UNCLOS

The
UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA
TERRITORIAL SEA AND CONTIGUOUS
ZONE .
• GENERAL PROVISIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• Article 2. Legal status of the territorial

• sea, of the air space over the
• territorial sea and of its bed
• and subsoil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. LIMITS OF THE TERRITORIAL SEA
•
• Article 3. Breadth of the territorial sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• Article 4. Outer limit of the territorial sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• Article 5. Normal baseline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• Article 6. Reefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• Article 7. Straight baselines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• Article 8. Internal waters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Breadth of the territorial sea

Every State has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up
to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baselines
determined in accordance with this Convention.
• Coastal States exercise sovereignty over their territorial sea which
they have the right to establish its breadth up to a limit not to exceed
12 nautical miles; foreign vessels are allowed "innocent passage"
through those waters;
• Article 9. Mouths of rivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• Article 10. Bays . . . . . . . .
• Article 11. Ports . . . . . . . .
• Article 12. Roadsteads . . .
• Article 13. Low-tide elevations .
• Article 14. Combination of methods for determining baselines
• Article 15. Delimi t a t i o n of t he territorial sea between
• States with opposite or adjacent coasts . .

• Article 16. Charts and lists of geographical coordinates . . . .

• SECTION 3. INNOCENT PASSAGE IN THE TERRITORIAL SEA . . . . .

STRAITS
• Ships and aircraft of all countries are allowed "transit passage"
through straits used for international navigation;

• States bordering the straits can regulate navigational and other

aspects of passage
EEZ
• Coastal States have sovereign rights in a 200-nautical mile exclusive
economic zone (EEZ) with respect to natural resources and certain
economic activities, and exercise jurisdiction over marine science
research and environmental protection.
EEZ
All other States have freedom of navigation and overflight in the EEZ,
as well as freedom to lay submarine cables and pipelines;

• Land-locked and geographically disadvantaged States have the right

to participate on an equitable basis in exploitation of an appropriate
part of the surplus of the living resources of the EEZ's of coastal
States of the same region or sub-region;
• Highly migratory species of fish and marine mammals are accorded
special protection;
Continental Shelf
Coastal States have sovereign rights over the continental shelf (the national area of
the seabed) for exploring and exploiting it; the shelf can extend at least 200 nautical
miles from the shore, and more under specified circumstances;

• Coastal States share with the international community part of the revenue
derived from exploiting resources from any part of their shelf beyond 200 miles;

* The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf shall make

recommendations to States on the shelf's outer boundaries when it extends
beyond 200 miles;
 RULES APPLICABLE TO ALL SHIPS

• Article 17. Right of innocent passage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

• Article 18. Meaning of passage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
• Article 19. Meaning of innocent passage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
• Article 20. Submarines and other underwater vehicles . . . . . . . 27
• Article 21. Laws and regulations of the coastal State relating to
innocent passage . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Innocent passage

• Passage is innocent so long as it is not prejudicial to the peace, good

order or security of the coastal State.
• Such passage shall take place in conformity with this Convention and
with other rules of international law.
• Article 22. Sea lanes and traffic separation schemes in the territorial
sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• Article 23. Foreign nuclear-powered ships and ships carrying nuclear

or other inherently dangerous or noxious substances . .
• Article 24. Duties of the coastal State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• Article 25. Rights of protection of the coastal State . . . . . . . . .
• Article 26. Charges which may be levied upon foreign ships . .
• RULES APPLICABLE TO MERCHANT SHIPS AND
GOVERNMENT SHIPS O P E R A T E D F O R COMMERCIAL
PURPOSES
• Article 27. Criminal jurisdiction on board a foreign ship . . . .
• Article 28. Civil jurisdiction in relation to foreign ships . . . .
• RULES APPLICABLE TO WARSHIPS AND OTHER
GOVERNMENT SHIPS O P E R A T E D F O R NON-
COMMERCIAL PURPOSES . . . .
• Article 29. Definition of warships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• Article 30. Non-compliance by warships with the laws and
• regulations of the coastal State . . . . . . . . .

