L'utilisation pacifique de la Zone et l'exploitation de ses ressources

• Main Author: Roellinger, Alix
• Other Authors: Institut de l'Ouest : Droit et Europe (IODE), Université de Rennes (UR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Patrick Chaumette, European Project: 340770,Human Sea
• Format: Book Part
• Language: French
• Published: HAL CCSD 2019
• Subjects: peaceful use; Seabed Area; exploitation; utilisation pacifique; Zone internationale des fonds marins; ressources; [SHS.DROIT]Humanities and Social Sciences/Law; [SHS]Humanities and Social Sciences; Antarc*; Antarctic
• Online Access: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-02397822; https://shs.hal.science/halshs-02397822/document; https://shs.hal.science/halshs-02397822/file/22-CAP20.pdf

International audience The term of « peaceful » has evolved in the international law. At first, it was the privilege of the States in their relationships. Then it has been used in order to protect particular spaces on Earth, like the Antarctic, the Moon and the celestial bodies. Finally, it was integrated the 10th December 1982 in the Montego Bay Convention, which wants to enforce an exploitation of the Area only for peaceful purposes. From then on, placing side by side the « peaceful » adjective (with dull legal consequences) to a commercial exploitation of international resources-which means mining extraction-asks many questions. The first one consists of the practical implications that this term embodies, and the consequences on deep seabed mining « activities in the Area ». Futhermore, this is a real issue for the International Seabed Authority (ISA). This international organization manages the Area. It has to integrate this notion into the « Mining Code » currently in a redaction process. Indeed, it released in 2018 a Draft Regulations on Exploitation of Mineral Resources in the Area, which proposes a unique exploitation regime in international law. The questions related to the environmental responsibility and liability and the Authority's powers in terms of control seem to emerge as concrete tools that can guarantee the management of the Area, in the respect of the Montego Bay Convention. La notion d'utilisation pacifique a connu des évolutions en droit international. Apanage des relations entre États, elle a ensuite été employée afin de protéger des espaces particuliers sur Terre, comme l'Antarctique, la Lune ou encore les corps célestes. Elle s'est ensuite illustrée dans le droit de la mer, où la convention de Montego Bay du 10 décembre 1982 impose une exploitation de la Zone à des fins exclusivement pacifiques. Dès lors, l'emploi de cet adjectif, aux conséquences juridiques floues, accolé aux « activités menées dans la Zone »-soit des activités d'extraction minière et d'exploitation commerciale de ...