By a notice of Arbitration dated 16 February 2004 Barbados initiated arbitration proceedings concerning its maritime boundary with the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The proceedings, which, in the view of Barbados, relate to the delimitation of a single maritime boundary between the exclusive economic zones and the continental shelves appertaining to Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago respectively , were begun pursuant to Article 286 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (the "Convention" or "UNCLOS") and, Barbados maintains, in accordance with Annex VII to the Convention.