Article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

E90987

Article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is the key provision that defines the outer limits of a coastal state's continental shelf and sets the legal framework for extending those limits beyond 200 nautical miles.

Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form As subject As object
UNCLOS Article 76 0 1

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf treaty article
adoptedInInstrument United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
surface form: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982
allowsExtensionBeyond 200 nautical miles
appliesTo coastal States
basisFor submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf
category continental shelf regime
maritime boundary law
citationForm UNCLOS, art. 76
clarifies continental shelf comprises seabed and subsoil of submarine areas
continental shelf extends throughout the natural prolongation of land territory
defines foot of the continental slope
outer limits of the continental shelf
distinguishes submarine ridges and submarine elevations
doesNotAffect air space above the continental shelf
legal status of the superjacent waters
establishes legal framework for extending continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles
influences international maritime boundary disputes
national legislation on outer continental shelf claims
language Arabic
Chinese
English
French
Russian
Spanish
legalDomain international law
law of the sea
legalEffect determines outer limit of coastal State sovereign rights over seabed resources
limitsRightsOver submarine ridges
linkedBody Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf
linksTo Annex II of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
objective provide a stable and equitable method for determining outer continental shelf limits
partOf United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
permitsExtendedRightsOver submarine elevations that are natural components of the continental margin
providesFor constraint lines limiting outer continental shelf
providesThat rights over continental shelf do not depend on occupation or proclamation
requires coastal States to establish outer limits of continental shelf by charts or lists of coordinates
deposit of charts or coordinates with the Secretary-General of the United Nations
publicity of charts or coordinates of outer limits of continental shelf
use of fixed points not more than 60 nautical miles apart
use of formula lines based on sediment thickness or distance from foot of slope
setsMaximumExtent 100 nautical miles from the 2500 metre isobath
350 nautical miles from the baselines
setsMinimumExtent continental shelf up to 200 nautical miles from the baselines
shortName Article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea self-linksurface differs
surface form: UNCLOS Article 76
subjectMatter continental shelf delimitation
outer continental shelf
usedBy States parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf legalBasis Article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
Article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea shortName Article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: UNCLOS Article 76