EN
Due to international relations requirements, exercising territorial sovereignty is the subject to restrictions introduced by international agreements for another state, a group of states or for the whole international community. In the international and armed conflicts practice, currently widespread spatial demilitarization and neutralization (demilitarized and neutralized zones) are still important. Their importance results mainly from their core functions, that is to ensure security and reconcile conflicting interests. The paper is an attempt to systematize the theory of international and humanitarian law which defines the two institutions. Consideration was also given to the nuclear weapons free zones institution which has been dynamically developing in the post-Cold War world.