CHAPTER XXI

LAW OF THE SEA6aAgreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982New York, 28 July 1994Entry into forceprovisionally on 16 November 1994, in accordance with article 7(1) and definitively on 28 July 1996, in accordance with article 6(1).1Registration16 November 1994, No. 31364StatusSignatories79Parties15223TextUnited Nations, <i>Treaty Series</i>, vol. 1836, p. 3; Doc. <a href="/doc/source/docs/A_RES_48_263-E.pdf" target="_blank">A/RES.48/263</a>; and depositary notification C.N.1.1995.TREATIES-1 of 9 February 1995 (procès-verbal of rectification of the original French text).The Agreement was adopted by Resolution <a href="/doc/source/docs/A_RES_48_263-E.pdf" target="_blank">48/263</a>, on 28 July 1994, by the General Assembly of the United Nations during its resumed 48th session, held from 27 to 29 July 1994 in New York. In accordance with its article 3, the Agreement shall remain open for signature at the United Nations Headquarters in New York by the States and entities referred to in article 305, paragraphs 1 (c), (d), (e) and (f) of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea for 12 months from the date of its adoption i.e. until 28 July 1995.

Participant<superscript>4</superscript>SignatureProvisional application by virtue of signature, adoption of the Agreement or accession thereto, Provisional application by virtue of a notification (n)Notification of non-provisional application under article 7 (1) (b)Simplified procedure(p), Formal confirmation(c), Definitive signature(s), Accession(a), Succession(d), Ratification, Consent to be bound(P)Afghanistan16 Nov 1994 Albania16 Nov 1994 23 Jun 2003 PAlgeria29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 11 Jun 1996 PAndorra16 Nov 1994 Angola 7 Sep 2010 aAntigua and Barbuda 3 May 2016 aArgentina29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 1 Dec 1995 Armenia16 Nov 1994 9 Dec 2002 aAustralia29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 5 Oct 1994 Austria29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 14 Jul 1995 Azerbaijan16 Jun 2016 aBahamas<superscript>5</superscript>29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 28 Jul 1995 pBahrain16 Nov 1994 Bangladesh<superscript>6</superscript>16 Nov 1994 27 Jul 2001 aBarbados<superscript>5</superscript>15 Nov 1994 16 Nov 1994 28 Jul 1995 pBelarus16 Nov 1994 30 Aug 2006 aBelgium<superscript>6</superscript>29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 13 Nov 1998 PBelize16 Nov 1994 21 Oct 1994 sBenin16 Nov 1994 16 Oct 1997 PBhutan16 Nov 1994 Bolivia (Plurinational State of)16 Nov 1994 28 Apr 1995 PBosnia and Herzegovina26 May 2021 aBotswana16 Nov 1994 31 Jan 2005 aBrazil<superscript>7</superscript>29 Jul 1994 29 Jul 1994 25 Oct 2007 Brunei Darussalam16 Nov 1994 5 Nov 1996 PBulgaria15 May 1996 15 Nov 1994 15 May 1996 aBurkina Faso30 Nov 1994 30 Nov 1994 25 Jan 2005 PBurundi16 Nov 1994 Cabo Verde<superscript>7</superscript>29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 23 Apr 2008 Cambodia<superscript>6</superscript>16 Nov 1994 Cameroon24 May 1995 24 May 1995 15 Nov 1994 28 Aug 2002 Canada<superscript>6</superscript>29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 7 Nov 2003 Chad14 Aug 2009 PChile<superscript>6</superscript>16 Nov 1994 25 Aug 1997 aChina29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 7 Jun 1996 PCongo<superscript>6</superscript>16 Nov 1994 9 Jul 2008 PCook Islands15 Feb 1995 aCosta Rica20 Sep 2001 aCôte d'Ivoire<superscript>5</superscript>25 Nov 1994 16 Nov 1994 28 Jul 1995 pCroatia 5 Apr 1995 PCuba16 Nov 1994 17 Oct 2002 aCyprus 1 Nov 1994 27 Jul 1995 15 Nov 1994 27 Jul 1995 Czech Republic16 Nov 1994 16 Nov 1994 21 Jun 1996 Denmark29 Jul 1994 29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 2004 Dominican Republic10 Jul 2009 PEcuador24 Sep 2012 PEgypt<superscript>7</superscript>22 Mar 1995 16 Nov 1994 Equatorial Guinea21 Jul 1997 PEritrea16 Nov 1994 Estonia16 Nov 1994 26 Aug 2005 aEswatini12 Oct 1994 16 Nov 1994 24 Sep 2012 PEthiopia16 Nov 1994 European Union<superscript>6,8</superscript>29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 1 Apr 1998 cFiji29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 28 Jul 1995 Finland29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 21 Jun 1996 France29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 11 Apr 1996 Gabon<superscript>6</superscript> 4 Apr 1995 16 Nov 1994 11 Mar 1998 PGeorgia21 Mar 1996 