COASTAL STATE RIGHTS AND JURISDICTIONS ON THE HIGH SEAS: LEGAL MEASURES AND PROCEDURES IN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

Abstract

This study examines the rights and jurisdiction of the coastal State on the high seas under the legal measures and procedures established by international conventions, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). While the freedom of the high seas grants all States equal rights to navigation, fishing, scientific research, and the laying of submarine cables, international law allows the coastal State to exercise limited jurisdiction over foreign vessels in specific circumstances.

The study analyzes the principal powers of the coastal State, including the right of visit, the suppression of piracy, illicit drug trafficking, unauthorized broadcasting, marine pollution, and the right of hot pursuit. It also addresses the powers exercised within the Exclusive Economic Zone and on the continental shelf, together with the legal guarantees intended to preserve the balance between the interests of the coastal State and the principle of freedom of navigation.

Using descriptive, analytical, and comparative methods, the study concludes that the effectiveness of these legal measures remains limited in practice because their implementation depends largely on the political will and maritime capabilities of States. Therefore, stronger international cooperation and more effective enforcement mechanisms are required.