Legislative Provenance & Source Transparency

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Repository Coverage:Curated Key Provisions (2/320 Secs - 1%)

High-frequency core provisions indexed with full statutory text and explanations. Full legislative library ingestion is underway.

Publishing Authority:

United Nations (DOALOS) / ITLOS

Official Repository:

UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (un.org/depts/los)

Official Gazette / Treaty Serial:

1833 U.N.T.S. 397

Enacted / Effective Date:

1982

Last Amended / Validated:

January 2025

Authentic Language Status:

Multilingual Official Treaty (UN Authentic)

InternationalLaw of the SeaActive Treaty

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

জাতিসংঘ সমুদ্র আইন কনভেনশন (ইউএনক্লজ ১৯৮২)

Adoption / Enactment10 December 1982

Entry into Force / Effective16 November 1994

Depositary / AuthoritySecretary-General of the United Nations

State Parties / Ratifications169 State Parties

SourceUnited Nations Treaty Series

AuthorityUnited Nations (DOALOS) / ITLOS

Last Verified15 August 2026

StatusOfficial Legal Text

Instrument Type: Multilateral Treaty

UN / Citation: 1833 UNTS 3 / 21 ILM 1261 (1982)

Bangladesh Status: 🇧🇩 Bangladesh signed on 10 December 1982 and ratified on 27 July 2001.

Official Languages: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic

Verified Multilateral Depositary

Domestic Application in Bangladesh: Directly transformed Bangladesh's maritime borders. Bangladesh utilized UNCLOS Part XV compulsory dispute settlement to secure landmark maritime boundary delimitations: against Myanmar before ITLOS (Case No. 16, Judgment 14 March 2012) and against India before a PCA Annex VII Arbitral Tribunal (Award 7 July 2014), securing over 118,813 sq km of waters in the Bay of Bengal, codified into the Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones (Amendment) Act 2021.

Official certified text published in 1833 UNTS 3. Regarded as the "Constitution for the Oceans".

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Statutory Overview & Key Principles

Official Legal Text (Verified)

The universal rulebook for the world's oceans, explaining how far a country's sea borders reach and who owns fish, oil, and gas under the water.

Core Legal Concepts

Territorial Sea (Art. 3): Sovereign maritime belt extending up to 12 nautical miles from baselines.
Exclusive Economic Zone (Art. 57): Sovereign resource rights up to 200 nautical miles.
Compulsory Dispute Settlement (Part XV): Binding resolution before ITLOS (Hamburg) or Annex VII Arbitral Tribunals.

Important Points & Practical Takeaways

Enacted in 1982 as a key pillar of International jurisprudence.
Governs Law of the Sea with binding statutory force across its legal domain.
Provides procedural safeguards and dispute resolution remedies for citizens and institutions.

Anyone navigating law of the sea issues must comply with these statutory requirements to ensure legal protection and prevent sanctions.

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Article 3

Breadth of the Territorial Sea (12 Nautical Miles)

আঞ্চলিক সমুদ্রসীমার বিস্তৃতি (১২ নটিক্যাল মাইল)

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Official Statutory Text (English)Primary Authentic Version

Every State has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baselines determined in accordance with this Convention.

বাংলা অনুবাদ (Bangla Translation)Accredited Translation

ভিত্তিরেখা থেকে অনধিক ১২ নটিক্যাল মাইল পর্যন্ত যেকোনো উপকূলীয় রাষ্ট্র তার সার্বভৌম আঞ্চলিক সমুদ্রসীমা নির্ধারণের অধিকারী।

Plain Language Explanation

A coastal nation completely owns the water and airspace up to 12 nautical miles from its shore.

Prescribed Punishment / Statutory Remedy

Full sovereign police, customs, and criminal jurisdiction over territorial waters.

Section Keywords & Concepts

Territorial sea12 nautical milesSovereign baseline

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Related Statutes & Interconnected Laws

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Constitutional Law1972

The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh

গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশের সংবিধান

The highest legal authority in Bangladesh. It guarantees basic fundamental human rights (like free speech, equality, and protection from unlawful arrest) and defines how the country's government, parliament, and courts operate.

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Human Rights1948

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

মানবাধিকারের সার্বজনীন ঘোষণাপত্র (১৯৪৮)

A historic global declaration stating that all humans are born free and equal, with rights to life, fair trial, privacy, speech, and freedom from torture and slavery.

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Human Rights1966

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

নাগরিক ও রাজনৈতিক অধিকার বিষয়ক আন্তর্জাতিক চুক্তি (১৯৬৬)

A legally binding world treaty that forces member countries to protect human life, ban torture, give fair trials in court, and stop arbitrary jailings.

