In December, 2023, the United States announced the boundaries of its extended continental shelf (ECS), which represents the outermost maritime zone over which it exercises sovereignty. The United States, however, is not a party to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the major treaty regime governing the law of state territorial waters. As a result, it's unilateral declaration raises a number of questions including the status of its extended continental shelf boundaries under customary international law and treaty law and whether as a non-signatory party, the United States's ECS boundaries can receive binding finality under UNCLOS. This post explores theses outstanding questions following the United State's announcement.
Read More