The Court notes that Australia invokes as the basis of the Court’s jurisdiction the declarations made by both Parties under Article 36, paragraph 2, of the Court’s Statute. It observes that Japan, for its part, contests the Court’s jurisdiction over the dispute, arguing that it falls within reservation (b) of Australia’s declaration, which Japan invokes on the basis of reciprocity. This reservation excludes from the Court’s jurisdiction “any dispute concerning or relating to the delimitation of maritime zones, including the territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf, or arising out of, concerning, or relating to the exploitation of any disputed area of or adjacent to any such maritime zone pending its delimitation”.