The treaty, after entering into force 10 June 1964, established the rights of a sovereign state over the continental shelf surrounding it, if there be any.

The treaty was one of three agreed upon at the first United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS I).

The treaty dealt with seven topics: the regime governing the superjacent waters and airspace; laying or maintenance of submarine cables or pipelines; the regime governing navigation, fishing, scientific research and the coastal state's competence in these areas; delimitation; tunneling.

[4] Many other nations quickly adapted similar policies, most stating that their portion of the sea extended either 12 or 200 nautical miles from its coast.

[1] [6] In 1960, the United Nations held another conference regarding the Laws of the Sea, UNCLOS II, but no agreements were reached.