APPENDIXES 



Appendix 1 



Multilateral Law of the Sea : Conm^ntion on the Continental 



Shelf 



Done at Geneva April 29, 1958; 



Ratification advised by the Senate of the United States of America May 26, 

 1960; 



Ratified by the President of the United States of America March 24, 1961; 



Ratification of the United States of America deposited with Secretary-Gen- 

 eral of the United Nations April 12, 1961 ; 



Proclaimed by the President of the United States of America May 25, 1964 ; 



Entered into force June 10, 1964. 



A PROCLAMATION BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OP AMERICA 



Whereas the Convention on the Continental Shelf, adopted by the United 

 Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, Geneva, February 24 to April 27, 

 1958, was open for signature from April 29 to October 31, 1958, and during that 

 period was signed in behalf of the United States of America and forty-five other 

 States ; 



Whereas a certified copy of the text of the Convention, in the English, French, 

 Chinese, Russian, and Spanish languages, is word for word as follows : 



ANNEX IV ; ^ CONVENTION ON THE CONTINENTAL SHELF 



The states Parties to this Convention have agreed as follows : 



Article 1 



For the purpose of these articles, the term "continental shalf" is used as re- 

 ferring {a) to the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas adjacent to the 

 coast but outside the area of the territorial sea, to a depth of 200 metres or, be- 

 yond that limit, to where the depth of the superjacent waters admits of the 

 exploitation of the natural resources of the said areas; (6) to the seabed and 

 subsoil of similar submarine areas adjacent to the coasts of islands. 



Article 2 



1. The coastal State exercises over the continental shelf sovereign rights for 

 the purpose of exploring it and exploiting its natural resources. 



2. The rights referred to in paragraph 1 of this article are exclusive in the 

 sense that if the coastal State does not explore the continental shelf or exploit 

 its natural resources, no one may undertake these activities, or make a claim to 

 the continental shelf, without the express consent of the coastal State. 



3. The rights of the coastal State over the continental shelf do not depend 

 on occupation, effective or notional, or on any express proclamation. 



4. The natural resources referred to in these articles consist of the mineral 

 and other non-living resources of the seabed and subsoil together with living 

 organisms belonging to sedentary species, that is to say, organisms which, at the 

 harvestable stage, either are immobile on or under the seabed or are unable 

 to move except in constant physical contact with the seabed or the subsoil. 



^ The text of the convention printed herein constituted Annex IV to the Final Act of the 

 United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, which was certified by the Legal Counsel, 

 for the Secretary-General of the United Nations. [Footnote added by the Department of 

 State.] 



(217) 



