LAGUE, RHENEL R.

04/13/2023

BSMARE-M3E

1:30-3:30 TTH 57190

C/E REYNALDO REPOLIDO

1. Give a brief overview of the history of UNCLOS

ANS: The Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea was held in 1967. Mr. Arvid
Pardo, the UN ambassador from Malta, proposed a legal power that may bring about
international jurisdiction over the marine floor and bed during this summit. UNCLOS is divided
into 17 sections, 320 articles, and nine annexes. Over 160 countries took part in the nine-year
convention, which entered into force on November 16, 1994, 21 years after the first meeting of
UNCLOS III and one year after the sixty-fifth state ratified it. The first sixty ratifications were
nearly entirely from poor countries.

2. Identify the contents of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Ans: The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is a convention that
defines coastal and maritime borders, controls seabed exploration outside of territorial claims,
and distributes regulated exploration revenues. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
(UNCLOS) is a convention ratified by 167 nations that defines the legal framework for the use
and protection of the world's seas and resources. The convention is split into 17 sections, with
320 articles and nine annexes. The following are some of the convention's important contents:
Introduction and General Provisions, which define the purpose and scope of the agreement and
offer definitions for essential words.

3. Illustrate the limits set by UNCLOS, (The Maritime Zones) and mention to which article,
section, or part it is being defined.
One of the key provisions of UNCLOS is the establishment of various maritime zones, which
define the extent of a state's jurisdiction over the waters surrounding its territory. These zones
include:
1. Internal waters - Article 8: These are the waters on the landward side of the baseline from
which the territorial sea is measured. The state has full sovereignty over its internal waters,
including the right to regulate navigation, fishing, and other activities.

2. Territorial sea - Article 2: The territorial sea extends up to 12 nautical miles from the
baseline, and the state has full sovereignty over this area. Foreign vessels have the right of
innocent passage through the territorial sea, subject to certain restrictions.

3. Contiguous zone - Article 33: This zone extends up to 24 nautical miles from the baseline,
beyond the territorial sea. The state has limited control over this area, including the right to
prevent and punish infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration, or sanitary laws and
regulations.

4. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) - Article 56: The EEZ extends up to 200 nautical miles from the
baseline. The state has special rights to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage the natural
resources in this area, including fish stocks and oil and gas reserves.

5. Continental shelf - Article 76: The continental shelf is the seabed and subsoil of the
submarine areas that extend beyond the territorial sea to the outer edge of the continental
margin. The state has exclusive rights to explore and exploit the natural resources in this area

6. Archipelagic waters- Article 49 provides that the waters enclosed by archipelagic baselines
drawn in accordance with Article 47 are “archipelagic waters,” All waters inside this baseline
are designated Archipelagic Waters. The state has full sovereignty over these waters (like
internal waters), but foreign vessels have right of innocent passage through archipelagic waters
(like territorial waters).