What is the United Nations Convention on the law of the sea?
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea lays down a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world's oceans and seas establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources. It enshrines the notion that all problems of ocean space are closely interrelated and need to be addressed as a whole.
When did the law of the sea come into force?
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was opened for signature at Montego Bay, Jamaica, on 10 December 1982. It entered into force on 14 November 1994 and is presently binding for 154 States, as well as the European Community (as of 24 July 2008).
What are the dispute-settlement provisions of the law of the sea?
A number of agreements concerning law of the sea matters, such as the 1995 United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement, have adopted the dispute-settlement provisions of the Law of the Sea Convention for the settlement of disputes concerning their application and interpretation, even when a party to the dispute is not a party to the Convention.
What was the purpose of the Ocean Law Convention?
At the time of its adoption, the Convention embodied in one instrument traditional rules for the uses of the oceans and at the same time introduced new legal concepts and regimes and addressed new concerns. The Convention also provided the framework for further development of specific areas of the law of the sea.