Philippines, Indonesia Convene 2nd Preparatory Meeting for the Delimitation of Continental Shelf Boundary
DFA Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Maria Angela A. Ponce (left) and H.E. Ambassador Bebeb A.K.N. Djundjunan (second from right), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, sign the Record of Discussion for the 2nd Preparatory Meeting for the Delimitation of Continental Shelf Boundary between the Philippines and Indonesia. (DFA-MOAO photo)
PASAY CITY 25 March 2022 – The Philippines hosted the 2nd Preparatory Meeting for the Delimitation of Continental Shelf Boundary between the Philippines and Indonesia on 11 March 2022 via videoconference.
Assistant Secretary Maria Angela A. Ponce of the DFA Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office led the Philippine delegation and was joined by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’s National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), and the Department of Energy. The Indonesian Delegation was led by Ambassador Bebeb A.K.N. Djundjunan of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.
These negotiations come shortly after the success of the “Agreement Concerning the Delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone Boundary,” which entered into force in 2019. As the two largest archipelagic states, both delegations agreed that the Philippines and Indonesia’s practice is important in setting the standard in maritime boundary delimitation.
They also agreed on Principles and Guidelines of the continental shelf boundary delimitation and discussed the preparations for the First Special Meeting of the Joint Permanent Working Group on Maritime and Ocean Concerns (JPWG-MOC) on the Delimitation of the Continental Shelf Boundary, expected to be held in person this year subject to pandemic conditions. PH and Indonesian delegations, likewise, expressed the hope that the negotiations on the continental shelf will reflect the positive and constructive completion of the Agreement on the EEZ Boundary. END