Summary of Conventions

Signatories

Country	Status	Year
Afghanistan	ratified	30-Oct-1958
Albania	ratified	06-Jan-1965
Argentina	pending	29-Apr-1958
Australia	ratified	10-Jun-1964
Bolivia	pending	17-Oct-1958
Solomon Islands	pending	03-Sep-1981
Bulgaria	pending	10-Jun-1964
Belarus	ratified	10-Jun-1964
Cambodia	pending	10-Jun-1964
Canada	pending	08-Mar-1970
Sri Lanka	pending	30-Oct-1958
Chile	pending	31-Oct-1958
Colombia	pending	10-Jun-1964
Costa Rica	pending	17-Mar-1972
Croatia	pending	03-Sep-1992
Cuba	pending	29-Apr-1958
Cyprus	ratified	11-Apr-1974
Denmark	pending	10-Jun-1964
Dominican Republic	pending	11-Sep-1964
Ecuador	pending	31-Oct-1958
Fiji	ratified	18-Apr-1971
Finland	pending	18-Mar-1965
France	ratified	14-Jan-1965
Germany, Fed. Rep.	pending	30-Oct-1958
Ghana	pending	29-Apr-1958
Greece	ratified	06-Nov-1972
Guatemala	pending	10-Jun-1964
Haiti	pending	10-Jun-1964
Iceland	pending	29-Apr-1958
Indonesia	pending	08-May-1958
Iran, Islamic R. of	pending	28-May-1958
Ireland	pending	02-Oct-1958
Israel	pending	10-Jun-1964
Jamaica	pending	07-Nov-1965
Kenya	pending	20-Jul-1969
Lebanon	pending	29-May-1958
Lesotho	pending	23-Oct-1973
Liberia	pending	27-May-1958
Madagascar	pending	10-Jun-1964
Malawi	pending	03-Dec-1965
Malaysia	pending	10-Jun-1964
Malta	pending	18-Jun-1966
Mauritius	pending	04-Nov-1970
Mexico	pending	01-Sep-1966
Nepal	pending	29-Apr-1958
Netherlands	pending	19-Mar-1966
New Zealand	pending	17-Feb-1965
Nigeria	pending	28-May-1971
Norway	pending	09-Oct-1971
Pakistan	pending	31-Oct-1958
Panama	pending	02-May-1958
Peru	pending	31-Oct-1958
Poland	pending	10-Jun-1964
Portugal	pending	10-Jun-1964
Romania	pending	10-Jun-1964
Russian Federation	pending	10-Jun-1964
Senegal	pending	10-Jun-1964
Sierra Leone	pending	25-Dec-1966
South Africa	pending	10-Jun-1964
Spain	pending	27-Apr-1971
Swaziland	pending	15-Nov-1970
Sweden	pending	01-Jul-1966
Switzerland	pending	17-Jun-1966
Thailand	pending	01-Aug-1988
Tonga	ratified	29-Jun-1971
Trinidad and Tobago	pending	10-Aug-1968
Tunisia	pending	30-Oct-1958
Uganda	pending	14-Oct-1964
Ukraine	pending	10-Jun-1964
Latvia	pending	02-Jan-1993
United Kingdom	pending	10-Jun-1964
USA (contiguous states)	pending	10-Jun-1964
Uruguay	pending	29-Apr-1958
Venezuela	pending	15-Aug-1961
Yugoslavia, SFR of (former)	pending	28-Jan-1966

Language
Chinese
English
French
Russian
Spanish

Document text

	
	Convention on the Continental Shelf

     Done at Geneva, on 29 April 1958
     Entry into Force: 10 June 1964

     The States Parties to this Convention
     Have agreed as follows:

Article 1
     For the purpose of these articles, the term "continental shelf" is used as referring (a) to the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas adjacent to the coast but outside the area of the territorial sea, to a depth of 200 metres or, beyond that limit, to where the depth of the superjacent waters admits of the exploitation of the natural resources of the said areas; (b) to the seabed and subsoil of similar submarine areas adjacent to the coasts of islands.

Article 2
     1. The coastal State exercises over the continental shelf sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring it and exploiting its natural resources.
     2. The rights referred to in paragraph 1 of this article are exclusive in the sense that if the coastal State does not explore the continental shelf or exploit its natural resources, no one may undertake these activities, or make a claim to the continental shelf, without the express consent of the coastal State.
     3. The rights of the coastal State over the continental shelf do not depend on occupation, effective or notional, or on any express proclamation.
     4. The natural resources referred to in these articles consist of the mineral and other non-living resources of the seabed and subsoil together with living organisms belonging to sedentary species, that is to say, organisms which, at the harvestable stage, either are immobile on or under the seabed or are unable to move except in constant physical contact with the seabed or the subsoil.

Article 3
     The rights of the coastal State over the continental shelf do not affect the legal status of the superjacent waters as high seas, or that of the airspace above those waters.

Article 4
     Subject to its right to take reasonable measures for the exploration of the continental shelf and the exploitation of its natural resources, the coastal State may not impede the laying or maintenance of submarine cables or pipe lines on the continental shelf.

