Beginning in 1958, three Law of the Sea (LOS) conferences were held under the auspices of the United

Nations to sort out the rights and duties of nations regarding the ocean. The first LOS conference, in
1958, drafted four conventions dealing with the high seas, the territorial sea and contiguous zone,
fisheries, and the continental shelf, reaching no agreement, however, on the width of the territorial sea.
The second LOS conference, held in 1960, also failed to reach agreement on the territorial sea, and
expansive claims by coastal states continued (Hollick 1981). Finally, after the United States, the Soviet
Union, and other maritime nations acceded to the demands of developing nations to include
consideration of an international regime for the resources of the deep seabed, agreement was reached
to hold a third United Nations conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III) in 1973. In 1982, after nine
years of negotiation, that conference did reach agreement on a new “constitution” for the world’s
oceans, giving legitimacy to the concept of 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zones under national
jurisdiction while protecting most navigational freedoms and establishing 12 nautical miles as the
maximum width of territorial seas. The 320 articles contained in the convention address virtually all
ocean issues and establish international norms for ocean governance for years to come (United Nations,
1983). Analysis of the detailed provisions of the Law of the Sea as well as of the difficult negotiations
leading up to these provisions.

The convention came into force (after ratification by sixty nations) twelve years after conclusion of the
conference in 1982, on November 16, 1994. Although significant differences between developing and
developed nations over the regime established by UNCLOS III regarding governance of deep-seabed
mineral resources delayed widespread acceptance of the treaty, a new agreement concluded in July
1994 (Agreement Relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the
Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982) has largely resolved these differences and paved the way for
universal national ratification of the LOS Convention. The major maritime zones sanctioned by the 1982
Law of the Sea Convention are depicted in figure: the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the Exclusive
Economic Zone, the continental shelf, and the high seas.

Figure 3.1. Maritime Zones

Ferdousi Sultana, Dept. of Environmental Science and Disaster Management

Territorial Sea:

This zone may extend out to 12 nautical miles (1 nautical mile equals 1,852 meters, or 6,076 feet),
measured from a baseline on a country’s coast. The territorial sea is considered part of a country’s
sovereign territory, although ships may pass through as long as passage is innocent (i.e., not done to
harass, attach, or exploit the host country or its resources)

Contiguous Zone

This zone extends an additional 12 nautical miles from the territorial sea. A host country has rights to
control immigration, customs, sanitary, and pollution regulations in its contiguous zone.

Exclusive Economic Zone

A country may declare an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) extending from the outer boundary of the
territorial sea to 200 nautical miles from the coast baseline (i.e., the maximum EEZ width would be 188
nautical miles from the coast where the territorial sea is 12 nautical miles). Within this zone, the coastal
country does not have complete sovereignty. Other countries may fly over it, navigate through it, or lay
pipes or cables. However, the coastal host country has all rights to control the resources in these waters,
including fisheries and mineral resources. It also may assert jurisdiction (which the United States has
not) over scientific research conducted in these waters. In March 1983, the United States declared its
own 200-mile EEZ through presidential proclamation.

Continental Shelf

UNCLOS provides a complex definition of the continental shelf. This zone extends a minimum of 200
nautical miles from the coastal baseline and may extend up to 350 nautical miles in special
circumstances. The coastal country has exclusive jurisdiction over the mineral resources of its shelf,
including oil. Up to 7 percent of the profits from mineral development beyond the 200-mile line from
shore must be shared with the international community. The coastal country is obligated to protect the
continental shelf’s marine environment from negative consequences of oil development.

High Seas

This maritime zone extends beyond areas of national jurisdiction and is generally open and freely
available for use by all. No country may interfere with the justified and equal rights of other countries on
the high seas. The seabed under the high seas, home to certain mineral beds, is the common heritage of
humankind, according to part of the convention. Mineral resources of the seabed are under the
jurisdiction of the United Nations International Seabed Authority.

Ferdousi Sultana, Dept. of Environmental Science and Disaster Management