United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea

For maritime law in general see Admiralty law. The United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), also called the Law of the Sea Convention and the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST), is the international agreement that resulted from the third United Nations Convention [Conference] on the Law of the Sea, which took place from 1973 through 1982. The Law of the Sea Convention defines the rights and responsibilities of nations in their use of the world's oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources. The Convention concluded in 1982 replaced four 1958 treaties. UNCLOS came into force in 1994, a year after Guyana became the 60th state to sign the treaty. To date 154 countries and the European Community have joined in the Convention. The United States has signed the treaty, but the Senate has not ratified it.
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