Justice for All

A state with no sea coast is land-locked. There are forty-two such states, varying from the small but rich (Switzerland), to the large but poor (Ethiopia). But both have fleets of merchant ships, which enjoy the same rights in the territorial waters, contiguous zones and EEZs of other states, and freedom of navigation on the high seas as all other states. Land-locked states may also exercise the freedom to fish, conduct scientific research, overfly outside territorial waters, and lay cables and pipelines, but not construct artificial islands or other offshore installations. Land-locked states do have freedom of transit through states that lie between them and the sea for the passage of persons, goods and means of transport, subject to agreements with the transit states Special, complex and somewhat limited provisions are made for land-locked states, and geographically disadvantaged states, to have access to marine resources.