Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2023-03-07

Identification of the Limits of the Continental Shelf of Sri Lanka

- Sri Lanka has presented its technical and scientific data and other material to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to establish the outer limits of the Continental Shelf beyond 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Accordingly, the said Commission has appointed a Sub-Commission to consider the Sri Lanka's claim. The National Ocean Affairs Committee has been appointed under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as per the approval of the Cabinet to work with the above Sub Commission to identify the limits of the Continental Shelf for which claims are preferred by Sri Lanka. As such, the proposal made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs to call for Expression of Interest to reconstitute the said National Ocean Affairs Committee with a view to identifying the outer limits of the continental shelf with supporting evidence to establish the shelf, was approved by the Cabinet.