UNCLOS, 1982
the Governing Legal Framework
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), adopted in 1982 and in force since 1994, is the primary international treaty codifying maritime zones and rights, including the territorial sea (12 nautical miles), contiguous zone (24 nm), Exclusive Economic Zone (200 nm), and continental shelf. It provides the compulsory dispute-settlement mechanism (Part XV) under which the Philippines brought its case against China.
- UNCLOS has 168 parties (167 states plus the EU); China ratified it in 1996, the Philippines in 1984
- India signed UNCLOS on 10 December 1982 and ratified it on 29 June 1995
- Defines EEZ rights (sovereign rights over resources, not sovereignty) distinct from territorial sea (full sovereignty)
- Freedom of navigation and overflight in the EEZ and high seas is a core UNCLOS principle invoked repeatedly in South China Sea disputes
● Tracked since July 12, 2026 · last seen August 26, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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