CONVENTION[1] ON THE HIGH SEAS. DONE AT GENEVA, ON 29 APRIL 1958
The States Parties to this Convention,
Desiring to codify the rules of international law relating to the high seas,
Recognizing that the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, held at Geneva from 24 February to 27 April 1958, adopted the following provisions as generally declaratory of established principles of international law,
Have agreed as follows:
Article 1
The term "high seas" means all parts of the sea that are not included in the territorial sea or in the internal waters of a State.
Article 2
The high seas being open to all nations, no State may validly purport to subject any part of them to its sovereignty. Freedom of the high seas is ex-
- ↑ In accordance with article 34, the Convention came into force on 30 September 1962, the thirtieth day following the date of deposit of the twenty-second instrument of ratification or accession. Following is a list of States on behalf of which the instruments of ratification or accession (a) were deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, showing the respective dates of deposit:
Afghanistan 28 April 1959 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 14 March 1960 Cambodia 18 March 1960 (a) Haiti 29 March 1960 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 22 November 1960 ederation of Malaya 21 December 1960 (a) Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic 12 January 1961 Byelorrusian Soviet Socialist Republic 27 February 1961 United States of America 12 April 1961 Senegal 25 April 1961 (a) *Nigeria 26 June 1961 Indonesia 10 AUgust 1961 Venezuela 15 August 1961 Czechoslovakia 31 August 1961 Israel 6 September 1961 Guatemala 27 November 1961 Hungary 6 December 1961 Romania 12 December 1961 *Sierra Leone 13 March 1962 Poland 29 June 1962 Madagascar 31 July 1962 (a) Bulgaria 31 August 1962 Central African Republic 15 October 1962 (a) Nepal 28 December 1962 Portugal 8 January 1963 For declarations and reservations made upon signature, see list of signatures and for those made upon ratification, as well as for objections to certain declarations and reservations, see pp. 162 to 167.
* By communications received on 26 June 1961 and 13 March 1962, respectively, the Governments of Nigeria and Sierra Leone have informed the Secretary-General that they consider themselves bound by the ratification by the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of the Convention of the High Seas, done at Geneva on 29 April 1958, which was effective for their territories prior to the attainment of independence.
No. 6465
