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Philippines advances seabed claims, potentially complicating South China Sea talks
Manila delivered an official UN presentation on its partial extended continental shelf submission on July 28, with analysts warning it could add complexity to the ASEAN-led push for a South China Sea code of conduct.
The Philippines has stepped up its seabed-rights push in the South China Sea in a move analysts say could complicate efforts to build regional consensus as ASEAN chair this year, amid slow progress on a code of conduct for the disputed waters, according to the SCMP Economy.
On July 28, Manila submitted an official presentation of its partial claim on its extended continental shelf to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. The DFA described the filing as a demonstration of the Philippines’ commitment to the UN Charter and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS.
UNCLOS Article 76 provides the basis for coastal states to establish outer limits of their continental shelf, including seabed and subsoil extending beyond 200 nautical miles but not more than 350 nautical miles from their baselines. Submissions under the convention cover seabed and subsoil rights rather than sovereignty over disputed islands or waters, and the UN commission evaluates the scientific and technical basis of claims before making recommendations.
The DFA said the presentation underscored the Philippines’ aim to support a peaceful South China Sea through the rule of law, citing goals including sustaining Filipino livelihoods, fostering trade, protecting marine biodiversity, and uniting coastal and littoral states.