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UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA
Objective
=========
To set up a comprehensive new legal regime for the sea and
oceans and, as far as environmental provisions are concerned, to
establish material rules concerning environmental standards as well
as enforcement provisions dealing with pollution of the marine
environment.
Summary of provisions
=====================
(a) Definition of the territorial sea and the contiguous zone
(arts. 3 and 33);
(b) Use of straits for international navigation (arts. 34 to
45) and archipelagic States (arts. 46 to 54);
(c) Definition of the exclusive economic zone (art. 55). The
parties to have sovereign rights therein for the purpose of
exploring and exploiting, preserving and managing its natural
resources, as well as other rights and duties (art. 56);
(d) The coastal State to exercise over the continental shelf,
(defined in article 76) sovereign rights for the purpose of
exploring it and exploiting its natural resources (defined in
article 77);
(e) Freedom of the high seas to comprise (part VII) freedom
of navigation, of overflight, of laying submarine cables and
pipelines, subject to the provisions of part VI, of constructing
artificial islands, etc., subject to the provisions of part VI, and
of fishing and of scientific research, subject to the provisions of
parts VI and XIII;
(f) The regime of islands described (art. 121), together with
enclosed or semi-enclosed seas (arts. 122 and 123). Land-locked
States to enjoy the right of access to and from the sea and freedom
of transit (arts. 124 to 132);
(g) The Area (the sea bed and ocean floor and subsoil
thereof, beyond the limits of national jurisdiction) and its
resources to be the common heritage of mankind (art. 136). The
resources of the Area to be developed (arts. 150 to 155). An
Authority to be established through which States Parties to the
Convention shall organize and control activities in the area,
particularly with a view to administering the resources of the Area
(art. 157). A Sea Bed Disputes Chamber to be established, and the
manner in which it shall exercise its jurisdiction specified (art.
186);
(h) International rules and national legislation to be
developed for the prevention, reduction and control of pollution of
the marine environment, and provisions set out concerning
enforcement and responsibility and liability;
(i) Rules set out to govern marine scientific research, the
development and transfer of marine technology and the settlement of
disputes. The obligation to settle disputes by peaceful means
specified (art. 279). Compulsory procedures set out entailing
binding decisions;
(j) Uses of the seas for peaceful purposes (art. 301);
The Convention has the following annexes:
I.Highly migratory species;
II.Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf;
III.Basic conditions of prospecting, exploration and
exploitation;
IV.Statute of the Enterprise;
V.Conciliation;
VI.Statute of the International Tribunal of the
Law of the Sea;
VII.Arbitration;
VIII.Special arbitration;
IX.Participation by international organizations.
Membership
==========
The Convention is open to all States and international
organizations, as well as other entities referred to in article 305.
It is subject to ratification, formal confirmation and accession.
Instruments shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the
United Nations.
Date of adoption 10.12.1982
Place of adoption Montego Bay, Jamaica
Date of entry into force Not yet in force
Languages Arabic, Chinese, English,
French, Russian, Spanish
Depositary Secretary-General of the
United Nations
Participant Signature Ratification
Formal Confirmation (C)
Accession (Ac)
----------- ---------- ------------------------
Afghanistan 18. 3.1983
Algeria* 10.12.1982
Angola* 10.12.1982 5.12.1990
Antigua and Barbuda 7. 2.1983 2. 2.1989
Argentina* 5.10.1984
Australia 10.12.1982
Austria 10.12.1982
Bahamas 10.12.1982 29. 7.1983