• Article 31. Responsibility of the flag

• State for damage caused by a warship or other government ship
operated for non-commercial purposes .
• Article 32. Immunities of warships and other government ships
• o p e r a t e d f o r non-commercial purposes . .
• SECTION 4. CONTIGUOUS ZONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• PART III. STRAITS USED FOR INTERNATIONAL

• NAVIGATION . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 GENERAL PROVISIONS
• Article 34. Legal status of waters forming straits used for international
navigation . . . .
•..
• Article 36. High seas routes or routes through exclusive economic
zones through straits used for international navigation
HIGH SEAS
• All States enjoy the traditional freedoms of navigation, overflight,
scientific research and fishing on the high seas; they are obliged to
adopt, or cooperate with other States in adopting, measures to
manage and conserve living resources
SECTION 2. TRANSIT PASSAGE
• Article 37. Scope of this section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• Article 38. Right of transit passage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• Article 39. Duties of ships and aircraft during transit passage
• Article 40. Research and survey activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• Article 41. Sea lanes and traffic separation schemes in straits used for
international navigation . . . .
• Article 42. Laws and regulations of States bordering straits relating to transit
passage . . . . .
• Article 43. Navigational and safety aids and other improvements and the
prevention, reduction and control of pollution . . . . .
• Article 44. Duties of States bordering straits . . .
EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE . . . . . .

• SECTION 3. INNOCENT PASSAGE . . . . . . . .

• Article 45. Innocent passage . . .

• Specific legal regime of the exclusive economic zone . . . .

• Article 56. Rights, jurisdiction and duties of the coastal State in the exclusive
economic zone . . . .

• Article 57. Breadth of the exclusive economic zone . . . . .

• Article 58. Rights and duties of other States in the exclusive economic zone
• Article 59. Basis for the resolution of conflicts regarding the attribution of rights
and jurisdiction in the exclusive economic zone . . . . . . . . .
•
• Article 60. Ar t i f i c i a l i s l a n d s , installations and structures in the
exclusive economic zone . . . .
• Article 61. Conservation of the living resources . . .
• Article 62. Utilization of the living resources . . . . .
• Article 63. Stocks occurring within the exclusive economic zones of
two or more coastal States or both within the exclusive economic zone
and in an area beyond and adjacent to it .
• Article 65. Marine mammals . . . . . . .

• Article 69. Right of land-locked States .

• Article 70. Right of geographically disadvantaged States . .

Land-locked States
• Land-locked States have the right of access to and from the sea and
enjoy freedom of transit through the territory of transit States
• Article 73. Enforcement of laws and regulations of the coastal
State . . .
CONTINENTAL SHELF
• Article 76. Definition of the continental shelf . . . . .
• Article 77. Rights of the coastal State over the continental shelf.1
• Article 78. Legal status of the superjacent waters and air space and the rights and
freedoms of other States . . .
• Article 79. Submarine cables and pipelines on the continental shelf . . . . . . . . . .
• Article 81. Drilling on the continental shelf . . . .

• Article 82. Payments and contributions with respect to the exploitation

of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles . .
• Article 83. Delimi t a t i o n of t h e continental shelf between States
with opposite or adjacent coasts .

• Article 84. Charts and lists of geographical coordinates . . . .

• Article 85. Tunnelling . . . . . . . . .

