Determining Outer Limits of the Continental Shelf

by Yunjun Li

Overview

This perceptive book analyses the determination of the outer limits of the continental shelf, examining how the related articles from the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea are interpreted and applied by coastal states and the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS).

Yunjun Li illustrates that the CLCS has not sufficiently achieved its aim, which is to facilitate coastal states determining the outer limits of their continental shelves. This is proved by first examining the Rules of Regulation and the Guidelines adopted by the CLCS, then exploring the application of these rules, and finally recognising the problems that have arisen from their application. The book provides a comprehensive analysis of how states have responded to the recommendations issued by
the CLCS, assessing the impact of the work of the CLCS on coastal states. It further investigates the relationship between the CLCS as a scientific body and international judicial bodies by examining legal decisions concerning the delimitation of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles adopted by the latter in the absence of recommendations.

This illuminating book is a vital resource for students and scholars of public international law and law of the sea. Thorough and detailed, it will also benefit policymakers and practitioners working in the related area.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781035358632
Publisher:	Edward Elgar Publishing
Publication date:	08/12/2025
Pages:	242
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Yunjun Li holds a PhD in law from the University of Bristol, UK

Table of Contents

Contents
1 Introduction: determining outer limits of the continental shelf
2 Necessity and complexity of determining outer limits of the
continental shelf
3 The CLCS Guidelines on determining outer limits of the
continental shelf
4 The CLCS procedure of determining outer limits of the
continental shelf
5 States responses to recommendations and their influence on
determining outer limits of the continental shelf
6 Third-party delimitation of the continental shelf beyond 200
NM in the absence of recommendations from the CLCS
7 Conclusion to determining outer limits of the continental shelf
Annex I
Annex II
Annex III
Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

‘Determining the outer limits of a state’s continental shelf jurisdiction is central to effective ocean governance. Yet the provisions of the 1982 Law of the Sea convention are notably complex and the process through which this is to the achieved, including the role of the Commission on the Limits on the Continental Shelf, notably opaque. Both are subject to penetrating and insightful scrutiny in this detailed and innovative study, which sheds important new light on the substantive and procedural aspects of this vital question.’

Sir Malcolm Evans