Convention on the High Seas

Convention on the High Seas in the United States

Article 24

Every State shall draw up regulations to prevent pollution of the seas by
the discharge of oil from ships or pipelines or resulting from the
exploitation and exploration of the seabed and its subsoil, taking account
of existing treaty provisions on the subject.

Article 25

1. Every State shall take measures to prevent pollution of the seas from
the dumping of radio-active waste, taking into account any standards and
regulations which may be formulated by the competent international
organizations.

2. All States shall co-operate with the competent international
organizations in taking measures for the prevention of pollution of the
seas or air space above, resulting from any activities with radio-active
materials or other harmful agents.

Article 26

1. All States shall be entitled to lay submarine cables and pipelines on
the bed of the high seas.

2. 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 such cables or
pipelines.

3. When laying such cables or pipelines the State in question shall pay due
regard to cables or pipelines already in position on the seabed. In
particular, possibilities of repairing existing cables or pipelines shall
not be prejudiced.

Article 27

Every State shall take the necessary legislative measures to provide that
the breaking or injury by a ship flying its flag or by a person subject to
its jurisdiction of a submarine cable beneath the high seas done wilfully
or through culpable negligence, in such a manner as to be liable to
interrupt or obstruct telegraphic or telephonic communications, and
similarly the breaking or injury of a submarine pipeline or high-voltage
power cable shall be a punishable offence. This provision shall not apply
to any break or injury caused by persons who acted merely with the
legitimate object of saving their lives or their ships, after having taken
all necessary precautions to avoid such break or injury.

Article 28

Every State shall take the necessary legislative measures to provide that,
if persons subject to its jurisdiction who are the owners of a cable or
pipeline beneath the high seas, in laying or repairing that cable or
pipeline, cause a break in or injury to another cable or pipeline, they
shall bear the cost of the repairs.

Article 29

Every State shall take the necessary legislative measures to ensure that
the owners of ships who can prove that they have sacrificed an anchor, a
net or any other fishing gear, in order to avoid injuring a submarine cable
or pipeline, shall be indemnified by the owner of the cable or pipeline,
provided that the owner of the ship has taken all reasonable precautionary
measures beforehand.

Article 30

The provisions of this Convention shall not affect conventions or other
international agreements already in force, as between States Parties to
them.

Article 31

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 32

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

Article 33

This Convention shall be open for accession by any States belonging to any
of the categories mentioned in article 31. The instruments of accession
shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Article 34

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 35

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 36

The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall inform all States Members
of the United Nations and the other States referred to in article 31:

(a) Of signatures to this Convention and of the deposit of instruments of
ratification or accession, in accordance with articles 31, 32 and 33;
(b) Of the date on which this Convention will come into force, in
accordance with article 34;
(c) Of requests for revision in accordance with article 35.

Article 37

The 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 31.

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.


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