Innocent Passage, Archipelagic Nations, and Open Ocean Jurisdiction
The World Assembly,
NOTING that member nations currently have no right to open and free passage through other member nation’s waters, nor to freely traverse the open oceans,
TROUBLED that there is no definition of the baseline for archipelagic member nations,
UNDERSTANDING that this may lead to civil unrest and international disputes, and
WISHING to establish laws to prevent such disputes,
Hereby,
1. Defines, for the purpose of this resolution,
- Baseline: the low tide mark of the member nation’s coast.
2. In the Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone, and EEZ other member nations have the right to innocent passage and overflight. Passage is innocent so long as it does not include:
- any threat or use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political
- independence of the coastal State, or in any other manner in violation of the principles of international law embodied in the WA,
- any exercise or practice with weapons of any kind,
- any act aimed at collecting information regarding the defense or security of the coastal member nation,
- any act of propaganda aimed at affecting the defense or security of the coastal member nation,
- the launching, landing or taking on board of any military device,
- the loading or unloading of any commodity, currency or person contrary to the laws and regulations of the coastal member nation,
- any act of willful and serious pollution contrary to this resolution;
- any fishing activities,
- the carrying out of research or survey activities,
- any act aimed at interfering with any systems of communication or any other facilities or installations of the coastal member nation,
- the construction of military bases or artificial islands,
- any other activity not having a direct bearing on passage.
3. In the open seas, all nations may freely exercise economic activity and commerce, as well as military exercises, but may not attack vessels for any purpose other than preventing piracy. Member nations may not build artificial islands in the open seas for any purpose other than as research facilities.
4. Archipelagic member nation’s baselines will be defined as a ring touching the outer edge of the outer islands of the archipelago, however, innocent passage is allowed in the seaways between islands.
