India circumvents a maritime conflict with Pakistan by submitting a new claim for its continental shelf

Recently, India has expanded its claim in the Central Arabian Sea by nearly 10,000 square kilometers as part of its extended continental shelf, while also revising a previous claim to mitigate a long-standing dispute with Pakistan.

The maritime boundary dispute centers around the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which grants coastal nations exclusive rights for mining and fishing up to 200 nautical miles from their coastlines. This zone extends continuously from the landmass to the seabed, and all of this oceanic area is regarded as part of a nation's extended continental shelf.

India initially submitted its claim to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) in 2009, covering extensive sea areas. In 2021, Pakistan raised objections, asserting that the region was under dispute, particularly concerning Sir Creek.

In March 2023, the CLCS dismissed India's entire claim in the Arabian Sea but permitted nations to present modified claims. Sir Creek is a 96-kilometer-long disputed tidal estuary that extends into the Arabian Sea, roughly separating Pakistan's Sindh province from Gujarat's Kutch region.

In 1947, India sought to resolve the issue based on international maritime law principles, specifically the Thalweg Principle, which dictates that boundaries should be established in the center of navigable channels. Conversely, Pakistan contended that Sir Creek was not navigable, thus precluding resolution under the Thalweg principle.

The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) convenes at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Its primary objective is to assist in the execution of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea concerning the determination of the outer limits of the continental shelf that extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baseline. The recommendations made by the CLCS are conclusive and obligatory for coastal states.