628 
"For the purposes of these articles, the term 'continental 
shelf' is used as referring to the seabed and subsoil of the sub- 
marine areas adjacent to the coast but outside the area of the ter- 
ritorial sea, to a depth of 200 metres (approximately 100 fathoms), 
or, beyond that limit, to where the depth of the superjacent waters . 
admits of the exploitation of the natural resources of the said areas. u9/ 
This final report of the Commission to the Assembly emphasized 
that this was in response to the Ciudad Trujillo declaration of the American 
states. The Commission said: 
"At its eighth session, the Commission reconsidered this 
provision /i.e., the 200 metre limit agreed on by the Commission 
in 1953/. It noted that the Inter-American Specialized Conference 
on 'Conservation of Natural Resources: Continental Shelf and Oceanic 
Waters,' held at Ciudad Trujillo (Dominican Republic) in March 1956, 
had arrived at the conclusion that the right of the coastal State should 
be extended beyond the limit of 200 metres, 'to where the depth of 
the superjacent waters admits of the exploitation of the natural re- 
sources of the seabed and subsoil.' Certain members thought that 
the article adopted in 1953 /the 200 metre limit/ should be. modified. 
. . . . While maintaining the limit of 200 metres inthis article as 
the normal limit corresponding to present needs, they wished to 
recognize forthwith the right to exceed that limit if exploitation of 
the sea-bed or subsoil at a depth greater than 200 metres proved 
technically possible. . .. Other members contested the usefulness 
of the addition, which in their opinion unjustifiably and dangerously 
impaired the stability of the limit adopted. The majority, of the Com- 
mission nevertheless decided in favor of the addition. "' 10/ 
The Commission went on to say: 
"While adopting, to a certain extent, the geographical test 
of the 'continental shelf' as the basis of the juridical definition of 
the term, the Commission therefore in no way holds that the existence 
of a continental shelf, in the geographical sense as generally understood, 
Agi ILC Yearbook (1956), Vol. II, p.296. 
10/ ILC Yearbook (1956), Vol. II, pp. 296-97. 
