115 



B. CONVENTION ON THE CONTINENTAL SHELF ' 



The States Parties to this Convention, 

 Have agreed as follows: 



Article i 



For the purpose of these articles, the term 

 "continental shelf" is used as referring (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, beyond that limit, to where the 

 depth of the superjacent waters admits of 

 the exploitation of the natural resources of 

 the said areas; (b) 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 i 

 of this article are exclusive in the sense that 

 if the coastal State does not explore the con- 

 tinental shelf or exploit its natural resources, 

 no one may undertake these activities, or 

 make a claim to the continental shelf, with- 

 out the express consent of the coastal State, 



3. The rights of the coastal State over the 

 continental shelf do not depend on occupa- 

 tion, 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 sub- 

 soil together with living organisms belong- 

 ing to' sedentary species, that is to say, 

 or'^anisms which, at the harvestable stage, 



are immobile on or under the seabed 

 are unable to move except in constant 



2. Adopted Apr. 26, 1958 (U.N. Doc. A/Con£. 

 '3/L.55). 



physical contact with the seabed or the 

 subsoil. 



Article 3 



The rights of the coastal State over the 

 continental shelf do not affect the legal status 

 of the superjacent waters as high seas, or 

 that of the airspace above those waters. 



Article 4 



Subject to its right to take reasonable 

 measures for the exploration of the conti- 

 nental shelf and the exploitation of its natural 

 resources, the coastal State may not impede 

 the laying or maintenance of submarine 

 cables or pipelines on the continental shelf. 



Article 5 



1. The exploration of the continental shelf 

 and the exploitation of its natural resources 

 must not result in any unjustifiable interfer- 

 ence with navigation, fishing or the conser- 

 vation of the living resources of the sea, nor 

 result in any interference with fundamental 

 oceanographic or other scientific research 

 carried out with the intention of open 

 publication. 



2. Subject to the provisions of paragraphs 

 I and 6 of this article, the coastal State is 

 entitled to construct and maintain or oper- 

 ate on the continental shelf installations and 

 other devices necessary for its exploration 

 and the exploitation of its natural resources, 

 and to establish safety zones around such 

 installations and devices and to take in 

 those zones measures necessary for their 

 protection, 



3. The safety zones referred to in para- 

 graph 2 of this article may extend to a dis- 

 tance of 500 metres around the installations 

 and other devices which have been erected, 

 measured from each point of their outer 



