United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) entered into force in 1994. Meanwhile it has been ratified by about 160 states, including all the Member states of the EU and the EU itself. The Convention defines the rights and duties of national states with regard to the use of the seas. UN-CLOS consolidates customary international law and various Conventions previously concluded by the international community.

This Treaty, the most comprehensive ever concluded, is often referred to as “the constitution for the seas”. In this Commentary a focus is laid on the interaction between UNCLOS and the European legal order, e.g. in the field of the prevention or the reduction of environmental pollution or the fair distribution of natural resources.

Pros at a glance:

• Article-by article commentary
• Focus on the European aspects of UNCLOS
• Experts from all-over the world

The content

The Commentary covers all major parts of the Convention, such as:

Part I. Introduction

Part II. Territorial sea and contiguous zone

Part III. Straits used for international navigation

Part IV. Archipelagic states

Part V. Exclusive economic zone

Part VI. Continental shelf

Part VII. High seas

Part VIII. Regime of islands

Part IX. Enclosed or semi-enclosed seas

Part X. Right of access of land locked states to and from the sea and freedom of transit

Part XI. The area

Part XII. Protection and preservation of the marine environment

Part XIII. Marine scientific research

Part XIV. Development and transfer of marine technology

Part XV. Settlement of disputes

Part XVI. General provisions

Part XVII. Final provisions

About the authors:
Alexander Proelss is professor of public international law at the University of Trier, specialised in the law of the sea. The authors are renowned experts of the law of the sea from various countries, such as UK, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, China, Belgium, Greece, Jamaica, Australia, Ireland and Germany