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

  • October 31, 2023
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

Subject : IR

Section: International conventions

Context: In his keynote address at the fourth edition of the Goa Maritime Conclave Rajnath Singh has laid stress on the rule-based maritime order.

What is the Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC)

  • The GMC serves as an outreach initiative by the Indian Navy, creating a multinational platform for collaboration between maritime security practitioners and academia to generate practical maritime insights.
  • Previously, this biennial event was conducted in 2017, 2019, and 2021.
  • The 4th edition of the GMC is being held from October 29 to 31 under the auspices of the Indian Navy and in partnership with the Naval War College in Goa.
  • During GMC-23, Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff, will be hosting chiefs of navies, heads of maritime forces, and senior representatives from 12 Indian Ocean littoral countries. These countries include Bangladesh, Comoros, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
  • The theme for the 2023 GMC is “Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean Region: Converting Common Maritime Priorities into Collaborative Mitigating Frameworks.”

What is United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS):

  • The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is a global treaty that was adopted and signed in 1982, effectively replacing the four Geneva Conventions from April 1958.
  • These conventions covered various aspects, including the territorial sea and the contiguous zone, the continental shelf, the high seas, and issues related to fishing and the preservation of living resources in the high seas.
  • As per UNCLOS, the sea is divided into 5 parts:
    • Internal Waters
    • Territorial sea
    • Contiguous Zone
    • Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
    • High Seas
  • The Convention has created three new institutions on the international scene:
    • The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
    • The International Seabed Authority
    • The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf
  • It is the only international agreement that lays forth a structure for state authority in maritime areas.

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