Knowra Freedom of navigation Freedom of navigation Freedom of navigation is the principle that ships may navigate international waters subject to the law of the sea. It also protects specified passage through waters under coastal-state jurisdiction.
Territorial waters : The belt of sea extending up to 12 nautical miles from a coastal state's baseline, where it exercises sovereignty subject to international law. Navigation remains possible here through the right of innocent passage.
Internal waters : Waters on the landward side of a coastal state's baseline, generally treated as part of its territory. Unlike the high seas, these waters usually offer no general right of foreign navigation.
Hugo Grotius : A Dutch jurist whose writings helped shape international law and the case for open seas. His defense of free maritime access became a foundational argument for navigation rights.
Freedom of navigation operations : State operations that challenge excessive maritime claims by exercising navigation or overflight rights under international law. These operations turn the legal principle into visible military and diplomatic practice.
Maritime security : The protection of people, ships, trade, and infrastructure from threats in the maritime domain. States must balance open passage with measures against piracy, trafficking, and other threats.
Exclusive economic zone : A maritime zone extending up to 200 nautical miles from a coastal baseline, where a coastal state has specified resource rights. Other states retain navigation freedoms in this zone despite coastal resource jurisdiction.
Innocent passage : The right of foreign ships to pass through a coastal state's territorial sea without threatening its peace, good order, or security. It is a narrower passage right than the broader freedoms available beyond territorial waters.
Mare Liberum : Hugo Grotius's 1609 treatise arguing that no state could claim exclusive sovereignty over the open sea. It gave an influential legal argument against monopolizing ocean navigation.
South China Sea dispute : A set of overlapping territorial and maritime claims involving China and several neighboring states. The dispute repeatedly tests claims that could restrict navigation and access to international waters.
Piracy : Violent or depredatory acts committed for private ends against ships on the high seas or outside any state's jurisdiction. The law permits states to cooperate against piracy without granting general control over ocean navigation.
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