International Agreement on the Use of INMARSAT Ship Earth 
Stations within the Territorial Sea and Ports 

Done at London, 16 October 1985 

Entered into force 12 September 1993 

THE STATE PARTIES (hereinafter referred to as "Parties") to this 
Agreement, 

DESIRING to achieve the objectives envisaged in Recommendation 3 
of the International Conference on the Establishment of an 
International Maritime Satellite System, 1975-1976, and 

HAVING DECIDED to improve the distress and safety of life at sea 
communications, and the efficiency and management of ships, 

HAVE AGREED as follows: 

Article 1 

(1) Pursuant to the provisions set forth in this Agreement and 
in accordance with navigational rights established under 
international law, Parties shall permit in their territorial 
seas and ports the operation of approved ship earth stations 
appertaining to the maritime space communication system provided 
by the International Maritime Satellite Organization (INMARSAT) 
and properly installed aboard ships flying the flag of any other 
Party (hereinafter referred to as "INMARSAT Ship Earth 
Stations"). 

(2) Such permission shall at all times be restricted to the use 
of maritime mobile-satellite frequencies by the INMARSAT Ship 
Earth Station and shall be subject to compliance by the INMARSAT 
Ship Earth Station with the applicable Radio Regulations of the 
International Telecommunication Union and the conditions set 
forth in Article 2 of this Agreement. 

Article 2 

(1) The operation of INMARSAT Ship Earth Stations shall be 
subject to the following conditions: 

(a) it shall not be prejudicial to the peace, good order and 
security of the Coastal State; 

(b) it shall not cause harmful interference to other radio 
services operating within the boundaries of the Coastal State's 
territory; 

(c) it shall give priority to distress and safety transmissions 
in accordance with relevant international conventions and, in 
particular, the Radio Regulations of the International 
Telecommunication Union; 

(d) safeguard measures shall be taken, subject to relevant 
safety regulations, during the operation of INMARSAT Ship Earth 
Stations in an area containing the presence of explosive gases, 
in particular during operations relating to oil and other 
inflammable substances; 

(e) INMARSAT Ship Earth Stations shall be subject to inspection 
by the authorities of the Coastal State at the latter's request, 
without prejudice to the navigational rights established under 
international law. 

(2) In this Agreement, "Coastal State" means the State in whose 
territorial sea and ports the INMARSAT Ship Earth Station, 
subject to the provisions of this Agreement, is operating. 

Article 3 

Parties may, without prejudice to navigational rights 
established under international law, restrict, suspend or 
prohibit the operation of INMARSAT Ship Earth Stations in ports 
and areas of territorial sea specified by them. Without 
prejudice to the entry into force of such restriction, 
suspension or prohibition, as determined by the Party, it shall 
be notified to the Depositary of this Agreement as soon as 
possible. 

Article 4 

Without prejudice to distress and safety communications, the 
permission referred to in paragraph (1) of Article 1 of this 
Agreement may be limited to the rights which the flag State 
grants under paragraph (1) of Article 1 within its territorial 
sea and ports to the ships of the Coastal State concerned. 

Article 5 

Nothing in the present Agreement shall be construed as 
preventing the granting of any wider facilities by a Party in 
respect of the operation of INMARSAT Ship Earth Stations. 

Article 6 

This Agreement shall not apply to warships and other government 
ships operated for non-commercial purposes. 

Article 7 

(1) Any State may become Party to this Agreement by: 

(a) signature; or 

(b) signature subject to ratification, acceptance or approval, 
followed by ratification, acceptance or approval; or 

(c) accession or adhesion. 

(2) This Agreement shall remain open for signature in London 
from 1 January 1986 until it enters into force and shall 
thereafter remain open for accession or adhesion. 

Article 8 

(1) This Agreement shall enter into force thirty (30) days after 
the date on which twenty-five (25) States have become Parties. 

(2) For a State whose instrument of ratification, acceptance, 
approval, accession or adhesion is deposited after the date on 
which this Agreement enters into force, this Agreement shall 
enter into force on the date of such deposit. 

Article 9 

A Party may withdraw from this Agreement at any time by 
notification to the Depositary. Such withdrawal shall take 
effect ninety (90) days after the date of receipt by the 
Depositary of the Party's written notification to withdraw. 

Article 10 

(1) The Director General of INMARSAT shall be the Depositary of 
this Agreement. 

(2) The Depositary shall, in particular, promptly notify all 
Parties to this Agreement of: 

(a) any signature of this Agreement; 

(b) the date of entry into force of this Agreement; 

(c) any deposit of instruments of ratification, acceptance, 
approval, accession or adhesion; 

(d) the date on which a State has ceased to be a Party to this 
Agreement; 

(e) any other notifications and communications relating to this 
Agreement. 

(3) Upon entry into force of this Agreement, the Depositary 
shall transmit a certified copy to the Secretary-General of the 
United Nations for registration and publication in accordance 
with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations. At the 
same time, the Depositary shall transmit a certified copy of 
this Agreement to the International Telecommunication Union and 
to the International Maritime Organization. 

Article 11 

This Agreement is established in a single original in the 
English, French, Russian and Spanish languages, all the texts 
being equally authentic, and shall be deposited with the 
Depositary, who shall send a certified copy to Parties. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, being duly authorized 
thereto by their respective Governments, have signed this 
Agreement. 

DONE AT LONDON on this sixteenth day of October of the year One 
Thousand Nine Hundred and Eighty Five.