Verdrag inzake de territoriale zee en de aansluitende zone

Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone

The States Parties to this Convention

Have agreed as follows:

Part

I

TERRITORIAL SEA

Section

I

General

Article

1

Article

2

The sovereignty of a coastal State extends to the air space over the territorial sea as well as to its bed and subsoil.

Section

II

Limits of the territorial sea

Article

3

Except where otherwise provided in these articles, the normal baseline for measuring the breadth of the territorial sea is the lowwater line along the coast as marked on large-scale charts officially recognized by the coastal State.

Article

4

Article

5

Article

6

The outer limit of the territorial sea is the line every point of which is at a distance from the nearest point of the baseline equal to the breadth of the territorial sea.

Article

7

Article

8

For the purpose of delimiting the territorial sea, the outermost permanent harbour works which form an integral part of the harbour system shall be regarded as forming part of the coast.

Article

9

Roadsteads which are normally used for the loading, unloadung and anchoring of ships, and which would otherwise be situated wholly or partly outside the outer limit of the territorial sea, are included in the territorial sea. The coastal State must clearly demarcate such roadsteads and indicate them on charts together with their boundaries, to which due publicity must be given.

Article

10

Article

11

Article

12

Article

13

If a river flows directly into the sea, the baseline shall be a straight line across the mouth of the river between points on the low-tide line of its banks.

Section

III

Right of innocent passage

SUB-SECTION

A

RULES APPLICABLE TO ALL SHIPS

Article

14

Article

15

Article

16

Article

17

Foreign ships exercising the right of innocent passage shall comply with the laws and regulations enacted by the coastal State in conformity with these articles and other rules of international law and, in particular, with such laws and regulations relating to transport and navigation.

SUB-SECTION

B

RULES APPLICABLE TO MERCHANT SHIPS

Article

18

Article

19

Article

20

SUB-SECTION

C

RULES APPLICABLE TO GOVERNMENT SHIPS OTHER THAN WARSHIPS

Article

21

The rules contained in sub-sections A and B shall also apply to government ships operated for commercial purposes.

Article

22

SUB-SECTION

D

RULE APPLICABLE TO WARSHIPS

Article

23

If any warship does not comply with the regulations of the coastal State concerning passage through the territorial sea and disregards any request for compliance which is made to it, the coastal State may require the warship to leave the territorial sea.

Part

II

CONTIGUOUS ZONE

Article

24

Part

III

FINAL ARTICLES

Article

25

The provisions of this Convention shall not affect conventions or other international agreements already in force, as between States Parties to them.

Article

26

This Convention shall, until 31 October 1958, be open for signature by all States Members of the United Nations or of any of the specialized agencies, and by any other State invited by the General Assembly of the United Nations to become a Party to the Convention.

Article

27

This Convention is subject to ratification. The instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Article

28

This Convention shall be open for accession by any States belonging to any of the categories mentioned in article 26. The instruments of accession shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Article

29

Article

30

Article

31

The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall inform all States Members of the United Nations and the other States referred to in article 26:

  • (a)

    Of signatures to this Convention and of the deposit of instruments of ratification or accession, in accordance with articles 26, 27 and 28;

  • (b)

    Of the date on which this Convention will come into force, in accordance with article 29;

  • (c)

    Of requests for revision in accordance with article 30.

Article

32

The original of this Convention, of which the Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall send certified copies thereof to all States referred to in article 26.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned Plenipotentiaries, being duly authorized thereto by their respective Governments, have signed this Convention.

Done at Geneva, this twenty-ninth day of April one thousand nine hundred and fifty-eight.

Final Act of the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea

  • 1.

    The General Assembly of the United Nations, by resolution 1105 (XI) of 21 February 1957, decided to convene an international conference of plenipotentiaries to examine the law of the sea, taking account not only of the legal but also of the technical, biological, economic and political aspects of the problem, and to embody the results of its work in one or more international conventions or such other instruments as it might deem appropriate. The General Assembly also recommended that the conference should study the question of free acces to the sea of land-locked countries, as established by international practice or treaties.

