The 1982 Convention established separate international organizations on the law of the sea.

(Baonghean) -One of the unique features of the 1982 Convention compared to other Conventions is that the 1982 Convention is also the founding charter 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, preventing and reducing pollution of the marine environment, protecting human life... All member states of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea are ex officio members of the Authority, which was 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 number of members of the Tribunal includes 21 independent judges, selected from among the most famous 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 all disputes 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 under any circumstances within a period of 10 years from the date the Convention enters into force for this country, the characteristics of this limit with scientific and technical data to prove it. However, due to technical difficulties, the Conference of the Parties to the 1982 Convention decided to postpone this deadline until 2009.
(continued)

Readers' Room -st >