RGMUIER0147.5 ECTSQ2EnglishMaster
International Law of the Sea
FaculteitFaculty of Law, Economics and Governance
NiveauMaster
Studiejaar2026-2027
Beschrijving
Course goals
- The students have obtained significant knowledge of, and insight in the international law of the sea, including the relationship between and significance of different treaties and customary law and the law of the sea’s relevance for the governance and regulation of all uses of the ocean;
- The students are able to independently analyze and assess rules of public international law and international jurisprudence;
- The students are able to conduct independent international legal research on selected topics regarding the international law of the sea;
- The students are able to present the outcome of research by means of a paper as well as an oral presentation in English;
- The students will be familiarized with the political and socio-economic contexts in which the law of the sea has developed and is operating.
Content
The ocean is essential for maintaining life on Earth, its resources are increasingly important to the world economy and 80% of all international trade is seaborne. The ocean also is the stage of significant international disputes between States (e.g., the South China Sea case) and many transnational illicit activities (e.g., illegal fishing, drug trafficking, people smuggling, etc.) take place at sea. Moreover, the ocean is heavily impacted by climate change, both in terms of its environment and uses, and other sources of pollution. Ensuring ocean health is a pressing and daunting task.
Creating an effective governance and regulatory regime for the ocean continues to be a challenge for the international community. The current regime for the ocean is built on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 (UNCLOS). This framework convention divides the ocean in various coastal state maritime zones and international areas (areas beyond national jurisdiction). In all these areas the legal regime seeks to maintain a balance between the rights, interests and obligations of individual (coastal) states and the international community’s interests.
The course sets out the legal regime applicable to the ocean, how an effective governance system requires international cooperation, and how disputes over ocean resources may be to be managed. The course will not only look at UNCLOS but will also identify and discuss the role of other global and regional instruments and bodies. Apart from a series of lectures on these topics, specific aspects will be discussed in more detail during tutorials, and the students will be given the opportunity to focus on a specific topic of their choice by writing a paper.
Place of the course within the curriculum:
Creating an effective governance and regulatory regime for the ocean continues to be a challenge for the international community. The current regime for the ocean is built on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 (UNCLOS). This framework convention divides the ocean in various coastal state maritime zones and international areas (areas beyond national jurisdiction). In all these areas the legal regime seeks to maintain a balance between the rights, interests and obligations of individual (coastal) states and the international community’s interests.
The course sets out the legal regime applicable to the ocean, how an effective governance system requires international cooperation, and how disputes over ocean resources may be to be managed. The course will not only look at UNCLOS but will also identify and discuss the role of other global and regional instruments and bodies. Apart from a series of lectures on these topics, specific aspects will be discussed in more detail during tutorials, and the students will be given the opportunity to focus on a specific topic of their choice by writing a paper.
Place of the course within the curriculum:
- Compulsory course in the specialization Oceans, the Environment and Sustainability
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