  • 2.

    The United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea met at the European Office of the United Nations at Geneva from 24 February to 27 April 1958.

  • 3.

    The Governments of the following eighty-six States were represented at the Conference:

    El Salvador

    Afghanistan

    Federation of Malaya

    Albania

    Finland

    Argentina

    France

    Australia

    Federal Republic of Germany

    Austria

    Ghana

    Belgium

    Greece

    Bolivia

    Guatemala

    Brazil

    Haiti

    Bulgaria

    Holy See

    Burma

    Honduras

    Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic

    Hungary

    Cambodia

    Iceland

    Canada

    India

    Ceylon

    Indonesia

    Chile

    Iran

    China

    Iraq

    Colombia

    Ireland

    Costa Rica

    Israel

    Cuba

    Italy

    Czechoslovakia

    Japan

    Denmark

    Jordan

    Dominican Republic

    Republic of Korea

    Ecuador

    Laos

    Lebanon

    Spain

    Liberia

    Sweden

    Libya

    Switzerland

    Luxembourg

    Thailand

    Mexico

    Tunisia

    Monaco

    Turkey

    Morocco

    Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic

    Nepal

    Union of South Africa

    Netherlands

    Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

    New Zealand

    United Arab Republic

    Nicaragua

    United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

    Norway

    United States of America

    Pakistan

    Uruguay

    Panama

    Venezuela

    Paraguay

    Republic of Viet-Nam

    Peru

    Yemen

    Philippines

    Yugoslavia

    Poland

    Portugal

    Romania

    San Marino

    Saudi Arabia

  • 4.

    At the invitation of the General Assembly, the following Specialized Agencies had observers at the Conference:

    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations;

    International Civil Aviation Organization;

    International Labour Organisation;

    International Telecommunication Union;

    United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization;

    World Health Organization;

    World Meteorological Organization.

  • 5.

    At the invitation of the General Assembly, the following intergovernmental organizations also had observers at the Conference:

    Conseil général des pêches pour la Méditerranée;

    Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council;

    Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission;

    Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration;

    International Council for the Exploration of the Sea;

    International Institute for the Unification of Private Law;

    League of Arab States;

    Organization of American States;

    Permanent Conference for the Exploitation and Conservation of the Maritime Resources of the South Pacific.

  • 6.

    The Conference elected His Royal Highness Prince Wan Waithayakon Krommun Naradhip Bongsprabandh (Thailand) as President.

  • 7.

    The Conference elected as Vice-presidents Argentina, China, France, Guatemala, India, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Arab Republic, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America.

  • 8.

    The following committees were set up:

    General committee

    Chairman: The President of the Conference

    First Committee (Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone)

    Chairman: Mr. K. H. Bailey (Australia)

    Vice-Chairman: Mr. S. Gutiérrez Olivos (Chile)

    Rapporteur: Mr. Vladimir M. Koretsky (Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic)

    Second Committee (High Seas: General Régime)

    Chairman: Mr O. C. Gundersen (Norway)

    Vice-Chairman: Mr. Edwin Glaser (Romania)

    Rapporteur: Mr. José Madeira Rodrigues (Portugal)

    Third Committee (High Seas: Fishing; the Conservation of Living Resources)

    Chairman: Mr. Carlos Sucre (Panama)

    Vice-Chairman: Mr. E. Krispis (Greece)

    Rapporteur: Mr. N. K. Pannikar (India)

    Fourth Commitee (Continental Shelf)

    Chairman: Mr. A. B. Perera (Ceylon)

    Vice-Chairman: Mr. R. A. Quarshie (Ghana)

    Rapporteur: Mr. L. Díaz González (Venezuela)

    Fifth Committee (Question of Free Access to the Sea of Landlocked Countries)

    Chairman: Mr. J. Žourek (Czechoslovakia)

    Vice-Chairman: Mr. W. Guevara Arze (Bolivia)

    Rapporteur: Mr. A. H. Tabibi (Afghanistan)

    Drafting Committee

    Chairman: Mr. J. A. Correa (Ecuador)

    Credentials Committee

    Chairman: Mr. M. Wershof (Canada)

  • 9.

