United Nations Convention On The Law Of The Sea

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), also known as the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty, is an international agreement that resulted from the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III), which took place between 1973 and 1982. The convention defines the rights and responsibilities of nations with respect to their use of the world's oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources.

History

The United Nations (UN) held its first Conference on the Law of the Sea in 1956. The conference resulted in four treaties concluded in 1958: the Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone, the Convention on the High Seas, the Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High Seas, and the Convention on the Continental Shelf. However, these treaties were not ratified by enough nations to have a significant impact on maritime law.

The second conference, in 1960, was convened to address issues that were not resolved in the 1958 conference. However, it was not successful in achieving an agreement.

The third conference, which led to the current convention, was convened in 1973. It lasted for nine years and involved more than 160 nations. The resulting convention came into force on November 16, 1994, one year after Guyana became the 60th nation to sign the treaty.

Provisions

The convention introduced a number of provisions. The most significant of these include:

• Territorial waters: The breadth of the territorial sea is set at 12 nautical miles. Within this area, the coastal state is free to set laws, regulate use, and exploit any resource.

• Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs): These extend 200 nautical miles from the baseline. Within this area, the coastal nation has sole exploitation rights over all natural resources.

• Continental shelf: The continental shelf extends to the natural prolongation of the continental land mass to the outer edge of the continental margin or 200 nautical miles from the coastal state's baseline, whichever is greater.

• International Seabed Authority: The convention established the International Seabed Authority (ISA), an autonomous international organization which organizes, regulates and controls all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.

Criticisms and controversies

Despite its widespread acceptance, the convention has been criticized on several grounds. Some countries, most notably the United States, have not ratified it due to concerns over sovereignty, security, and the regulation of business activities.

See also

• United Nations
• International Seabed Authority
• Territorial waters
• Exclusive Economic Zones