Article 17 UNCLOS
E1. Maritime security, geopolitics and riskDefinition
Right of innocent passage through territorial sea.
UNCLOS Article 17 grants ships of all states, coastal or land-locked, the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea of another state. Passage means continuous and expeditious navigation through, into, or from internal waters, including stopping only for ordinary navigation incidents or distress. The right is conditional: passage must stay innocent within the meaning of Article 19, and the coastal state may exercise the protective rights of Article 25. Adopted at Montego Bay on 10 December 1982; the Convention entered force 16 November 1994.
Source: UNCLOS Article 17, adopted 10 December 1982, in force 16 November 1994.