Takeaways from African Coastal States Submissions for the Extension of the Continental Shelf Beyond 200 Nautical Miles with a Data-Driven Approach

The continental shelf of a coastal State comprises the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea throughout the natural prolongation of its land territory to the outer edge of the continental margin, or to a distance of 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured where the outer edge of the continental margin does not extend up to that distance. The contributions of sectors related to continental shelfs become as significant that the coastal states around the world have seen the necessity of extending their continental shelfs beyond 200 nautical miles and been depositing submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) since the 2000s. An assessment of the journeys of African coastal states submissions that have received recommendations and those under consideration has revealed some challenges due to the inexistence of clear roadmaps that can help coastal states for the monitoring and the defense of their submissions. This study aims to takeaway from African coastal states submissions for extension of continental shelfs beyond 200 nautical miles and formulate recommendations for an efficient monitoring of submissions. The study has relied on a data-driven approach to identify the takeaways, determine key tasks and resources and formulate recommendations to coastal states for an efficient monitoring of their submissions.