The International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) was founded in 1958 to promote protection of submarine cables and to share technical, legal, and environmental information. In the UNCLOS era, ICPC has served as an industry-and-government forum that helps translate treaty-level duties and freedoms into practical guidance (like best practices and seabed-sharing recommendations).
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was opened for signature on 1982-12-10 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. UNCLOS set a comprehensive legal framework for ocean uses, including rules affecting where and how submarine cables can be laid and protected across different maritime zones.
UNCLOS confirmed that the high seas are open to all States and that these freedoms include the freedom to lay submarine cables and pipelines. This matters because it anchors cable-laying as a default lawful activity beyond national jurisdiction, while still requiring “due regard” for other States’ rights.
States adopted the 1994 Agreement relating to the implementation of Part XI of UNCLOS on 1994-07-28. While focused on deep seabed mining governance, it was designed to address concerns that were slowing participation in UNCLOS—helping broaden acceptance of the overall legal order that also governs cables.
UNCLOS entered into force on 1994-11-16 after the required number of ratifications were deposited. From this point, its cable-related rights and duties—such as freedoms to lay cables and obligations to protect them—operated within a widely accepted treaty framework for States Parties.
With UNCLOS in force, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) started operating as a specialized forum for law-of-the-sea disputes. ITLOS is part of UNCLOS’s dispute settlement system, which can matter when States disagree about maritime rights and duties that affect cable routes, repairs, or enforcement actions.
On 2023-06-19, the UN adopted the BBNJ Agreement (often called the “High Seas Treaty”) under UNCLOS to address conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. It created new processes such as area-based management tools and environmental impact assessment expectations that can intersect with planning and governance in areas where cables are laid.
The BBNJ Agreement opened for signature on 2023-09-20, beginning the period when States could sign and later ratify to join. This step mattered for building participation, because the agreement’s institutions and procedures would only become operational after enough States consented to be bound.
On 2025-09-19, the BBNJ Agreement reached the 60-ratification threshold needed for entry into force. Hitting this benchmark signaled that the treaty’s new governance tools for the high seas were moving from negotiation into real-world legal effect.
The agreement closed for signature on 2025-09-20, after which States that had not signed could still join through accession. This closing date marked a procedural transition from signature collection toward final ratifications and early implementation planning.
The BBNJ Agreement entered into force on 2026-01-17, becoming the third implementing agreement under UNCLOS. Its entry into force marked a new operational phase for high-seas governance (for example, environmental impact assessment processes), which can affect how States and stakeholders coordinate ocean uses alongside submarine cables.
By early 2026, UNCLOS operates alongside multiple implementing agreements (including the 1994 Part XI Agreement and the 2023 BBNJ Agreement now in force). Together, these instruments show a long-term trend: States are using UNCLOS as the backbone for updating ocean governance while submarine cable freedoms and protection duties remain a core part of that framework.
UNCLOS and international law governing submarine cables (1982–present)