Việt Nam presents submission on the limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles in respect of the Central Area of the East Sea

Vietnamese representatives from foreign ministry and National Boundary Commission presented Submission of Việt Nam’s extended continental shelf in respect of Central Area of the East Sea (South China Sea) to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) in New York, the United States. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Tuấn

NEW YORK — On the morning of July 17 (local time), at the United Nations headquarter in New York, the US, Ambassador Đặng Hoàng Giang, Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the UN, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs delegation led by Ambassador Trịnh Đức Hải, Vice Chairman of the National Boundary Commission, officially presented the Submission of Việt Nam’s extended continental shelf in respect of Central Area of the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea) to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS).

The same day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a Statement regarding Việt Nam’s submission.

The submission of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles is to exercise the rights and obligations of States Parties to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as provided in Article 76. Accordingly, when a coastal state has a continental shelf extending beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured, the coastal state shall submit relevant information and data to the CLCS for consideration and recommendations on the limits of the extended continental shelf.

The Submission of Việt Nam’s continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles in respect of Central Area in the East Sea is Việt Nam’s third submission. In May 2009, Việt Nam submitted a separate Submission in respect of the North Area of the East Sea and a Joint Submission with Malaysia in respect of the southern part of the East Sea.

In the Note Verbale to the Secretary-General of the UN on the Submission of Việt Nam’s extended continental shelf in respect of the Central Area, Việt Nam reaffirmed that the Submission will not prejudice matters relating to maritime delimitation between Việt Nam and relevant coastal states on the basis of UNCLOS.

On this occasion, Ambassador Đặng Hoàng Giang and the Delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Việt Nam expressed their gratitude for the support of the UN to Việt Nam’s submission process in accordance with UNCLOS and relevant rules of CLCS.

On the same day, the Permanent Mission of Việt Nam to the UN sent a Note Verbale to the Secretary-General of the UN to state Việt Nam’s position regarding the Philippines’ Submission on the Limits of the extended continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles in the East Sea on June 14, 2024. — VNA/VNS