Philippines submits West Philippine Sea seabed claim to UN commission

The Philippines formally presented a partial submission for an extended continental shelf covering the West Palawan region of the West Philippine Sea to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) in New York. The claim, filed under Article 76 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, seeks sovereign rights over seabed and subsoil resources beyond the standard exclusive economic zone.

The delegation, led by Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Enrique A. Manalo and including officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, NAMRIA, the Department of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor General, urged the CLCS to consider the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award and other UNCLOS‑based rulings. The filing underscores Manila’s reliance on a rules‑based order to secure peaceful use of the South China Sea, protect Filipino livelihoods, and promote marine biodiversity and international trade.