Lecture Marine environmental studies Topic United nations convention on law of the sea

UNITED NATIONS
CONVENTION ON
LAW OF THE SEA


THE “CONSTITUTION” OF THE OCEANS
• Concluded in 1982 and entered into
force in 1994
• The most significant modification of the
law of the sea in the past 500 years
• Regulates most contemporary marine
sector activities
• Most treaties are constrained by the Law
of the Sea Convention
• Source of conflict among States and at
the same time unites them
• 164 Ratifications as at 24 Sept 2012


Part II
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII
Part X
Part XI

The territorial sea and contiguous
zone
Archipelagic States
Exclusive economic zone

The continental shelf
High seas
Right of access of land-locked
states
The Area


UNCLOS I
 TERITORIAL SEA AND THE
CONTIGUOUS ZONE (10 SEP 1964).
 HIGH SEAS (30 SEP 1962).
 CONVENTION ON FISHING & LIVING
RESOURSES OF HIGH SEAS (20 MAR
1966).
 CONVENTION ON CONTINENTAL SHELF
(10 JUN 1964).


UNCLOS II
 TERRITORIAL SEA.
 EXCLUSIVE FISHERY ZONE.


TERRITORIAL
SEA

6 nm

EXCLUSIVE OR
PARTIALLY EXCLUSIVE

FISHERY ZONE

6 nm

AS PER UNCLOS II
( MAR - APR 1960 )


UNCLOS III













1ST SESSION
2ND SESSION
3RD SESSION
4TH SESSION
5TH SESSION
6TH SESSION
7TH SESSION
8TH SESSION

9TH SESSION
10TH SESSION
11TH SESSION
FINAL SESSION

1973
1974
1975
1976
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1982

NEW YORK
CARACAS
GENEVA
NEW YORK
NEW YORK
NEW YORK
GENEVA AND NEW YORK
GENEVA AND NEW YORK
NEW YORK AND GENEVA
NEW YORK AND GENEVA
NEW YORK
MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA

CONVENTIONS ON THE
LAW OF THE SEA
 TERRITORIAL SEA AND
CONTIGUOUS ZONE.
 INTERNATIONAL STRAITS.
 EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE.
 CONTINENTAL SHELF.
 HIGH SEAS.
 MARINE ENVIRONMENT AND
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.
 SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES.


DIVISION OF WATERS OF
THE GLOBE
 INTERNAL WATERS.
 TERRITORIAL WATERS.
 CONTIGUOUS WATERS.
 CONTINENTAL SHELF.
 HIGH SEAS.


INTERNAL WATERS
THE INTERNAL WATERS OF THE STATE
COMPRISE BOTH SALT AND FRESH
WATERS WHICH LIE WITHIN THE BASE
LINE OF TERRITORIAL WATERS. THESE
INCLUDE RIVERS AND FRESH WATER

LAKES, THE WATERS WITHIN PORTS
AND CERTAIN OTHER LAND LOCKED
WATERS.


TERRITORIAL SEA/WATER
EXTENDS TO 12 NM FROM NEAREST
POINT OF THE APPROPRIATE BASE
LINE.
HOST
COUNTRY
HAS
ABSOLUTE
SOVEREIGNITY
WITH
RESPECT TO WATERS, SEABED AND
SUB SOIL UNDERLYING AND AIR
SPACE ABOVE.


BASE LINE
IT IS THE LINE FROM WHICH THE
DISTANCE OF EACH MARITIME ZONE
IS TO BE RECKONED. BASE LINE
PORT MEASURING BREADTH OF
TERRITORIAL SEA IS LOW WATER
LINE ALONG THE COAST AS
MARKED ON LARGE SCALE CHART.

INTERNAL
WATER

BASE
LINE

Upto 12 nm

TERRITORIAL
WATER


STRAIGHT BASE LINE


BASE LINE WHERE BAY
NARROWS TO 24 NM

24

NM

M
N
36

BASE LINE

RIVER MOUTHS
BASE LINE

RIVER MOUTH


Piers as Baseline
TERRITORIAL SEA

HARBOU
R
WORKS


ARCHIPELAGIC BASE LINE


CONTIGUOUS ZONE
EXTENDS TO 24 NM FROM APPROPRIATE
BASE
LINE.
GOVERNMENT
CAN
INSTITUTE NECESSARY MEASURES WITH
RESPECT TO:
 SECURITY OF STATE.
 IMMIGRATION.
 SANITATION.
 CUSTOMS.
 FISCAL MEASURES.

TERRITORIAL
12 nm
SEA
BASE LINE
24 nm CONTIGUOUS

ZONE


CONTINENTAL SHELF
 IT COMPRISES THE SEABED AND SUBSOIL OF
THE SUBMARINE AREAS THAT EXTEND
BEYOND THE LIMIT OF ITS TERRITORIAL
WATERS THROUGHOUT THE NATURAL
PROLONGATION OF ITS LAND TERRITORY
TO
THE
OUTER
EDGE
OF
THE
CONTINENTAL MARGIN;
OR
 EXTENDS TO 350 NM FROM APPROPRIATE
BASE LINE


RIGHTS OF THE COASTAL STATE

OVER CONTINENTAL SHELF
 EXERCISES SOVEREIGN RIGHTS FOR EXPLORING AND
EXPLOITING ITS NATURAL RESOURCES. THESE RIGHTS
ARE EXCLUSIVE.
 CAN LAY SUBMARINE CABLES AND PIPELINES.

 EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO AUTHORISE AND REGULATE
DRILLING FOR ALL PURPOSES.
 EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO CONSTRUCT AND TO AUTHORISE
AND REGULATE CONSTRUCTION AND
USE OF:
• ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS, OFF SHORE TERMINALS,
INSTALLATION ETC.
• MARINE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

• PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION OF MARINE
ENVIRONMENT.


BASE LINE
EEZ

CONTINENTAL SHELF
TO 350 nm


EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC
ZONE
EXTENDS TO 200 NM FROM THE BASE
LINE. IN EEZ AND SPACE ABOVE THE

ZONE, SHIPS AND AIRCRAFTS OF ALL
STATES ENJOY:

FREEDOM
OF
NAVIGATION
/OVERFLIGHT.
 LAYING OF SUBMARINE CABLES
AND PIPELINES.
 ANY OTHER INTERNATIONALLY
LAWFUL USE.