Entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea1994165438+10/6. So far, 137 countries and the European Union have ratified the Convention. China ratified the Convention on May 1996, and it entered into force on July 7 of the same year.
The Convention covers all aspects of ocean management. It is a fundamental law with the highest level, the most complete content and the most clear provisions, and is widely praised as "marine constitution" by all countries in the world. The entry into force and implementation of the Convention marks the establishment of a new international maritime legal system and the arrival of the era of peaceful utilization and comprehensive management of the oceans by mankind.
The significance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea;
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is one of the most important marine legal documents in the world. Since 1982 came into effect, it has been approved by more than 80 countries and regions. Among them, the Convention stipulates the principles and methods of maritime boundary delimitation, as well as the rights and obligations of various sea areas.
According to the Convention, there are three kinds of maritime boundaries, namely, territorial sea, exclusive economic zone beyond the baseline of territorial sea to 200 nautical miles, and ocean beyond the baseline of territorial sea. Specifically, the territorial sea refers to the sea area that extends from the baseline of a country to the ocean and the width does not exceed 12 nautical mile; The exclusive economic zone means that the width extending from the baseline of a country to the ocean shall not exceed 200 nautical miles, and the country enjoys the exclusive right to develop, manage and protect the marine resources in this area.
The sea beyond the baseline of the territorial sea does not belong to the territory of any country, but is a free area shared by people all over the world. In addition, the Convention also stipulates the principles and methods of maritime delimitation, including the principle of productivity line, the principle of continental shelf and the principle of equidistant line. At the same time, the convention also pays attention to marine environmental protection, and clearly stipulates the obligations and responsibilities of countries in marine environmental protection.