The International Law of the Sea

The law of the sea provides for the regulation, management and governance of the ocean spaces that cover over two-thirds of the Earth's surface. This book provides a contemporary explanation of the foundational principles of the law of the sea, a critical overview of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and an analysis of subsequent developments including the many bilateral, regional and global agreements that supplement the Convention. The second edition of this acclaimed text takes as its focus the rules and institutions established by the Convention on the Law of the Sea and places the achievements of the Convention in both historical and contemporary context. All of the main areas of the law of the sea are addressed including the foundations and sources of the law, the nature and extent of the maritime zones, the delimitation of overlapping maritime boundaries, the place of archipelagic and other special states in the law of the sea, navigational rights and freedoms, military activities at sea, and marine resource and conservation issues such as fisheries, marine environmental protection and dispute settlement. As the Convention is now well over a quarter of a century old, the book takes stock of contemporary oceans issues that are not adequately addressed by the Convention. Overarching challenges facing the law of the sea are considered, including how new maritime security initiatives can be reconciled with traditional navigational rights and freedoms, and the need for stronger legal and policy responses to protect the global ocean environment from climate change and ocean acidification.

1. The History and Sources of the International Law of the Sea 2. Coastal Waters 3. Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone 4. The Exclusive Economic Zone 5. The Continental Shelf 6. The Deep Seabed 7. High Seas 8. Archipelagic States 9. Landlocked and Geographically Disadvantaged States 10. Navigational Rights and Freedoms 11. International Straits and Archipelagic Navigation 12. Military Uses of the Oceans 13. Marine Resource Management 14. Marine Scientific Research 15. Marine Environmental Protection 16. Delimitation of Maritime Boundaries 17. Maritime Regulation and Enforcement 18. Dispute Settlement in the Law of the Sea 19. Oceans Governance