Article 5
     1. The exploration of the continental shelf and the exploitation of its natural resources must not result in any unjustifiable interference with navigation, fishing or the conservation of the living resources of the sea, nor result in any interference with fundamental oceanographic or other scientific research carried out with the intention of open publication.
     2. Subject to the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 6 of this article, the coastal State is entitled to construct and maintain or operate on the continental shelf installations and other devices necessary for its exploration and the exploitation of its natural resources, and to establish safety zones around such installations and devices and to take in those zones measures necessary for their protection.
     3. The safety zones referred to in paragraph 2 of this article may extend to a distance of 500 metres around the installations and other devices which have been erected, measured from each point of their outer edge. Ships of all nationalities must respect these safety zones.
     4. Such installations and devices, though under the jurisdiction of the coastal State, do not possess the status of islands. They have no territorial sea of their own, and their presence does not affect the delimitation of the territorial sea of the coastal State.
     5. Due notice must be given of the construction of any such installations, and permanent means for giving warning of their presence must be maintained. Any installations which are abandoned or disused must be entirely removed.
     6. Neither the installations or devices, nor the safety zones around them, may be established where interference may be caused to the use of recognized sea lanes essential to international navigation.
     7. The coastal State is obliged to undertake, in the safety zones, all appropriate measures for the protection of the living resources of the sea from harmful agents.
     8. The consent of the coastal State shall be obtained in respect of any research concerning the continental shelf and undertaken there. Nevertheless the coastal State shall not normally withhold its consent if the request is submitted by a qualified institution with a view to purely scientific research into the physical or biological characteristics of the continental shelf, subject to the proviso that the coastal State shall have the right, if it so desires, to participate or to be represented in the research, and that in any event the results shall be published.

Article 6
     1. Where the same continental shelf is adjacent to the territories of two or more States whose coasts are opposite each other, the boundary of the continental shelf appertaining to such States shall be determined by agreement between them. In the absence of agreement, and unless another boundary line is justified by special circumstances, the boundary is the median line, every point of which is equidistant from the nearest points of the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea of each State is measured.
     2. Where the same continental shelf is adjacent to the territories of two adjacent States, the boundary of the continental shelf shall be determined by agreement between them. In the absence of agreement, and unless another boundary line is justified by special circumstances, the boundary shall be determined by application of the principle of equidistance from the nearest points of the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea of each State is measured.
     3. In delimiting the boundaries of the continental shelf, any lines which are drawn in accordance with the principles set out in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this article should be defined with reference to charts and geographical features as they exist at a particular date, and reference should be made to fixed permanent identifiable points on the land.

Article 7
     The provisions of these articles shall not prejudice the right of the coastal State to exploit the subsoil by means of tunneling irrespective of the depth of water above the subsoil.

Article 8
     This Convention shall, until 31 October 1958, be open for signature by all States Members of the United Nations or of any of the specialized agencies, and by any other State invited by the General Assembly of the United Nations to become a Party to the Convention.

Article 9
     This Convention is subject to ratification. The instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Article 10
     This Convention shall be open for accession by any States belonging to any of the categories mentioned in article 8. The instruments of accession shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Article 11
     1. This Convention shall come into force on the thirtieth day following the date of deposit of the twenty-second instrument of ratification or accession with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
     2. For each State ratifying or acceding to the Convention after the deposit of the twenty-second instrument of ratification or accession, the Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after deposit by such State of its instrument of ratification or accession.

Article 12
     1. At the time of signature, ratification or accession, any State may make reservations to articles of the Convention other than to articles 1 to 3 inclusive.
     2. Any Contracting State making a reservation in accordance with the preceding paragraph may at any time withdraw the reservation by a communication to that effect addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Article 13
     1. After the expiration of a period of five years from the date on which this Convention shall enter into force, a request for the revision of this Convention may be made at any time by any Contracting Party by means of a notification in writing addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
     2. The General Assembly of the United Nations shall decide upon the steps, if any, to be taken in respect of such request.

Article 14
     The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall inform all States Members of the United Nations and the other States referred to in article 8:
      (a) Of signatures to this Convention and of the deposit of instruments of      ratification or accession, in accordance with articles 8, 9 and 10; (b) Of the date on which this Convention will come into force, in      accordance with article 11; (c) Of requests for revision in accordance with article 13; (d) Of reservations to this Convention, in accordance with article 12.

Article 15
     The original of this Convention, of which the Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall send certified copies thereof to all States referred to in article 8.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned Plenipotentiaries, being duly authorized thereto by their respective Governments, have signed this Convention.

     DONE at Geneva, this twenty-ninth day of April one thousand nine hundred and fifty-eight.

Short Name:	Continental Shelf Convention
Full Name:	Convention on the Continental Shelf
Purpose:	general
Established:	29-Apr-1958
Entered into force:	10-Jun-1964
Type:	convention, multi-lateral
Place where established:	Geneva, Switzerland
Schedule to expire:
Goals and Objectives:	The objectives of this Convention are to define and delimit the rights of States to explore and exploit the natural resources of the continental shelf. The Convention makes provisions for coastal States to have sovereign and exclusive rights over the continental shelf for exploration and exploitation, as long as they do not cause unjustifiable interference with navigation, fishing or the conservation of the living resources of the sea.
Related Legislation:
Internet source:

Secretariat's address
Telephone
Fax
E-Mail
Home Page