Determining Outer Limits of the Continental Shelf

This perceptive book analyses the determination of outer limits of the continental shelf as provided in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, exploring its application under the influence of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS).

Yunjun Li illustrates how the CLCS has not efficiently achieved its aim of supporting states determining the outer limits of the continental shelf. She examines the central rules adopted by the CLCS, and reflects on their practical application and the problems they engender. 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.