The 1982 Convention established separate international organizations for the law of the sea.
(Baonghean) -One of the unique features of the 1982 Convention compared to other Conventions is that the 1982 Convention also provides for the establishment of three new international organizations: the Seabed Authority, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.
+ The Seabed Authority, headquartered in Jamaica, was established in 1994, immediately after the Convention entered into force. However, this agency only became an independent organization in 1996. The agency has the function of controlling activities carried out in the Area, especially managing the resources of the Area in accordance with the provisions of the 1982 Convention. The Authority has the right to prescribe appropriate rules, regulations and procedures for the peaceful use of the Area, the prevention and control of marine pollution, the protection of human life, etc. All States Parties to the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea are ex officio members of the Authority, which is established on the basis of the sovereign equality of all members. The main organs of this Authority are the Assembly, the Council, the Secretariat and the Enterprise.
+ The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, headquartered in Hamburg (Germany), began operating in 1996. The Tribunal's members include 21 independent judges, selected from among the most distinguished figures of fairness and integrity, with clear competence in the field of maritime law. The Tribunal is open to all member states as well as non-member entities, in all cases related to the management and exploitation of the Common Heritage Area of mankind, or to any dispute brought under any other agreement conferring on the Tribunal a jurisdiction accepted by all parties to the dispute.
+ The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf is a specialized agency established by the 1982 Convention under Article 76 and Annex II of the 1982 Convention on the basis of equitable geographical representation. The Commission was established and put into operation since 1997 with the task of examining and recommending to countries to determine the outer limits of their continental shelves. The limits determined by a coastal state on the basis of such recommendations are final and binding and recognized by the international community. According to Article 4, Annex II, any coastal state intending to determine the outer limits of its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles under Article 76 must submit to this Commission, when possible and in any circumstances within a period of 10 years from the date the Convention enters into force for that state, the characteristics of this limit with scientific and technical data to support it. However, due to technical difficulties, the Conference of the Parties to the 1982 Convention decided to postpone this deadline until 2009.
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