Geneva Convention on the High Seas

The 1958 Geneva Convention on the High Seas was an attempt to codify international law regarding the high seas, which are defined as all parts of the sea not included in the territorial sea or internal waters of a state. The principle of "freedom of the seas," first proposed in 1609, asserts that the high seas are open to all nations and cannot be claimed by any single state. This freedom includes navigation, fishing, and the laying of submarine cables and pipelines.1

However, by the mid-20th century, conflicts arose as coastal states sought to expand their security and customs zones, fishing rights, and access to offshore resources like oil. The 1958 conference aimed to address these issues but could not resolve key points, such as the maximum permissible breadth of territorial waters. While the convention affirmed the legal nature of territorial seas and the right of innocent passage, a more comprehensive treaty was later developed in 1982.123