    The Secretary-General of the United Nations was represented by Mr. C. A. Stavropoulos, the Legal Counsel. Mr. Yuen-li Liang, Director of the Codification Division of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations, was appointed Executive Secretary.

  • 10.

    The General Assembly, by its resolution convening the Conference, referred to the Conference the report of the International Law Commission covering the work of its eighth session as a basis for consideration of the various problems involved in the development and codification of the law of the sea; the General Assembly also referred to the Conference the verbatim records of the relevant debates in the General Assembly, for consideration by the Conference in conjunction with the Commission's report.

  • 11.

    The Conference also had before it the comments by Governments on the articles concerning the law of the sea prepared by the International Law Commission, the memorandum submitted by the preliminary Conference of Land-locked States held in Geneva from 10 to 14 February 1958, and preparatory documentation prepared by the Secretariat of the United Nations, by certain specialized agencies and by independent experts invited by the Secretariat to assist in the preparation of this documentation.

  • 12.

    On the basis of the deliberations, as recorded in the summary records and reports of the committees and in the records of the plenary meetings, the Conference prepared and opened for signature the following Conventions (annexes I to IV):

    Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone (adopted on 27 April 1958, on the report of the First Committee);

    Convention on the High Seas (adopted on 27 April 1958, on the report of the Second Committee);

    Convention on Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources of the High Seas (adopted on 26 April 1958, on the report of the Third Committee);

    Convention on the Continental Shelf (adopted on 26 April 1958, on the report of the Fourth Committee).

    The Conference also adopted the following Protocol (annex V):

    Optional Protocol of Signature concerning the compulsory settlement of disputes (adopted by the Conference on 26 April 1958).

    La Conférence a également adopté le protocole ci-après (annexe V):

    In addition, the Conference adopted the following resolutions (annex VI):

    Nuclear tests on the high seas (resolution adopted on 27 April 1958, on the report of the Second Committee, in connexion with article 2 of the Convention on the High Seas);

    Pollution of the high seas by radio-active materials (resolution adopted on 27 April 1958, on the report of the Second Committee, relating to article 25 of the Convention on the High Seas);

    International fishery conservation conventions (resolution adopted on 25 April 1958, on the report of the Third Committee);

    Co-operation in conservation measures (resolution adopted on 25 April 1958, on the report of the Third Committee);

    Humane killing of marine life (resolution adopted on 25 April 1958, on the report of the Third Commitee);

    Special situations relating to coastal fisheries (resolution adopted on 26 April 1958, on the report of the Third Committee);

    Regime of historic waters (resolution adopted on 27 April 1958, on the report of the First Committee);

    Convening of a second United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (resolution adopted by the Conference on 27 April 1958);

    Tribute to the International Law Commission (resolution adopted by the Conference on 27 April 1958).

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the representatives have signed this Final Act.

Done at Geneva this twenty-ninth day of April, one thousand nine hundred and fifty-eight, in a single copy in the Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish languages, each text being equally authentic. The original texts shall be deposited in the archives of the United Nations Secretariat.

(sd.) WAN WAITHAYAKON

President

(sd.) YUEN-LI LIANG

Executive Secretary

ANNEX

VI

Resolutions adopted by the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea

Nuclear tests on the high seas

Resolution adopted on 27 April 1958, on the report of the Second Committee, in connexion with article 2 of the Convention on the High Seas

The United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea,

Recalling that the Conference has been convened by the General Assembly of the United Nations in accordance with resolution 1105 (XI) of 21 February 1957,

Recognizing that there is a serious and genuine apprehension on the part of many States that nuclear explosions constitute an infringement of the freedom of the seas,

Recognizing that the question of nuclear test and production is still under review by the General Assembly under various resolutions on the subject and by the Disarmament Commission, and is at present under constant review and discussion by the Governments concerned

Decides to refer this matter to the General Assembly of the United Nations for appropriate action.

