ABSTRACT
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is the primary legal agreement governing the conduct between states in the world ocean. It is one of the most complex international agreements ever drafted and also one of the most fully subscribed (168 parties). The Convention defines the rights of states to waters adjacent to their territory; defines the seabed beyond national jurisdictions and its resources as the ‘common heritage of mankind’; and obliges states to protect and preserve the ocean and accommodate the needs of other states. The Convention establishes the International Seabed Authority and International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
