This 1981 treaty formally delimited the maritime boundary between Saint Lucia and the French territory of Martinique in the Saint Lucia Channel.
Key Facts
- Date signed
- 4 March 1981
- Boundary segments
- 17 straight-line maritime segments
- Coordinate points
- 18 individual coordinate points
- Western tripoint
- Tripoint with Venezuela
- Eastern tripoint
- Tripoint with Barbados
- Entry into force
- Upon signature
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
France and Saint Lucia required a formal legal framework to resolve overlapping maritime jurisdiction in the Saint Lucia Channel, the body of water lying between the island of Saint Lucia and the French territory of Martinique, in order to clarify sovereign rights over those waters.
On 4 March 1981, representatives of the French Republic and Saint Lucia signed the Agreement on Delimitation in Paris. The treaty established an equidistant east–west boundary comprising 17 straight-line segments defined by 18 coordinate points, stretching from a tripoint with Venezuela in the west to a tripoint with Barbados in the east.
The treaty took immediate legal effect upon signature, providing both nations with a defined maritime boundary governing the Saint Lucia Channel. Notably, commentators observed that the agreement omits any explicit reference to Martinique despite that island being the French territory directly involved in the delimitation.
Political Outcome
Maritime boundary between Saint Lucia and French Martinique formally delimited by equidistant line comprising 17 segments and 18 coordinate points, effective immediately upon signature.