The Philippines has made a significant move in asserting its maritime rights by submitting information to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS). On June 15, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs announced that it had filed a submission to establish the extent of its continental shelf in the South China Sea, aiming to secure exclusive rights to explore and exploit natural resources in the area under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
According to reports from Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao, Marshall Louis Alferez, Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs at the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, stated that this initiative is crucial for the country’s future. “This action secures the Philippines’ rights to explore and develop natural resources on its extended continental shelf,” he said.
The submission, approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is based on comprehensive technical and scientific research conducted on the continental shelf of what the Philippines refers to as the “West Philippine Sea.” This term denotes the area within the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to the west of the archipelago.
Under UNCLOS provisions, coastal states have the right to extend their continental shelf claims up to 350 nautical miles from their baselines, provided they can substantiate the extension with scientific data. The Philippines’ claim aims to define the outer limits of its continental shelf, encompassing the seabed and subsoil, which could potentially grant exclusive rights over valuable marine resources.
This development is a significant step for the Philippines in asserting its maritime entitlements and could have considerable implications for regional dynamics in the South China Sea, an area rich in natural resources and strategic importance.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