. HIGH SEAS
• Article 86. Application of the provisions of this Part . . .
• Article 87. Freedom of the high seas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• Article 88. Reservation of the high seas for peaceful purposes .
• ...
• Article 89. Invalidity of claims of sovereignty over the high seas . .
• Article 90. Right of navigation . . . . . .
• Article 91. Nationality of ships . . . . . .
• Article 92. Status of ships . . . . . . . . . .
• Article 93. Ships flying the flag of the United Nations, its specialized
agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency . . . . . . . . .
• Article 94. Duties of the flag State . . . .
• Article 95. Immunity of warships on the high seas .
• Article 96. Immunity of ships used only o n g o v e r n m e n t non-commercial
service . .
• Article 97. Penal jurisdiction in matters of collision or any other incident of
navigation . . . . . . .
• Article 98. Duty to render assistance . . . . . . . .
• Article 99. Prohibition of the transport of slaves
• Article 100. Duty to cooperate in the repression of piracy .
• Article 101. Definition of piracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• Article 102. Piracy by a warship,government ship or government
aircraft whose crew has mutinied . . . .
• Article 108. Illicit traffic in narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances .
• Unauthorized broadcasting from the high seas .
• Article 111. Right of hot pursuit . . . . .
• Article 112. Right to lay submarine cables and pipelines
• Article 113. Breaking or injury of a submarine cable or pipeline

• Article 114. Breaking or injury by owners of a submarine cable or

pipeline of another submarine cable or pipeline

• Article 115. Indemnity for loss incurred in avoiding injury to a

submarine cable or pipeline
. C O N S E R V A T I O N A N D MANAGEMENT OF THE LIVING RESOURCES OF
THE HIGH SEAS .

• Article 116. Right to fish on the high seas . . . . .

POLLUTION
States are bound to prevent and control marine pollution and are liable
for damage caused by violation of their international obligations to
combat such pollution;
*
Scientific research
All marine scientific research in the EEZ and on the continental shelf is
subject to the consent of the coastal State, but in most cases they are
obliged to grant consent to other States when the research is to be
conducted for peaceful purposes and fulfils specified criteria;

* States are bound to promote the development and transfer of marine

technology "on fair and reasonable terms and conditions", with
proper regard for all legitimate interests
• Article 118. Cooperation of States in the c o n s e r v a t i o n and
management of living resources .
• Article 126. Exclusion of application of the most-favoured-nation
clause . . . . .
• Article 127. Customs duties, taxes and other charges . .
• Article 128. Free zones and other customs facilities . . . .
• Article 129. Cooperation in t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d
improvement of means of transport
• Article 130. Measures to avoid or eliminate delays or other difficulties
of a technical nature in traffic in transit .
• Article 131. Equal treatment in maritime ports
SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES AND
ADVISORY OPINIONS
• Article 186. Seabed Disputes Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law
of the Sea . . . .
• Article 187. Jurisdiction of the Seabed Disputes Chamber . . . .
UNCLOS
• The Convention establishes a comprehensive legal framework to
regulate all ocean space, its uses and resources.

• It contains, among other things, provisions relating to the territorial

sea, the contiguous zone, the continental shelf, the exclusive
economic zone and the high seas.
UNCLOS
• It also provides for the protection and preservation of the marine
environment, for marine scientific research and for the development
and transfer of marine technology.
• One of the most important parts of the Convention concerns the
exploration for and exploitation of the resources of the seabed and
ocean floor and subsoil thereof, beyond the limits of national
jurisdiction (the Area).
• The Convention declares the Area and its resources to be "the
common heritage of mankind".
Archipelagic States
• Archipelagic States, made up of a group or groups of closely related
islands and interconnecting waters, have sovereignty over a sea area
enclosed by straight lines drawn between the outermost points of the
islands;
• The waters between the islands are declared archipelagic waters
where States may establish sea lanes and air routes in which all other
States enjoy the right of archipelagic passage through such
designated sea lanes.
 DISPUTES
States Parties are obliged to settle by peaceful means their disputes
concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention;

• Disputes can be submitted to the International Tribunal for the Law

of the Sea established under the Convention, to the International
Court of Justice, or to arbitration.
• Conciliation is also available and, in certain circumstances,
submission to it would be compulsory.
• The Tribunal has exclusive jurisdiction over deep seabed mining
disputes.