MOAO Celebrates Women in the Maritime Sphere with Learning Session on the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf

MOAO personnel with the live participants (above photo), along with online participants. (MOAO photo)

MANILA 07 April 2025 — Prominent scholar and maritime lawyer Dr. Suzette Suarez shared her expertise on international law of the sea with members of the Philippine foreign service on 28 March 2025, in a learning session hosted by the Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office to celebrate March as National Women’s Month.

The event was part of MOAO’s campaign to recognize the contributions of women in the maritime sector, working on the sub-theme “Transforming the Tide: Celebrating Women in the Maritime Sphere”. This campaign aims to close the gap in gender representation in maritime law, economy, ocean governance, shipping and other related maritime sectors and showcase the Philippines as an example of gender representation in the maritime sector.    

Dr. Suarez represents women in the field of maritime international law as a published author and Professor for Maritime Law at HSB Hochschule Bremen – City University of Applied Sciences, and is a Filipino working abroad. She was selected to headline the learning activity for her ability to convey the important contributions of the Philippines as a maritime and archipelagic country to the shaping of maritime law through the submissions to the CLCS.

In his opening remarks, Assistant Secretary Marshall Louis M. Alferez noted the importance of inclusivity and the essential role of women in upholding the nation’s maritime interests and the significance of the Philippine submissions to the CLCS, including the West Palawan Region (WPR) in 2024 and the Talampas ng Pilipinas submission in 2009, in reaffirming the 2016 Arbitral Award and upholding the processes set forth in UNCLOS.

The keynote speaker Dr. Suarez built on these remarks by focusing her presentation on the rights of the Coastal State over the continental shelf (CS) and extended continental shelf (ECS) beyond 200 nautical miles (NM). She then explained the process for submitting information on the ECS beyond 200NM of a Coastal State to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLS), as well as detailed challenges and opportunities for the Philippines with regard to its WPR submission. She encouraged fostering dialogue with other relevant Coastal States with submissions to the CLCS that have overlaps with the WPR submission. 

Invited to react was Director Emmanuel Donato K. Guzman of MOAO, speaking on how the Philippine submissions were received by other States. Specific to the WPS, Director Guzman noted that there were diplomatic notes critical of the Philippine submission that nonetheless opens the door for engagement and discussions with partners on the basis of, and as provided for, by UNCLOS, once again laying out the importance of having a rules-based international order in managing competing interests in the maritime domain.

Sixty-seven participants from various FSPs joined the event via Zoom, while thirty-three participants attended in person. This event not only advanced the Department of Foreign Affair's mission to promote the identity of the Philippines as a maritime and archipelagic nation, but also celebrated the pivotal role of women in transforming the maritime sphere. The event served as the culminating activity of MOAO to cap off March as National Women’s Month. END

Dr. Suzette Suarez, maritime law professor at the HSB Hochschule Bremen in Germany, discusses the different maritime zones delineated by UNCLOS. (MOAO photo)

Online participants joined in the learning session via Zoom. (MOAO photo)