Pollution of the high seas by radio-active materials

Resolution adopted on 27 April 1958, on the report of the Second Committee, relating to article 25 of the Convention on the High Seas

The United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea,

Recognizing the need for international action in the field of disposal of radio-active wastes in the sea,

Taking into account action which has been proposed by various national and international bodies and studies which have been published on the subject,

Noting that the International Commission on Radiological Protection has made recommendations regarding the maximum permissible concentration of radio-isotopes in the human body and the maximum permissible concentration in air and water,

Recommends that the International Atomic Energy Agency in consultation with existing groups and established organs having acknowledged competence in the field of radiological protection, should pursue whatever studies and take whatever action is necessary to assist States in controlling the discharge or release of radio-active materials to the sea, in promulgating standards, and in drawing up internationally acceptable regulations to prevent pollution of the sea by radio-active materials in amounts which would adversely affect man and his marine resources.

International fishery conservation conventions

Resolution adopted on 25 April 1958, on the report of the Third Committee

The United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea,

Taking note of the opinion of the International Technical Conference on the Conservation of the Living Resources of the Sea, held in Rome in April/May 1955, as expressed in paragraph 43 of its report, as to the efficacy of international conservation organizations in furthering the conservation of the living resources of the sea,

Believing that such organizations are valuable instruments for the co-ordination of scientific effort upon the problem of fisheries and for the making of agreements upon conservation measures,

Recommends:

  • 1.

    That States concerned should co-operate in establishing the necessary conservation regime through the medium of such organizations covering particular areas of the high seas or species of living marine resources and conforming in other respects with the recommendations contained in the report of the International Technical Conference on the Conservation of the Living Resources of the Sea;

  • 2.

    That these organizations should be used so far as practicable for the conduct of the negotiations between States envisaged under articles 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the Convention on Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources of the High Seas, for the resolution of any disagreements and for the implementation of agreed measures of conservation.

Co-operation in conservation measures

Resolution adopted on 25 April 1958, on the report of the Third Committee

The United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea,

Taking note of the opinion of the International Technical Conference on the Conservation of the Living Resources of the Sea, held in Rome in April/May 1955, as reported in paragraphs 43 (a), 54 and others of its report, that any effective conservation management system must have the participation of all States engaged in substantial exploitation of the stock or stocks of living marine organisms which are the object of the conservation management system or having a special interest in the conservation of that stock or stocks,

Recommends to the coastal States that, in the cases where a stock or stocks of fish or other living marine resources inhabit both the fishing areas under their jurisdiction and areas of the adjacent high seas, they should co-operate with such international conservation agencies as may be responsible for the development and application of conservation measures in the adjacent high seas, in the adoption and enforcement, as far as practicable, of the necessary conservation measures on fishing areas under their jurisdiction.

Human killing of marine life

Resolution adopted on 25 April 1958, on the report of the Third Committee

The United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea,

Requests States to prescribe, by all means available to them, those methods for the capture and killing of marine life, especially of whales and seals, which will spare them suffering to the greatest extent possible.

Special situations relating to coastal fisheries

Resolution adopted on 26 April 1958, on the report of the Third Committee

The United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea,

Having considered the situation of countries or territories whose people are overwhelmingly dependent upon coastal fisheries for their livelihood or economic development.

Having considered also the situation of countries whose coastal population depends primarily on coastal fisheries for the animal protein of its diet and whose fishing methods are mainly limited to local fishing from small boats,

Recognizing that such situations call for exceptional measures befitting particular needs,

Considering that, because of the limited scope and exceptional nature of those situations, any measures adopted to meet them would be complementary to provisions incorporated in a universal system of international law,

Believing that States should collaborate to secure just treatment of such situations by regional agreements or by other means of international co-operation,

Recommends:

  • 1.

    That where, for the purpose of conservation, it becomes necessary to limit the total catch of a stock or stocks of fish in an area of the high seas adjacent to the territorial sea of a coastal State, any other States fishing in that area should collaborate with the coastal State to secure just treatment of such situation, by establishing agreed measures which shall recognize any preferential requirements of the coastal State resulting from its dependence upon the fishery concerned while having regard to the interests of the other-States;

  • 2.

