本条款称“大陆架”者谓：(a)邻接海岸但在领海以外之海底区域之海床及底土，其上海水深度不逾二百公尺，或虽逾此限度而其上海水深度仍使该区域天然资源有开发之可能性者；(b)邻接岛屿海岸之类似海底区域之海床及底土。

(1958年4月29日订于日内瓦)

[本公约于1964年6月10日生效]

本公约当事各国，

议定条款如下：

沿海国为探测大陆架及开发其天然资源之目的，对大陆架行使主权上权利。本条第一项所称权利为专属权利，沿海国如不探测大陆架或开发其天然资源，非经其明示同意，任何人不得从事此项工作或对大陆架有所主张。沿海国对大陆架之权利不以实际或观念上之占领或明文公告为条件。本条款所称天然资源包括在海床及底土之矿物及其他无生资源以及定着类之有生机体，亦即于可予采捕时期，在海床上下固定不动，或非与海床或底土在形体上经常接触即不能移动之有机体。

沿海国对于大陆架之权利不影响其上海水为公海之法律地位，亦不影响海水上空之法律地位。

沿海国除为探测大陆架及开发其天然资源有权采取合理措施外，对于在大陆架上敷设或维持海底电缆或管线不得加以阻碍。

1．探测大陆架及开发其天然资源不得使航行、捕鱼或海中生物资源之养护受任何不当之妨害，亦不得对于以公开发表为目的而进行之基本海洋学研究或其他科学研究有任何妨害。

2．以不违反本条第一项及第六项之规定为限，沿海国有权在大陆架上建立、维持或使用为探测大陆架及开发其天然资源所必要之设置及其他装置，并有权在此项设置与装置之周围设定安全区以及在安全区内采取保护设置及装置之必要措施。

3．本条第二项所称之安全区得以已建各项设置及其他装置周围五百公尺之距离为范围、自设置与装置之外缘各点起算之。各国船舶必须尊重此种安全区。

4．此种设置气装置虽受沿海国管辖，但不具有岛屿之地位。此种设置与装置本身并无领海，其存在不影响沿海国领海界限之划定。

5．关于此项设置之建立必须妥为通告、并须常设警告其存在之装置。凡经废弃或不再使用之设置必须全部拆除。

6．此项设置或位于其周围之安全区不得建于对国际航行所必经之公认海道可能妨害其使用之地点。

7．沿海国负有在安全区内采取一切适当办法以保护海洋生物资源免遭有害物剂损害之义务。

8．对大陆架从事实地研究必须征得沿海国之同意。倘有适当机构提出请求而目的系在对大陆架之物理或生物特征作纯粹科学性之研究者，沿海国通常不得拒予同意，但沿海国有意时，有权加入或参与研究，研究之结果不论在何情形下均应发表。

1．同一大陆架邻接两个以上海岸相向国家之领土时，其分属各该国部分之界线由有关各国以协议定之。倘无协议，除因情形特殊应另定界线外，以每一点均与测算每一国领海宽度之基线上最近各点距离相等之中央线为界线。

2．同一大陆架邻接两个毗邻国家之领土时，其界线由有关两国以协议定之。倘无协议，除因情形特殊应另定界线外，其界线应适用与测算每一国领海宽度之基线上最近各点距离相等之原则定之。

3．划定大陆架之界限时，凡依本条第一项及第二项所载原则划成之界线，应根据特定期日所有之海图及地理特征订明之，并应指明陆上固定，永久而可资辨认之处。

沿海国以穿凿隧道方法开发底土之权利无论其上海水深度如何均不受本条款规定之影响。

本公约在1958年10月31日以前听由联合国或任何专门机关之全体会员国及经由联合国大会邀请参加为本公约当事一方之任何其他国家签署。

本公约应予批准。批准文件应送交联合国秘书长存放。

本公约应听由属于第8条所称任何一类之国家加入。加入文件应送交联合国秘书长存放。

1．本公约应于第二十二件批准或加入文件送交联合国秘书长存放之日后第三十日起发生效力。

2．对于在第二十二件批准或加入文件存放后批准或加入本公约之国家，本公约应于各该国存放批准或加入文件后第三十日起发生效力。

1．任何国家得于签署、批准或加入时对本公约第1条至第3条以外各条提出保留。

2．依前项规定提出保留之任何缔约国得随时通知联合国秘书长撤回保留。

1．缔约任何一方得于本公约生效之日起满五年后随时书面通知联合国秘书长请求修改本公约。

2．对于此项请求应采何种步骤、由联合国大会决定之。

联合国秘书长应将下列事项通知联合国各会员国及第8条所称之其他国家：

(a)依第8条、第9条及第10条对本公约所为之签署及送存之批准或加入文件

(b)依第11条本公约发生效力之日期

(c)依第13条所提关于修改本公约之请求

(d)依第12条对本公约提出之保留。

本公约之原文应交联合国秘书长存放，其中文、英文、法文、俄文及西班牙文各本同一作准；秘书长应将各文正式副本分送第8条所称各国。

为此，下列全权代表各秉本国政府正式授予签字之权，谨签字于本公约，以昭信守。

1958年4月29日订于日内瓦。

CONVENTION ON THE CONTINENTAL SHELF

DONE AT GENEVA, ON 29 APRIL 1958

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 10 June 1964

The States Parties to this Convention

Have agreed as follows:

Article 1

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 1 of this article are exclusive in the sense that if the coastal State does not explore the continental shelf or exploit its natural resources, no one may undertake these activities, or make a claim to the continental shelf, without the express consent of the coastal State.

