesh points out that if Myanmar’s argument were accepted, the
Tribunal would have to wait for the Commission to act and the Commission
would have to wait for the Tribunal to act. According to Bangladesh, the result
would be that, whenever parties are in dispute in regard to the continental
shelf beyond 200 nm, the compulsory procedures entailing binding decisions
under Part XV, Section 2, of the Convention would have no practical
application. Bangladesh adds that “in effect, the very object and purpose of
the UNCLOS dispute settlement procedures would be negated. Myanmar’s
position opens a jurisdictional black hole into which all disputes concerning
maritime boundaries in the outer continental shelf would forever disappear”.