Ecuador to Submit Proposal to UN for Continental Shelf Expansion

Ecuador is preparing a new submission to the UN by 2027 to expand its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles, aiming to incorporate approximately 350,000 square kilometers of seabed. The technical process has been developed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Navy, National Secretariat of Planning, and INOCAR, continuing partial submissions made in 2020 and 2022.

2 de octubre de 2026 • 1 min de lectura

Imagen de portada - Ecuador prepara propuesta ante la ONU para ampliar su plataforma continental marítima

Ecuador is preparing a new submission to the UN by 2027 to expand its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. The proposal seeks to incorporate approximately 350,000 square kilometers of seabed, in accordance with international law.

The technical process has been developed by institutions such as the Cancillería, the Ministerio de Defensa, the Armada, the Secretaría Nacional de Planificación, and INOCAR. The documentation will follow up on the partial submissions made by Ecuador to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in 2020 and 2022.

The proposal is based on studies of the Carnegie, Colón, and Coco submarine ridges and the provisions of CONVEMAR. The expansion would allow Ecuador to exercise sovereign rights over the natural resources of the seabed and subsoil in areas whose limits are established in accordance with international law.