Philippines formally deposits Panatag Shoal chart with UN
The Philippines has formally deposited its official nautical chart for Panatag Shoal with the United Nations. This action aims to reinforce the country's legal maritime entitlements under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Why it matters
This move strengthens the Philippines' legal position in ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea by establishing an official international record.
MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Thursday that the Philippines formally deposited its official nautical chart of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc and its surrounding maritime zones with the United Nations Secretariat on July 29, marking another important milestone in the country's continuing efforts to uphold international law and reinforce the legal certainty of its maritime entitlements.
Such a move was made pursuant to Article 16 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which requires coastal states to give due publicity to official charts or lists of geographical coordinates showing the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.
By placing the chart on deposit with the Secretary General of the UN, the DFA said the Philippines ensures its official maritime information forms part of the public international record.
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