PGermany29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 14 Oct 1994 Ghana16 Nov 1994 23 Sep 2016 aGreece29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 21 Jul 1995 Grenada<superscript>5</superscript>14 Nov 1994 16 Nov 1994 28 Jul 1995 pGuatemala11 Feb 1997 PGuinea<superscript>5</superscript>26 Aug 1994 16 Nov 1994 28 Jul 1995 pGuyana16 Nov 1994 25 Sep 2008 aHaiti31 Jul 1996 PHonduras16 Nov 1994 28 Jul 2003 aHungary16 Nov 1994 5 Feb 2002 aIceland<superscript>5</superscript>29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 28 Jul 1995 pIndia29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 29 Jun 1995 Indonesia<superscript>7</superscript>29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 2 Jun 2000 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 1 Nov 1994 Iraq16 Nov 1994 Ireland29 Jul 1994 29 Jul 1994 21 Jun 1996 Italy<superscript>8,9</superscript>29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 29 Jul 1994 13 Jan 1995 Jamaica<superscript>5</superscript>29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 28 Jul 1995 pJapan29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 20 Jun 1996 Jordan14 Nov 1994 27 Nov 1995 PKenya16 Nov 1994 29 Jul 1994 sKiribati24 Feb 2003 PKuwait16 Nov 1994 2 Aug 2002 aLao People's Democratic Republic<superscript>6</superscript>27 Oct 1994 16 Nov 1994 5 Jun 1998 PLatvia23 Dec 2004 aLebanon 5 Jan 1995 PLesotho31 May 2007 PLiberia25 Sep 2008 PLibya16 Nov 1994 Liechtenstein16 Nov 1994 Lithuania12 Nov 2003 aLuxembourg<superscript>6</superscript>29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 5 Oct 2000 Madagascar16 Nov 1994 22 Aug 2001 PMalawi28 Sep 2010 PMalaysia<superscript>6</superscript> 2 Aug 1994 16 Nov 1994 14 Oct 1996 PMaldives10 Oct 1994 16 Nov 1994 7 Sep 2000 PMalta<superscript>7</superscript>29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 26 Jun 1996 Marshall Islands16 Nov 1994 Mauritania 2 Aug 1994 16 Nov 1994 17 Jul 1996 PMauritius<superscript>10</superscript>16 Nov 1994 4 Nov 1994 PMexico 2 Nov 1994 10 Apr 2003 aMicronesia (Federated States of)<superscript>7</superscript>10 Aug 1994 16 Nov 1994 6 Sep 1995 Monaco30 Nov 1994 16 Nov 1994 20 Mar 1996 PMongolia17 Aug 1994 16 Nov 1994 13 Aug 1996 PMontenegro<superscript>11</superscript>23 Oct 2006 dMorocco19 Oct 1994 19 Oct 1994 31 May 2007 Mozambique16 Nov 1994 13 Mar 1997 aMyanmar16 Nov 1994 21 May 1996 aNamibia29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 28 Jul 1995 pNauru23 Jan 1996 PNepal<superscript>6</superscript>16 Nov 1994 2 Nov 1998 PNetherlands (Kingdom of the)<superscript>12</superscript>29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 28 Jun 1996 New Zealand<superscript>6</superscript>29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 19 Jul 1996 Nicaragua 3 May 2000 PNiger 7 Aug 2013 PNigeria<superscript>5</superscript>25 Oct 1994 16 Nov 1994 28 Jul 1995 pNiue11 Oct 2006 PNorth Macedonia16 Nov 1994 19 Aug 1994 PNorway16 Nov 1994 24 Jun 1996 aOman16 Nov 1994 26 Feb 1997 aPakistan10 Aug 1994 16 Nov 1994 26 Feb 1997 PPalau30 Sep 1996 PPanama 1 Jul 1996 PPapua New Guinea<superscript>6</superscript>16 Nov 1994 14 Jan 1997 PParaguay29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 10 Jul 1995 Philippines<superscript>7</superscript>15 Nov 1994 16 Nov 1994 23 Jul 1997 Poland<superscript>8</superscript>29 Jul 1994 23 Feb 1995 13 Nov 1998 PPortugal29 Jul 1994 29 Jul 1994 3 Nov 1997 Qatar16 Nov 1994 9 Dec 2002 PRepublic of Korea 7 Nov 1994 16 Nov 1994 29 Jan 1996 Republic of Moldova16 Nov 1994 6 Feb 2007 PRomania 4 Oct 1994 17 Dec 1996 aRussian Federation<superscript>6</superscript>11 Jan 1995 12 Mar 1997 aRwanda18 May 2023 PSamoa 7 Jul 1995 16 Nov 1994 14 Aug 1995 PSaudi Arabia 9 Nov 1994 24 Apr 1996 PSenegal 9 Aug 1994 16 Nov 1994 25 Jul 1995 Serbia<superscript>13</superscript>12 May 1995 28 Jul 1995 pSeychelles29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 15 Dec 1994 Sierra Leone16 Nov 1994 12 Dec 1994 PSingapore16 Nov 1994 17 Nov 1994 PSlovakia14 Nov 1994 16 Nov 1994 8 May 1996 Slovenia19 Jan 1995 16 Jun 1995 15 Nov 1994 16 Jun 1995 Solomon Islands 8 Feb 1995 23 Jun 1997 PSouth Africa<superscript>6</superscript> 3 Oct 1994 16 Nov 1994 23 Dec 1997 Spain<superscript>8</superscript>29 Jul 1994 15 Jan 1997 Sri Lanka<superscript>5</superscript>29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 28 Jul 1995 pState of Palestine 2 Jan 2015 PSudan<superscript>7</superscript>29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 