Disputes include the issue of sovereignty, the maritime jurisdiction, the maritime security, exclusive economic zone as well as the development and utilization of the continental shelf and so on. 争端包括各海域岛屿主权问题、海洋管辖问题、专属经济区和大陆架的开发利用问题、海洋安全利益问题等。
Its job is to determine whether a maritime feature is an island or a rock, and thus whether it is entitled to a 200-mile exclusive economic zone. 该公约的职责是决定一块海上地貌是属于岛屿还是属于礁石,从而决定它是否享有200海里的专属经济区。