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INTERNATIONAL LEGAL REPOSITORY & TREATY ARCHIVE

NYAYOTA CODIFICATION MIRROR • INT

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

জাতিসংঘ সমুদ্র আইন কনভেনশন (ইউএনক্লজ ১৯৮২)

Enactment Year1982

Effective Date1982

StatusActive Treaty

Scope Printed2 Codified Provisions

Official Publication: UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (un.org/depts/los)(1833 U.N.T.S. 397)

Authenticated Mirror • Retrieved on November 3, 2026

Statutory Scope & Legislative Preamble

“The comprehensive global regime of law and order in the world's oceans, establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources, defining territorial seas (12 NM), contiguous zones (24 NM), exclusive economic zones (200 NM), continental shelves, and establishing the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).”

সমুদ্রের সংবিধান হিসেবে পরিচিত আন্তর্জাতিক চুক্তি যার অধীনে বাংলাদেশ মায়ানমার ও ভারতের সাথে ঐতিহাসিক সমুদ্রসীমা বিরোধে জয়লাভ করে বঙ্গোপসাগরে সার্বভৌম অধিকার প্রতিষ্ঠা করেছে।

Section Article 3— Breadth of the Territorial Sea (12 Nautical Miles)আঞ্চলিক সমুদ্রসীমার বিস্তৃতি (১২ নটিক্যাল মাইল)

Official Statutory Provision

Every State has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baselines determined in accordance with this Convention.

বাংলা পাঠ্য (Certified Bengali Text)

Plain Language Meaning & Analysis

A coastal nation completely owns the water and airspace up to 12 nautical miles from its shore.

Prescribed Punishment / Statutory Remedy

Full sovereign police, customs, and criminal jurisdiction over territorial waters.

Section Article 56— Rights and Jurisdiction of Coastal State in Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)অনন্য অর্থনৈতিক অঞ্চলে (EEZ) উপকূলীয় রাষ্ট্রের অধিকার ও এখতিয়ার

Official Statutory Provision

In the exclusive economic zone, the coastal State has: (a) sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources, whether living or non-living, of the waters superjacent to the seabed and of the seabed and its subsoil... (b) jurisdiction as provided for in the relevant provisions of this Convention with regard to: (i) the establishment and use of artificial islands, installations and structures; (ii) marine scientific research; (iii) the protection and preservation of the marine environment.

বাংলা পাঠ্য (Certified Bengali Text)

২০০ নটিক্যাল মাইল পর্যন্ত অর্থনৈতিক অঞ্চলে মাছ ধরা, গ্যাস ও খনিজ সম্পদ আহরণ এবং সামুদ্রিক পরিবেশ সুরক্ষায় উপকূলীয় রাষ্ট্রের একক সার্বভৌম অধিকার থাকবে।

Plain Language Meaning & Analysis

Coastal states have the exclusive legal right to catch fish and drill for oil and natural gas up to 200 nautical miles from coast.

Prescribed Punishment / Statutory Remedy

Exclusive resource rights enforced via coast guard and naval patrols.

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Article 3

Breadth of the Territorial Sea (12 Nautical Miles)

আঞ্চলিক সমুদ্রসীমার বিস্তৃতি (১২ নটিক্যাল মাইল)

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Official Statutory Text (English)Primary Authentic Version

Every State has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baselines determined in accordance with this Convention.

বাংলা অনুবাদ (Bangla Translation)Accredited Translation

Plain Language Explanation

A coastal nation completely owns the water and airspace up to 12 nautical miles from its shore.

Prescribed Punishment / Statutory Remedy

Full sovereign police, customs, and criminal jurisdiction over territorial waters.

Section Keywords & Concepts

Territorial sea12 nautical milesSovereign baseline

Private Section Notes0 Notes

Saved directly in your browser's private offline storage.

Research Workspace

No private notes saved for Article 3 yet.

Add your legal thoughts, exam preparation tips, case citations, or courtroom notes directly to this statutory provision.

Legislative Provenance & Source Transparency

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

জাতিসংঘ সমুদ্র আইন কনভেনশন (ইউএনক্লজ ১৯৮২)

Statutory Overview & Key Principles

Breadth of the Territorial Sea (12 Nautical Miles)

Private Section Notes0 Notes

Related Provisions in this Statute1 Linked Sections

Rights and Jurisdiction of Coastal State in Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

Related Statutes & Interconnected Laws

The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

Statutory Scope & Legislative Preamble

Legislative Provenance & Source Transparency

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

জাতিসংঘ সমুদ্র আইন কনভেনশন (ইউএনক্লজ ১৯৮২)

Statutory Overview & Key Principles

Breadth of the Territorial Sea (12 Nautical Miles)

Private Section Notes0 Notes

Related Provisions in this Statute1 Linked Sections

Rights and Jurisdiction of Coastal State in Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

Related Statutes & Interconnected Laws

The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

Statutory Scope & Legislative Preamble