African Studies Thesaurus
international law of the sea
Search catalogue
294917608
STA
Approved
UPD
2012-03-23
DUT
internationaal zeerecht
IND
1
MIS
A branch of international law developed through custom, the 1958 Geneva Conventions, and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (still not ratified by many principal states). Several institutions were created by the Convention, including the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, for settling disputes. It divides the sea into three zones. Internal waters include ports, rivers, lakes, and canals. Territorial waters include the width of sea adjacent to a coastal state, which legally belongs to that state. The width was traditionally 5 km/3 mi, measured from the low water line, although many states now claim a greater width. Foreign ships have a right of innocent passage through territorial waters; this does not extend to foreign aircraft in the airspace above the waters. Outside the territorial waters are the high seas, which may be used freely by all shipping ('sea, law of the', Crystal Reference Encyclopedia. Accessed on 11 February 2003 at www.xreferplus.com/entry/955298).
PPN
294917608
UDC
341.225.1/.8
SN
The branch of international law dealing with questions of jurisdiction over areas of the sea as well as exploitation of marine resources.
MRF
341.225.5
NT1
fishing rights
UF
law of the sea
RT
access to the sea
maritime law
sea
territorial waters
Browse subject categories
Back to top
© ASC Leiden 2006-2026 | Last update: Monday, March 02, 2026 | Webmaster