Philippines and Indonesia Sign Principles and Guidelines for Continental Shelf Delimitation

PASAY CITY 07 October 2022 – The Governments of the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of Indonesia have signed the Principles and Guidelines that will guide and lay the foundation for the delimitation of their continental shelf boundary on 05 October 2022.

The signing comes after the state visit of Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s state visit to Jakarta, Indonesia on 04-06 September 2022. President Marcos, Jr. and President Joko Widodo identified the continental shelf boundary talks as a key priority. 

Indonesian President Joko Widodo appreciated the successful start of the negotiation and stated his desire to expedite the conclusion of the continental shelf boundary between the two countries. Both Presidents also reaffirmed that the negotiation of the continental shelf boundary delimitation will be carried out in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Foreign Ministers Enrique A. Manalo of the Philippines and Retno L.P. Marsudi of Indonesia also discussed and reaffirmed their support to the negotiations of the continental shelf boundary between the two countries at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September 2022.

The Philippines and Indonesia are the two largest archipelagic states in the world. They concluded a landmark agreement delimiting their exclusive economic zones in 2014 and have started negotiations on their continental shelf delimitation.

The Principles Guidelines were signed simultaneously through video conference by Assistant Secretary Maria Angela A. Ponce of the Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs and H.E. Ambassador Andreano Erwin, Director for Legal Affairs and Territorial Treaties of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

The signing of the Principles and Guidelines marked an important step for the continental shelf boundary delimitation of the two countries as it reaffirms the provisions under UNCLOS 1982 as the basis of the delimitation process. 

In this regard, both Technical Teams reiterated their commitment to expedite the process of the negotiations. Indonesia has hosted the first Meeting in Bali in July 2022, and Manila is set to host the next meeting in 2023. END

Officials of the Philippine and Indonesian governments witnessed the signing ceremony of the Principles and Guidelines. Representatives from the DFA, DENR, DOE, DOJ, NSC, UP, and NAMRIA attended the ceremony for the Philippines. Indonesia is represented by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Ministry of Defense, National Armed Forces, and the Navy’s Hydro-Oceanographic Center.