The Philippines' submission for an extended continental shelf in the West Palawan Region: legal analysis, implications and reactions

This article examines the Republic of the Philippines' recent partial submission to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) concerning the outer limits of its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles (M) from its baselines. The submission, grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Law Sea. The article explores the procedural aspects of the CLCS rules in dealing with areas of continental shelf subject to overlapping submissions or disputes and assesses the broader implications for international law and the law of the sea. This article provides an analysis of the legal and scientific basis of the submission, the implications for regional maritime claims, and the reactions from other claimant States and extraregional powers.