Philippines asks UN body to consider 2016 arbitral ruling in West Philippine Sea seabed claim
The Philippines has formally requested that the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf recognize its extended continental shelf claim in the West Philippine Sea. The submission cites the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award to support its maritime entitlements.
Why it matters
This move is a significant step in the Philippines' efforts to assert its maritime rights and promote a rules-based order in a contested region.
The Philippines has formally presented before the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) its partial submission seeking recognition of the country's entitlement to an extended continental shelf (ECS) in the West Philippine Sea, covering the West Palawan Region.
During the presentation on July 29 at the United Nations Headquarters, the Philippine delegation asked the Commission to consider relevant decisions of tribunals constituted under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including the landmark 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, which authoritatively determined the maritime entitlements of littoral states in the South China Sea.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the submission demonstrates the Philippines' steadfast commitment to the United Nations Charter, UNCLOS, and the rules-based international order governing the world's oceans.
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