Bahrain 10.12.1982 30. 5.1985
Bangladesh 10.12.1982
Barbados 10.12.1982
Belarus 10.12.1982
Belgium* 5.12.1984 2. 5.1990
Belize 10.12.1982 13. 8.1983
Benin 30. 8.1983
Bhutan 10.12.1982
Bolivia* 27.11.1984
Botswana 5.12.1984 2. 5.1990
Brazil* 10.12.1982 22.12.1988
Brunei Darussalam 5.12.1984
Bulgaria 10.12.1982
Burkina Faso 10.12.1982
Burma 10.12.1982
Burundi 10.12.1982
Cambodia 1. 7.1983
Cameroon 10.12.1982 19.11.1985
Canada 10.12.1982
Cape Verde* 10.12.1982 10. 8.1987
Central African
Republic 4.12.1984
Chad 10.12.1982
Chile* 10.12.1982
China* 10.12.1982
Colombia 10.12.1982
Comoros 6.12.1984
Congo 10.12.1982
Cook Islands 10.12.1982
Costa Rica* 10.12.1982
Côte d'Ivoire 10.12.1982 26. 3.1984
Cuba* 10.12.1982 15. 8.1984
Cyprus 10.12.1982 12.12.1988
Czechoslovakia 10.12.1982
Democratic People's
Republic of Korea 10.12.1982
Denmark 10.12.1982
Djibouti 10.12.1982 8.10.1991
Dominica 28. 3.1983 24.10.1991
Dominican Republic 10.12.1982
Ecuador 10.12.1982
Egypt* 10.12.1982 26. 8.1983
El Salvador 5.12.1984
Equatorial Guinea 30. 1.1984
Ethiopia 10.12.1982
Fiji 10.12.1982 10.12.1982
Finland* 10.12.1982
France* 10.12.1982
Gabon 10.12.1982
Gambia 10.12.1982 22. 5.1984
Ghana 10.12.1982 7. 6.1983
Greece 10.12.1982
Grenada 10.12.1982
Guatemala* 8. 7.1983
Guinea 4.10.1984 6. 9.1985
Guinea-Bissau* 10.12.1982 25. 8.1986
Guyana 10.12.1982
Haiti 10.12.1982
Honduras 10.12.1982
Hungary 10.12.1982 21. 6.1985
Iceland 10.12.1982
India 10.12.1982
Indonesia 10.12.1982 3. 2.1986
Iran, Islamic
Republic of* 10.12.1982
Iraq* 10.12.1982 30. 7.1985
Ireland 10.12.1982
Italy* 7.12.1984
Jamaica 10.12.1982 21. 3.1983
Japan 7. 2.1983
Kenya 10.12.1982 2. 3.1989
Kiribati 10.12.1986
Kuwait* 2. 5.1986 2. 5.1986
Lao People's
Democratic Republic 10.12.1982
Lebanon 7.12.1984
Lesotho 10.12.1982
Liberia 10.12.1982
Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya 3.12.1984
Liechtenstein 30.11.1984
Luxembourg* 5.12.1984
Madagascar 25. 2.1983
Malawi 7.12.1984
Malaysia 10.12.1982
Maldives 10.12.1982
Mali* 19.10.1983 16. 7.1985
Malta 10.12.1982
Marshall Islands 9. 8.1991 (Ac)
Mauritania 10.12.1982
Mauritius 10.12.1982
Mexico 10.12.1982 18. 3.1983
Micronesia
(Federal State of) 29. 4.1991 (Ac)
Monaco 10.12.1982
Mongolia 10.12.1982
Morocco 10.12.1982
Mozambique 10.12.1982
Namibia (represented
by the United Nations
Council for Namibia) 10.12.1982 8. 4.1983
Nauru 10.12.1982
Nepal 10.12.1982
Netherlands 10.12.1982
New Zealand 10.12.1982
Nicaragua* 9.12.1984
Niger 10.12.1982
Nigeria 10.12.1982 14. 8.1986
Niue 5.12.1984
Norway 10.12.1982
Oman* 1. 7.1983 17. 8.1989
Pakistan 10.12.1982
Panama 10.12.1982
Papua New Guinea 10.12.1982
Paraguay 10.12.1982 26. 9.1986
Philippines* 10.12.1982 8. 5.1984
Poland 10.12.1982
Portugal 10.12.1982
Qatar* 27.11.1984
Republic of Korea 14. 3.1983
Romania* 10.12.1982
Russian Federation* 10.12.1982
Rwanda 10.12.1982
Saint Kitts and
Nevis 7.12.1984
Saint Lucia 10.12.1982 27. 3.1985
Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines 10.12.1982
Samoa 28. 9.1984
Sao Tome & Principe* 13. 7.1983 3.11.1987
Saudi Arabia 7.12.1984
Senegal 10.12.1982 25.10.1984
Seychelles 10.12.1982 16. 9.1991
Sierra Leone 10.12.1982
Singapore 10.12.1982
Solomon Islands 10.12.1982
Somalia 10.12.1982 24. 7.1989
South Africa 5.12.1984
Spain 4.12.1984
Sri Lanka 10.12.1982
Sudan* 10.12.1982 23. 1.1985
Suriname 10.12.1982
Swaziland 18. 1.1984
Sweden* 10.12.1982
Switzerland 17.10.1984
Thailand 10.12.1982
Togo 10.12.1982 16. 4.1985
Trinidad and Tobago 10.12.1982 25. 4.1986
Tunisia* 10.12.1982 24. 4.1985
Tuvalu 10.12.1982
Uganda 10.12.1982 9.11.1990
Ukraine 10.12.1982
United Arab Emirates 10.12.1982
United Republic of
Tanzania* 10.12.1982 30. 9.1985
Uruguay* 10.12.1982
Vanuatu 10.12.1982
Viet Nam 10.12.1982
Yemen* 10.12.1982 21. 7.1987
Yugoslavia* 10.12.1983 5. 5.1986
Zaire 22. 8.1983 17. 2.1989
Zambia 10.12.1982
Zimbabwe 10.12.1982 7. 3.1983
European Economic
Community* 7.12.1984
* With a declaration.
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