Established early international law on territorial seas and contiguous zones, later superseded by the 1982 UNCLOS for most ratifying states.
Key Facts
- Date adopted
- 29 April 1958
- Entered into force
- 10 September 1964
- Number of parties
- 52 states
- Conference
- UNCLOS I (first UN Conference on the Law of the Sea)
- Superseded by
- 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following World War II, the international community recognized the need to codify maritime law. The United Nations convened the first Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS I) in Geneva in 1958 to negotiate binding agreements on ocean governance, including the limits and rights associated with territorial waters and contiguous zones.
On 29 April 1958, states at UNCLOS I adopted the Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone, one of four treaties concluded at the conference. The convention defined the legal framework governing a coastal state's territorial sea and the adjacent contiguous zone, entering into force on 10 September 1964 after sufficient ratifications.
Fifty-two states became parties to the convention through ratification, succession, or accession. However, the adoption of the broader 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which entered into force in 1994, superseded this convention for the majority of states that subsequently ratified UNCLOS, diminishing its practical scope over time.
Political Outcome
The convention entered into force on 10 September 1964 with 52 state parties; it was largely superseded by the 1982 UNCLOS for states that ratified the later treaty.