CLCS

The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) is the 21-member expert body that reviews coastal-state submissions on the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. It is established under UNCLOS Article 76(8) and Annex II. A coastal state claiming an extended shelf submits scientific and technical data; the CLCS issues recommendations, and limits established on their basis are final and binding. The Commission does not decide overlapping claims or delimitation between states. Members serve in their personal capacity and are elected by states parties. Its work rests on the Article 76 formulae for the shelf’s outer edge, including the Gardiner and Hedberg lines.