most part, parallel the provisions of the 1958 Territorial Sea 

 Convention. There was almost no reference to any other seaward 

 limit except the 12-mile territorial sea. The issues that stand in the 

 way of an agreement are unimpeded transit of straits and the 200- 

 mile economic zone. There are 116 straits that are more than 6 and 

 less than 24 miles wide. Passage through these areas would be 

 influenced by the change to a 12-mile territorial sea. 



Contiguous Zone — Under the 1958 Convention on the Territorial 

 Sea and the Contiguous Zone, the maximum seaward limit of a 

 contiguous zone is 12 miles. Some states would like it extended; 

 others feel it is unnecessary if there is a 12-mile territorial sea. 



Straits Used for Navigational Purposes — In general, there was a 

 trend toward unimpeded passage through straits. The United States 

 made it clear that it wanted unimpeded passage for all vessels 

 through and over straits used for international navigation. 



High Seas — The new proposals included references to the 

 suppression of illicit traffic from the high seas, hot pursuit, and flag- 

 state duties, as well as conservation of living resources beyond the 

 economic zone. Most states wish to maintain the freedom of the high 

 seas, but difficulties arise from the legal status of the economic zone. 



Landlocked Countries and Shelf-Locked Countries — Most coastal 

 states readily acknowledge the need for positive action on the 

 problem of access to the sea for landlocked countries. The difficulty 

 is one of emphasis, detail, and implementation, matters that many 

 landlocked countries are reluctant to leave to later bilateral 

 arrangements. 



Landlocked countries have other problems in relation to deep- 

 seabed mining and living resources in the economic zones of 

 neighboring coastal states. Another problem concerns a state with a 

 small coastline facing the coasts of others; it could suffer a 

 disadvantage from the establishment of an economic zone by 

 neighboring states. 



Archipelagos — The problems to be solved before an agreement can 

 be reached are (1) a clear definition of each area and the rights of the 

 archipelagic nations in the waters between the islands and (2) the 

 rights of navigation and overflight through archipelagic waters, 

 large areas of which are now high seas. 



Economic Zone and Continental Shelf— The major problems 

 encountered in the negotiations on the economic zone center on the 

 following points: 



[1) Do the rights of coastal states extend beyond 200 miles where 

 the continental margin extends beyond that limit? The United States 

 proposed an accommodation that includes revenue sharing and 

 coastal state jurisdiction over the continental margin (exclusive of 



