Timor Sea Agreements – Key Dates

CMATS and the Unitisation Agreement enter into force.

Timor-Leste ratifies the Unitisation Agreement and CMATS.

Austrália and Timor-Leste sign CMATS, amending the Timor Sea Treaty. Foreign Ministers Downer and Ramos-Horta also exchange Side Letters concerning whether Austrália is permitted to continue exploration and exploitation in an area outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area, and which is currently claimed by Austrália.

Australia and Timor-Leste sign the International Unitisation Agreement.

Timor-Leste ratifies the Timor Sea Treaty.  The treaty enters into force on 2 April 2003, although it is taken to have effect from 20 May 2002, the date of signature.

Timor-Leste achieves formal restoration of its independence. On the same day, Australia and Timor-Leste sign the Timor Sea Treaty, which largely reflected the Timor Sea Arrangement entered into between Australia and UNTAET. Australia and Timor-Leste also sign a Memorandum of Understanding concerning an International Unitisation Agreement for the Greater Sunrise field.

Austrália 'carves out' maritime boundary disputes from the jurisdiction of international courts and dispute resolution bodies under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Australia and the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor sign the Memorandum of Understanding of Timor Sea Arrangement.

Australia and the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (representing pre-independence Timor-Leste) sign an 'Exchange of Notes' which allows Australia and Timor-Leste to continue petroleum activities in the Timor Sea by practically extending the arrangements made between Australia and Indonesia under the Timor Gap Treaty.