Suriname<superscript>6</superscript>16 Nov 1994 9 Jul 1998 PSweden29 Jul 1994 29 Jul 1994 25 Jun 1996 Switzerland<superscript>6</superscript>26 Oct 1994 16 Nov 1994 1 May 2009 Thailand15 May 2011 aTimor-Leste 8 Jan 2013 PTogo<superscript>5</superscript> 3 Aug 1994 16 Nov 1994 28 Jul 1995 pTonga 2 Aug 1995 PTrinidad and Tobago<superscript>5</superscript>10 Oct 1994 16 Nov 1994 28 Jul 1995 pTunisia<superscript>7</superscript>15 May 1995 16 Nov 1994 24 May 2002 Tuvalu 9 Dec 2002 PUganda<superscript>5</superscript> 9 Aug 1994 16 Nov 1994 28 Jul 1995 pUkraine<superscript>6</superscript>28 Feb 1995 16 Nov 1994 26 Jul 1999 United Arab Emirates<superscript>6</superscript>16 Nov 1994 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<superscript>6,14</superscript>29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 25 Jul 1997 United Republic of Tanzania<superscript>7</superscript> 7 Oct 1994 16 Nov 1994 25 Jun 1998 United States of America<superscript>6</superscript>29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 Uruguay<superscript>7</superscript>29 Jul 1994 29 Jul 1994 7 Aug 2007 Vanuatu29 Jul 1994 16 Nov 1994 10 Aug 1999 PViet Nam16 Nov 1994 27 Apr 2006 aYemen13 Oct 2014 aZambia<superscript>5</superscript>13 Oct 1994 16 Nov 1994 28 Jul 1995 pZimbabwe<superscript>5</superscript>28 Oct 1994 16 Nov 1994 28 Jul 1995 pAustriaUpon signature:Declaration:"Austria declares that it understands the provisions of its article 7 paragraph 2 to signify with regard to its own position that pending parliamentary approval of the Convention and of the Agreement and their subsequent ratification it will have access to the organs for the International Sea-Bed authority."BelgiumUpon signature:Declaration:This signature also commits the Flemish region, the Wallone region and the region of the capital Brussels.Russian FederationDeclaration:According to expert opinion, industrial exploitation of deep sea-bed mineral resources will not start earlier than in ten to fifteen years. Therefore, the International body for the sea-bed will not have a subject of real activity for a long time yet, which fact highlights especially the financial aspects of activities of the newly established organization. It is important to avoid non-productive administrative and other expenditures, to abstain from establishing yet unnecessary structures and positions, and to strictly observe the agreements concerning the economy regime reflected in the Agreement.The efforts aimed at rendering universal the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 can, in the long run, produce a positive result only if all the States act on the basis of the above-mentioned agreements without trying to seek any unilateral advantages, and if they succeed in establishing a cooperation free of discrimination and with a due account of the interests of potential investors in deep sea-bed mining.Ukraine<i> <center>[See chapter XXI.6.] </center> </i>

ParticipantDate of receipt of the notificationTerritories

Netherlands (Kingdom of the)13 Feb 2009Netherlands Antilles1On 28 June 1996, the requirements for the entry into force of the Agreement were fulfilled. Consequently the Agreement entered into force on 28 July 1996 (<a href='http://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/CN/1996/CN.214.1996-Eng.pdf' target='_blank'>C.N.214.1996 </a> of 19 July 1996), in accordance with article 6 (1). In accordance with its article 7 (3), the provisional application of the Agreement shall terminate upon the date of its entry into force, i.e., on 28 July 1996. In accordance with the provisions of section 1, paragraph 12 (a) of the Annex to the said Agreement, " ... Upon entry into force of this Agreement, States and entities referred to in article 3 of this Agreement which have been applying it provisionally in accordance with article 7 and for which it is not in force, may continue to be members of the Authority on a provisional basis pending its entry into force of such States and entities, in accordance with the following sub-paragraphs: (a) If this Agreement enters into force before 16 November 1996, such States and entities shall be entitled to continue to participate as members of the Authority on a provisional basis upon notification to the depositary of the Agreement by such a State or entity of its intention to participate as a member on a provisional basis. Such membership shall terminate either on 16 November 1996 or upon the entry into force of this Agreement and the Convention for such member, whichever is earlier. The Council may, upon the request of the State or entity concerned, extend such membership beyond 16 November 1996 for a further period or periods not exceeding a total of two years...".2Number of Parties does not include the Provisional members of the International Seabed Authority.3In accordance with Article 4 of the Agreement which reads as follows: "After the adoption of this Agreement, any instrument of ratification or formal confirmation of or accession to the Convention shall also represent consent to be bound by this Agreement." 