    That appropriate conciliation and arbitral procedures shall be established for the settlement of any disagreement.

Régime of historic waters

Resolution adopted on 27 April 1958, on the report of the First Committee

The United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea,

Considering that the International Law Commission has not provided for the regime of historic waters, including historic bays,

Recognizing the importance of the juridical status of such areas,

Decides to request the General Assembly of the United Nations to arrange for the study of the juridical regime of historic waters, including historic bays, and for the communication of the results of such study to all States Members of the United Nations.

Convening of a second United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea

Resolution adopted by the Conference on 27 April 1958

The United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea,

Considering that, on the basis of the report prepared by the International Law Commission, it has approved agreements and other instruments on the regime applicable to fishing and the censervation of the living resources of the high seas, the exploration of the continental shelf and the exploitation of its natural resources and other matters pertaining to the general regime of the high seas and to the free access of land-locked States to the sea,

Considering that it has not been possible to reach agreement on the breadth of the territorial sea and some other matters which were discussed in connexion with this problem,

Recognizing that, although agreements have been reached on the regime applicable to fishing and the conservation of the living resources of the high seas, it has not been possible, in those agreements, to settle certain aspects of a number of inherently complex questions,

Recognizing the desirability of making further efforts at an appropriate time to reach agreement on questions of the international law of the sea, which have been left unsettled,

Resolves to request the General Assembly of the United Nations to study, at its thirteenth session, the advisability of convening a second international conference of plenipotentiaries for further consideration of the questions left unsettled by the present Conference.

Tribute to the International Law Commission

Resolution adopted by the Conference on 27 April 1958

The United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, on the conclusion of its proceedings,

Resolves to pay a tribute of gratitude, respect and admiration to the International Law Commission for its excellent work in the matter of the codification and development of international law, in the form of various drafts and commentaries of great juridical value.

Verdrag inzake de territoriale zee en de aansluitende zone

De staten die partij zijn bij dit Verdrag

Zijn het volgende overeengekomen:

Hoofdstuk

I

TERRITORIALE ZEE

Afdeling

I

Algemeen

Artikel

1

Artikel

2

De soevereiniteit van een kuststaat strekt zich uit over het luchtruim boven de territoriale zee en over de bedding en ondergrond van die zee.

Afdeling

II

Begrenzing van de territoriale zee

Artikel

3

Behalve voorzover anders in deze artikelen bepaald, is de normale basislijn vanwaar de breedte van de territoriale zee gemeten wordt de laagwaterlijn langs de kust, zoals die is aangegeven op officieel door de kuststaat erkende, op grote schaal uitgevoerde zeekaarten.

Artikel

4

Artikel

5

Artikel

6

De buitengrens van de territoriale zee wordt aangegeven door de lijn waarvan elk punt op een afstand gelijk aan de breedte van de territoriale zee is gelegen van het dichtstbijgelegen punt van de basislijn.

Artikel

7

Artikel

8

Voor het vaststellen van de begrenzing van de territoriale zee worden de permanente havenwerken die het verst uit de kust zijn gelegen en die een integrerend onderdeel vormen van het havensysteem, beschouwd een onderdeel van de kust te vormen.

Artikel

9

Reden die normaal gebruikt worden voor het laden, lossen en voor anker gaan van schepen en die anders geheel of gedeeltelijk buiten de buitengrens van de territoriale zee zouden zijn gelegen, worden tot de territoriale zee gerekend. De kuststaat moet dergelijke reden duidelijk afbakenen en ze op zeekaarten aangeven met hun grenzen, aan welke zeekaarten voldoende bekendheid dient te worden gegeven.

Artikel

10

Artikel

11

Artikel

12

Artikel

13

Indien een rivier rechtstreeks in zee uitmondt, is de basislijn een rechte lijn getrokken over de monding van de rivier tussen de uiterste punten op de laagwaterlijn van de oevers van die rivier.

