Freedom of Navigation (FON) and International Maritime Law
International Relations
- PYQs7
- Articles1
Background
Essential for global trade, maritime security, and maintaining international order, directly influencing geopolitical dynamics and the foreign policy stances of maritime powers, including India's strategic interests.
Freedom of Navigation is a fundamental principle of customary international law, largely codified in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), asserting the right of vessels from all states to navigate unimpeded through international waters and certain territorial seas.
Facts & tables
- Legal Basis
- A principle of customary international law, primarily codified under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
- Core Principle
- Ensures unimpeded passage for commercial and military vessels through international waters and strategic straits.
- Geopolitical Significance
- Often a point of contention and a tool for asserting international law in strategic waterways like the Strait of Hormuz.
- Global Trade and Security
- Essential for maintaining global trade routes and maritime security.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Geopolitics & International Conflicts |
| Conceptual area | Environmental Law & Policy |
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| United Nations (UN) | Promotes international law and peace |
| International Maritime Organisation (IMO) | Regulates maritime safety and navigation |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Statement-based questions
Prelims angle: Conceptual understanding
- Customary international law principle.
- Codified by UNCLOS.
- Ensures unimpeded maritime passage.
- Crucial for global trade and security.
- Often contested in strategic choke points.
Treaty = agreement between states; body = institution.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Factual recall, Conceptual understanding |
| 2024 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2024 | Multi-statement analysis, Cause and effect relationships |
| 2023 | Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding |
| 2023 | Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis |
| 2022 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2015 | Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding |
Timeline
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Geopolitics & International Conflicts
Conceptual area
-
Environmental Law & Policy
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2015
Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding
-
Prelims 2022
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2023
Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding
-
Prelims 2023
Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis
-
Prelims 2024
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2024
Multi-statement analysis, Cause and effect relationships
-
Prelims 2025
Factual recall, Conceptual understanding
-
U.S. launches new strikes on Iran after Trump vows to hit 'hard'
A core principle of international law ensuring free passage for ships, vital for global commerce and often challenged in strategic maritime zones, leading to geopolitical tensions.
See also
Past papers
2015–2024 · 4 questions
In the news
U.S. launches new strikes on Iran after Trump vows to hit 'hard'
A core principle of international law ensuring free passage for ships, vital for global commerce and often challenged in strategic maritime zones, leading to geopolitical tensions.
Try these PYQs
Consider the following statements :
Statement-I: Recently, the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU) have launched the 'Trade and Technology Council'
Statement-II: The USA and the EU claim that through this they are trying to begin technological progress and physical productivity under their control.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statement?
* Statement 1 is correct: Trade and Technology Council was launched by the the United States of America and the European Union during the EU-US Summit on 15 June 2021 in Brussels. * Statement 2 is incorrect: Trade and Technology council, the USA and EU does not aim to bring technological progress and physical productivity under their control. Rather the initiative intends to promote pooling of digital resources such as AI models and computing power, and make them available to partner countries to address challenges in areas such as climate change and extreme weather, healthcare or smart agriculture.
Consider the following pairs :
Regions : often Reason for being in news
1. North Kivu and Ituri : War between Armenia and Azerbaijan
2. Nagorno-Karabakh : Insurgency in Mozambique
3. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia : Dispute between Israel and Lebanon
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched ?
None of the pairs (1, 2, or 3) are correctly matched. Let's break it down: 1. North Kivu and Ituri: This region in the Democratic Republic of Congo experiences conflict, but is not related to the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. 2. Nagorno-Karabakh: This enclave is disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but the insurgency is happening in Mozambique. 3. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia: These are currently under heavy fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war, not a dispute between Israel and Lebanon.
With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC)’, Consider the following statements:
1. It was established very recently in response to incidents of piracy and accidents of oil spills
2. It is an alliance meant for maritime security only
Which of the following statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect. IOR-ARC is a regional cooperation initiative of the Indian Ocean Rim countries. It was established in Mauritius in March 1997 with the aim of promoting economic and technical cooperation. IOR-ARC is the only pan-Indian ocean grouping. It brings together countries from three continents having different sizes, economic strengths, and a wide diversity of languages, cultures. Statement 2 is incorrect. It aims to create a platform for trade, socio-economic and cultural cooperation in the Indian Ocean rim area. The Indian Ocean Rim is rich in strategic and precious minerals, metals and other natural resources, marine resources and energy, all of which can be sourced from Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ), continental shelves and the deep seabed.
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I : Sumed pipeline is a strategic route for Persian Gulf oil and natural gas shipments to Europe.
Statement-II : Sumed pipeline connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Statement I is correct. The Sumed Pipeline is indeed a significant route for transporting oil and natural gas from the Persian Gulf to Europe. It bypasses the Suez Canal, offering an alternative path for these resources. Statement II is also correct. The Sumed Pipeline physically connects the Red Sea (where oil and gas are loaded onto ships from the Persian Gulf) with the Mediterranean Sea, providing a direct route for them to reach European ports. The connection between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea established by the Sumed Pipeline directly explains its strategic importance for transporting oil and gas to Europe. Statement II provides the geographical context for how Statement I functions.
India is one of the founding members of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multimodal transportation corridor, which will connect
The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a multimodal transport network aimed at boosting trade between India, Central Asia, Russia, and Europe, using a combination of sea, rail, and road routes via Iran. The corridor connects Mumbai → Bandar Abbas (Iran) → Azerbaijan → Russia → Europe, with access to Central Asia.
Show 2 more PYQs
Consider the following statements :
Statement-I : There is instability and worsening security situation in the Sahel region.
Statement-II: There have been military takeovers/coups d'état in several countries of the Sahel region in the recent past.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
* Statement-I: There is instability and worsening security situation in the Sahel region. This statement is correct as the Sahel region has been experiencing significant instability and security challenges, including terrorism, armed conflict, and humanitarian crises. * Statement-II: There have been military takeovers/coups d'état in several countries of the Sahel region in the recent past. This statement is also correct. Several countries in the Sahel region, such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Chad, have experienced military coups in recent years. * Statement-II explains Statement-I because the military takeovers and coups contribute to the instability and worsening security situation in the Sahel region. The political instability resulting from these coups disrupts governance, exacerbates conflict, and undermines efforts to address security and development challenges in the region.
With reference to the “United Nations Credentials Committee”, consider the following statements:
1. It is a committee set up by the UN Security Council and works under its supervision.
2. It traditionally meets in March, June and September every year.
3. It assesses the credentials of all UN members before submitting a report to the General Assembly for approval.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect. The United Nations Credentials Committee is a committee of the United Nations General Assembly. Statement 2 is incorrect. A Credentials Committee is appointed at the beginning of each regular session of the General Assembly. It consists of nine members, who are appointed by the General Assembly on the proposal of the President. Statement 3 is correct. The Committee reports to the Assembly on the credentials of representatives. The Committee is mandated to examine the credentials of representatives of Member States and to report to the General Assembly thereon (Rule 28 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly). The credentials of representatives and the names of members of the delegation of each Member State are submitted to the Secretary-General and are issued either by the Head of the State or Government or by the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Rule 27 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly).