"The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is one of the most successful agreements ever created to govern the global commons. If it is thought of as a constitution for the oceans, then Satya Nandan should be considered one of the founders, one of the key personalities behind both the agreement and the subsequent development of Law of the Sea in the decades since UNCLOS was adopted. He led the drafting of the key negotiating text, most of which made its way, unaltered, into the Convention’s final text. How did a lawyer from Fiji come to play such a pivotal role in this important area of diplomacy and international law? This book tells the story, showing how Nandan used his creativity, pragmatism, and penchant for language to reach compromise and build consensus at nearly every stage in the making of the modern law of the sea. In this book, he elaborates on the techniques and skills he brought to bear on this task, the alliances he formed with colleagues from different countries, and the strategies that were effective in this complex, multidimensional negotiation. At a time when the stakes involved in managing the global commons could not be higher, Satya Nandan’s experience and wisdom could not be more relevant and important."--Publisher description.

Reflections on the Contemporary Law of the Sea describes the development and the present state of the law of the sea, particularly in light of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, also drawing attention to some of the problems facing the international community.

For years, exploration of seabed natural resources has been ongoing while exploitation in deep marine areas remained unrealistic due to land-based mineral availability and costs. However, mounting pressures from the green transition, climate change, and long-lasting fears of terrestrial minerals scarcity now bring exploitation prospects closer to reality. This has caused concern to a growing chorus of States, scientists, industries, NGOs, and parts of civil society due to the potential environmental and social impacts of these activities. As a result, the idea of a moratorium or ‘precautionary pause’ is gaining ground. Yet, an important number of interpretation and implementation issues of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 1994 Agreement remain to be answered as a means to move forward in accordance with international law. This multidisciplinary book, designed to become the essential handbook on the matter, provides a global overview of the national, regional, and international regulatory frameworks applicable to the exploration and exploitation of seabed minerals on the continental shelf and the Area, as well as the related state of the science on the matter. By presenting historical and geopolitical context crucial to understanding regulation evolution, the book equips readers with foundational legal and policy knowledge. It furthermore addresses contemporary and prospective issues and offers unique insights into regional and national practices, including non-Party States to UNCLOS. Chapter VI.1.4 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license.

Examines the history of the rise and fall of the twentieth century's last major attempt to decolonize international law.

This definitive volume assembles more than twenty leading Indo-Pacific maritime scholars and emerging experts to deliver fresh perspectives on maritime cooperation and security. Topics include naval activities, law of the sea, environmental protection, international cooperation, and sub-regional maritime agendas.

Peaceful Maritime Engagement in East Asia and the Pacific Region includes contributions from the most influential figures in the law of the sea to provide context and direction for developing maritime governance in East Asia and the Pacific Ocean. Peaceful management of disputes includes cooperation over deep seabed mining, negotiations for a legally binding instrument on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, contending approaches to baselines and East Asia maritime boundary disputes, freedom of navigation and maritime law enforcement. Chapters also explore new interpretations for preservation of the marine environment and the special problems posed by marine plastics and nexus between the ocean and climate change.