3. The rights of the coastal State over the continental shelf do not depend on occupation, 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 subsoil together with living organisms belonging to sedentary species, that is to say, organisms which, at the harvestable stage, either are immobile on or under the seabed or are unable to move except in constant 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 continental shelf and the exploitation of its natural resources, the coastal State may not impede the laying or maintenance of submarine cables or pipe lines 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 interference with navigation, fishing or the conservation 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 1 and 6 of this article, the coastal State is entitled to construct and maintain or operate 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 paragraph 2 of this article may extend to a distance of 500 meters around the installations and other devices which have been erected, measured from each point of their outer edge. Ships of all nationalities must respect these safety zones.

4. Such installations and devices, though under the jurisdiction of the coastal State, do not possess the status of islands. They have no territorial sea of their own, and their presence does not affect the delimitation of the territorial sea of the coastal State.

5. Due notice must be given of the construction of any such installations, and permanent means for giving warning of their presence must be maintained. Any installations which are abandoned or disused must be entirely removed.

6. Neither the installations or devices, nor the safety zones around them, may be established where interference may be caused to the use of recognized sea lanes essential to international navigation.

7. The coastal State is obliged to undertake, in the safety zones, all appropriate measures for the protection of the living resources of the sea from harmful agents.

8. The consent of the coastal State shall be obtained in respect of any research concerning the continental shelf and undertaken there. Nevertheless the coastal State shall not normally withhold its consent if the request is submitted by a qualified institution with a view to purely scientific research into the physical or biological characteristics of the continental shelf, subject to the proviso that the coastal State shall have the right, if it so desires, to participate or to be represented in the research, and that in any event the results shall be published.

Article 6

1. Where the same continental shelf is adjacent to the territories of two or more States whose coasts are opposite each other, the boundary of the continental shelf appertaining to such States shall be determined by agreement between them. In the absence of agreement, and unless another boundary line is justified by special circumstances, the boundary is the median line, every point of which is equidistant from the nearest points of the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea of each State is measured.

2. Where the same continental shelf is adjacent to the territories of two adjacent States, the boundary of the continental shelf shall be determined by agreement between them. In the absence of agreement, and unless another boundary line is justified by special circumstances, the boundary shall be determined by application of the principle of equidistance from the nearest points of the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea of each State is measured.

3. In delimiting the boundaries of the continental shelf, any lines which are drawn in accordance with the principles set out in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this article should be defined with reference to charts and geographical features as they exist at a particular date, and reference should be made to fixed permanent identifiable points on the land.

Article 7

The provisions of these articles shall not prejudice the right of the coastal State to exploit the subsoil by means of tunneling irrespective of the depth of water above the subsoil.

Article 8

This Convention shall, until 31 October 1958, be open for signature by all States Members of the United Nations or of any of the specialized agencies, and by any other State invited by the General Assembly of the United Nations to become a Party to the Convention.

Article 9

This Convention is subject to ratification. The instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Article 10

This Convention shall be open for accession by any States belonging to any of the categories mentioned in article 8. The instruments of accession shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Article 11

1. This Convention shall come into force on the thirtieth day following the date of deposit of the twenty-second instrument of ratification or accession with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

2. For each State ratifying or acceding to the Convention after the deposit of the twenty-second instrument of ratification or accession, the Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after deposit by such State of its instrument of ratification or accession.

Article 12

1. At the time of signature, ratification or accession, any State may make reservations to articles of the Convention other than to articles 1 to 3 inclusive.

2. Any Contracting State making a reservation in accordance with the preceding paragraph may at any time withdraw the reservation by a communication to that effect addressed to the Secretary-General of the United

Nations.

Article 13

1. After the expiration of a period of five years from the date on which this Convention shall enter into force, a request for the revision of this Convention may be made at any time by any Contracting Party by means of a notification in writing addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

2. The General Assembly of the United Nations shall decide upon the steps, if any, to be taken in respect of

such request.

Article 14

The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall inform all States Members of the United Nations and the other States referred to in article 8:

(a) Of signatures to this Convention and of the deposit of instruments of ratification or accession, in accordance with articles 8, 9 and 10;

(b) Of the date on which this Convention will come into force, in accordance with article 11;

(c) Of requests for revision in accordance with article 13;

(d) Of reservations to this Convention, in accordance with article 12.

Article 15

The dsds original of this Convention, of which the Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall send certified copies thereof to all States referred to in article 8.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned Plenipotentiaries, being duly authorized thereto by their respective Governments, have signed this Convention.

DONE at Geneva, this twenty-ninth day of April one thousand nine hundred and fifty-eight.