4States and regional economic integration organizations listed under " <b> <i>Participants </i> </b>" include those States and regional economic integration organizations having either signed or adopted the Agreement. According to article 7 (1) (a) of the Agreement, the Agreement shall be applied provisionally as of 16 November pending its entry into force by a) States which have consented to its adoption in the General Assembly of the United Nations, except any such State which before 16 November 1994 notifies the depositary either that it will not apply the Agreement or that it will consent to such application only upon subsequent signature or notification; b) States and entities which sign the Agreement (unless notification to the contrary at the time of signature); c) States and entities which consent to its provisional application; and/or d) States which accede to the Agreement.5State which upon signature or at a later date, notified that it has selected the application of the simplified procedure set out in articles 4 (3) (c) and 5.6State or regional economic integration organization which, upon the entry into force of the Agreement, notified the Secretary-General of its intention to continue to participate as a member of the International Seabed Authority on a provisional basis, in accordance with paragraph 12 (a), first sentence, section I of the Annex (see note 1).7State which, upon signature or at a later date, notified that it is not availing itself of the simplified procedure set out in article 5 and that consequently it will establish its consent to be bound by the Agreement under the provisions of article 4, paragraph 3 (b), by subsequent ratification.8State or regional economic integration organization which has specified that its consent to the provisional application will be subject to subsequent notification to the depositary in writing, in accordance with article 7 (1) (a), or that it will not apply the Agreement provisionally in accordance with article 7 (1) (b).9On 14 November 1994, the Government of Italy notified the Secretary-General that it would apply the Agreement provisionally.10On 9 January 2020, the Secretary-General received a communication from the Government of Mauritius relating to the Chagos Archipelago. See C.N.50.2020.TREATIES-XXI.6.a of 31 January 2020 for the text of the above-mentioned communication.11See note 1 under "Montenegro" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume.12For the Kingdom in Europe. <right>13 February 2009</right> For the Netherlands Antilles. <right>23 July 2014</right> Territorial Application in respect of Aruba.13Upon depositing its notification of succession to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on 12 March 2001, the Government of Yugoslavia confirmed the signature affixed to the Agreement on 12 May 1995 and its notification of application of the simplified procedure under article 5 of the Agreement.See also note 1 under “Bosnia and Herzegovina", "Croatia", "former Yugoslavia", "Slovenia", "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" and "Yugoslavia" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume.14Upon depositing its instrument of ratification, the Government of the United Kingdom also stated the following“ <i>Extent </i>[This] instrument of [...] ratification extend[s] to:The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandThe Bailiwick of JerseyThe Bailiwick of GuernseyThe Isle of ManAnguillaBermudaBritish Antarctic TerritoryBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBritish Virgin IslandsThe Cayman IslandsFalkland IslandsGibraltar, MontserratPitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno IslandsSt. Helena and DependenciesSouth Georgia and South Sandwich IslandsTurks and Caicos Islands.”