Afdeling

III

Recht van onschuldige doorvaart

ONDERAFDELING

A

REGELS WELKE VAN TOEPASSING ZIJN OP ALLE SCHEPEN

Artikel

14

Artikel

15

Artikel

16

Artikel

17

Vreemde schepen die gebruik maken van het recht van onschuldige doorvaart, dienen zich te houden aan de wetten en voorschriften welke door de kuststaat zijn of worden uitgevaardigd in overeenstemming met deze artikelen en de andere regelen van het volkenrecht, en, in het bijzonder, aan de wetten en voorschriften die betrekking hebben op vervoer en scheepvaart.

ONDERAFDELING

B

REGELS DIE VAN TOEPASSING ZIJN OP KOOPVAARDIJSCHEPEN

Artikel

18

Artikel

19

Artikel

20

ONDERAFDELING

C

REGELS WELKE VAN TOEPASSING ZIJN OP STAATSSCHEPEN, MET UITZONDERING VAN OORLOGSSCHEPEN

Artikel

21

De in de onderafdelingen A en B vervatte regelen zijn eveneens van toepassing op staatsschepen welke worden gebruikt voor commerciële doeleinden.

Artikel

22

ONDERAFDELING

D

REGEL WELKE VAN TOEPASSING IS OP OORLOGSSCHEPEN

Artikel

23

Indien een oorlogsschip de voorschriften van de kuststaat ten aanzien van de Vaart door de territoriale zee niet in acht neemt en verzoeken om deze voorschriften in acht te nemen negeert, kan de kuststaat van het oorlogsschip eisen, dat het de territoriale zee verlaat.

Hoofdstuk

II

DE AANSLUITENDE ZONE

Artikel

24

Hoofdstuk

III

SLOTARTIKELEN

Artikel

25

Aan reeds van kracht zijnde verdragen of andere internationale overeenkomsten wordt, voor zover betreft de staten die daarbij partij zijn, geen afbreuk gedaan door de bepalingen van dit Verdrag

Artikel

26

Dit Verdrag staat tot 31 oktober 1958 open ter ondertekening door alle staten die Lid zijn van de Verenigde Naties of van een der Gespecialiseerde Organisaties, en door iedere andere staat die door de Algemene Vergadering der Verenigde Naties wordt uitgenodigd partij te worden bij dit Verdrag.

Artikel

27

Dit Verdrag dient te worden bekrachtigd. De akten van bekrachtiging zullen worden nedergelegd bij de Secretaris-Generaal van de Verenigde Naties.

Artikel

28

Dit Verdrag staat open voor toetreding door iedere staat die tot een der in artikel 26 genoemde categorieën behoort. De akten van toetreding zullen worden nedergelegd bij de Secretaris-Generaal van de Verenigde Naties.

Artikel

29

Artikel

30

Artikel

31

De Secretaris-Generaal van de Verenigde Naties doet aan alle staten die Lid zijn van de Verenigde Naties en aan de andere in artikel 26 bedoelde staten mededeling van:

  • a.

    ondertekeningen van dit Verdrag en van de nederlegging van akten van bekrachtiging of toetreding, overeenkomstig de artikelen 26, 27 en 28;

  • b.

    de datum waarop dit Verdrag ingevolge artikel 29 in werking zal treden;

  • c.

    verzoeken om herziening overeenkomstig artikel 30.

Artikel

32

Het origineel van dit Verdrag, waarvan de Chinese, Engelse, Franse, Russische en Spaanse teksten gelijkelijk authentiek zijn, zal worden nedergelegd bij de Secretaris-Generaal van de Verenigde Naties, die gewaarmerkte afschriften ervan zal doen toekomen aan alle in artikel 26 bedoelde staten.

TEN BLIJKE WAARVAN de ondergetekende gevolmachtigden, daartoe behoorlijk gemachtigd door hun onderscheidene Regeringen, dit Verdrag hebben ondertekend.

Gedaan te Genève, de negenentwintigste april negentienhonderd achtenvijftig.