Author: Ron Adler
The architects of international boundaries are the statesmen and politicians who negotiate and eventually reach an agreement on the choice of the boundary site and its definition within the framework of delimitation. In this process they are aided by diplomats, lawyers and political advisers with backgrounds in fields such as political science, law, history and economics. Ideally, they should also be assisted by boundary engineers skilled in geography, geodesy, cartography and computer science, who can provide the treaty negotiators with reliable information about the potential boundary site and, subsequent to delimitation, supervise the demarcation of the boundary on the ground. Unfortunately, this rarely happens, and all too often matters dismissed by negotiators as "technical issues" later reemerge as sources of serious political friction.
The purpose of this Briefing is twofold: firstly, it provides an overview of the scientific and technical services offered by boundary engineers today; secondly, it proposes a model for the incorporation of these services into the overall boundary-making process, thereby helping to bridge the gap between boundary architects and boundary engineers. As the first serious study of the technical aspects of land boundary delimitation to be published for more than fifty years, Dr Adler's Briefing is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the establishment and management of international boundaries.
Note: Much of the material in this Briefing has been incorporated into the updated study in Boundary & Territory Briefing Volume 3 No. 4.
This article is available as a free download : Download PDF.
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