National legislation as a force multiplier

The United Nations Convention on the Law of

the Sea, which was opened for signature in December

1982, provided for a range of rights and obligations for

coastal States in the waters around their territory.

Among other things was confirmation that coastal

States had sovereign rights over the exclusive

economic zone (EEZ), with rights of boarding and

inspection of vessels exploiting the marine

environment. The plethora of rights confirmed in the

1982 Law of the Sea Convention offer an opportunity

to States with implementation within national

legislation. Surprisingly, not all States take advantage

of the opportunity these rights present. This paper

considers what rights a coastal State may implement

within its legislation that may assist in improving

maritime domain awareness and law enforcement at

sea.