United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

UNCLOS is an international treaty that establishes a comprehensive legal framework to govern all aspects of the ocean and its resources.

It was adopted in 1982 and came into force in 1994.

It governs territorial seas, exclusive economic zones, continental shelves, navigation rights, and marine resource management.

To define the rights and responsibilities of nations regarding the use of the oceans.

To promote peaceful use of seas and oceans.

To ensure marine environmental protection.

To establish rules for the exploitation of marine natural resources.

To settle maritime disputes peacefully.

Zone	Definition & Rights
Territorial Sea	Up to 12 nautical miles from baseline; coastal state has sovereignty, but innocent passage allowed.
Contiguous Zone	Up to 24 nautical miles; coastal state enforces customs, immigration, and sanitation laws.
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)	Up to 200 nautical miles; state has rights to explore, exploit, conserve natural resources.
Continental Shelf	Extends up to 200 nautical miles or more; rights to seabed resources.
High Seas	Beyond EEZ; open to all states for navigation, fishing, and scientific research.

International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS): Handles disputes arising from UNCLOS.

Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS): Assists coastal states in defining continental shelf limits.

Provides a legal order for seas and oceans.

Balances coastal states’ rights and freedom of navigation.

Protects marine environment.

Supports peaceful dispute resolution.

Helps regulate marine resources fairly.

The South China Sea Arbitration (Philippines v. China, 2016):

PCA tribunal applied UNCLOS rules to settle disputes over territorial claims.

Confirmed the rights of states in their EEZs and invalidated excessive maritime claims.

Feature	Description
Adopted	1982
Effective from	1994
Governs	Maritime zones, navigation, resources, environment
Zones	Territorial sea, EEZ, continental shelf, high seas
Dispute Resolution	ITLOS, arbitration, negotiation