The Faculty of Law at the National University of Singapore shall host a conference, entitled, Third World Approaches to International Law, 19-21 July 2018, at the National University of Singapore. Submissions, including upon law of the sea, are welcome until 15 March 2018.
For more information see here.
The 2018 European Law Institute Young Lawyers Award is open for submissions until 30 April 2018. Papers must deal with “a European legal issue that could be improved”, to which many oceans possibilities could be envisaged.
For more information see here.
Filed under Calls
During the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, a multi-stakeholder partnership, Friends of Ocean Action, was announced, 25 January 2018, with the objective “to help shape global action to deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14”. For more information, see here.
At the same time, the Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, announced a High-level Panel on Building a Sustainable Ocean Economy, “which will be made up of heads of state and government from a broad range of coastal states, including developing countries”. For more information, see here.
Filed under Non-State Actors, State Practice
The Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance will organise the VI Strathclyde postgraduate colloquium on environmental law and governance, 3 May 2018, at the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow, UK). The deadline for abstract submission is 15 February 2018.
For more information see here. Areas of expertise (whereby abstracts are welcome), includes oceans among others.
The twenty-third session of the Rhodes Academy of Oceans Law and Policy will be held 1-21 July 2018. The deadline to submit an application is 2 April 2018. For more information, fees and application documents please see here.
Furthermore, see the Rhodes Academy Submarine Cables Writing Award sponsored by The International Cable Protection Committee, which has a deadline of the 1 April 2018.
Filed under Courses
On the 26 January 2018, the State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China released a white paper, entitled, China’s Arctic Policy. China defines itself as a “Near-Arctic State” before setting out its policy goals.
For more information see the full text here.
Filed under State Practice
The School of International Law, China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), and the CUPL Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center for Territorial Sovereignty and Maritime Rights (CSCTSMR), will convene a symposium, entitled, International laws at the seas, 15-16 March 2018, held at CUPL (Beijing, China). Abstracts may be submitted until 30 January 2018.
For more information see here.
On the 24 December 2017 the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the previously postponed Resolution 74/249, International legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. This initiates formal negotiations of a new legally binding instrument, convening four intergovernmental conference sessions from 2018 to 2020.
For more information see the final text, released 19 January 2018, available here.
Filed under International Organizations
The 14th Regular Session of the Western & Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) adopted a series of Conservation and Management Measures (CMMs), including CMM 2017-02, Conservation and Management Measure on minimum standards for Port State Measures, issued the 7 December 2017. Bar the provisional application of CMM 2017-01 (1 January 2018), the CMMs are set to enter into force 6 February 2018.
For more information, see here.
Filed under State Practice
The 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly adopted A/RES/72/73, Oceans and the law of the sea, and A/RES/72/72, Sustainable fisheries, including through the 1995 Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, and related instruments, on the 5 December 2017. Examples of interest, include the proclamation of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (A/RES/72/73 para. 292-295) and the notable vote against A/RES/72/72 by the USA, a resolution usually adopted by consensus without a vote.
Action on the draft BBNJ resolution, International legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, Doc. A/72/L.7, was postponed, pending a review of its programme budget implications.
For more information see the UN press release here and UNGA 72nd Session resolutions here. The Draft BBNJ resolution (A/72/L.7) may be found here, and the programme budget implications (A/C.5/72/18) here.
Filed under International Organizations
The Utrecht Centre for Global Challenges (UGlobe) will host a lecture by Japanese Ambassador to the Netherlands, Mr. Hiroshi Inomata, entitled, The Security Situation in the Asia Pacific Region and Japan’s Role, 15 January 2018, at Utrecht University (Utrecht, The Netherlands).
For more information and registration, see here.
Filed under Events
Dated the 27 November 2017, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court acquitted the 35 person aboard the M/V Seaman Guard Ohio, arrested four years ago for offences under the 1959 Arms Act. Of interest to law of the sea scholars, the case touched upon the drawing of baselines, innocent passage, and the stopping and anchoring rendered necessary by force majeure or distress (UNCLOS, art. 18(2)).
A copy of the judgement is available here.
Filed under Jurisprudence
The Ship Pollution Control Implementation Plan of Hainan Province, implemented 3 November 2017 to 3 December 2018, will include a port state inspection campaign. This will be focused upon compliance with the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978, Annex VI and the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments.
For more information see here (English translation), and here.
Filed under State Practice
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2178, 22 November 2017, amends Regulation (EU) No 468/2010 establishing the EU list of vessels engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. As with previous amendments, the Union list is compiled from RFMO/A listed IUU fishing vessels (Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008, art. 30) and does not as yet make use of the unilateral listing procedure (Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008, art. 27(1)).
For more information see here (citation: OJ L 307, 23.11.2017, p. 14–24).
Filed under State Practice
On the 24 November 2017, the President of Mexico signed the Revillagigedo National Park Decree, establishing the Revillagigedo Archipelago National Park of approximately 14.8 million hectares. Fishing, resource extraction and construction will be restricted.
For more information see the official press release here and Pew Trust coverage here.
Filed under State Practice
The Groningen Centre of Energy Law shall host a conference, entitled, The North Sea as a Source of Sustainable Energy and Law, 8 December 2017, at the Hilton (The Hague, Netherlands).
For more information, see here.
Filed under Events
The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) shall host the biannual Trade and Sustainable Development Symposium, held alongside the WTO’s Eleventh Ministerial Conference (MC11), 11-13 December 2017 (Buenos Aires, Argentina).
For more information, see the programme here.
Filed under Events
ICES, the FAO, IOC/UNESCO, and PICES shall host their 4th International Symposium, entitled, The Effects of Climate Change on the World’s Oceans, 4–8 June 2018, Washington D.C. (USA). A series of pre-conference workshops will also take place, 2-3 June 2018. Abstracts may be submitted for one of the 18 theme sessions until 15 December 2017.
For more information, see here.
ILO Convention (No. 188) concerning work in the fishing sector, entered into force, 16 November 2017, as per article 48(2).
For further information including supplementary material, see the ILO press release. For informaiton on the status of the convention, see the UNTS page here.
Filed under Treaties
The Editors of the Cambridge International Law Journal (CILJ) and the Conference Convenors shall host the 7th Cambridge International Law Conference, Non-State Actors and International Law, 3-4 April 2018, at the University of Cambridge (Cambridge, UK). Abstracts may be submitted until 8 December 2017.
For further information and submissions, see here.
The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) shall host a webinar with authors An Cliquet, Afshin Akhtarkhavari, and Anastasia Telesetsky, on their book, Ecological Restoration in International Environmental Law, 27 November 2017.
For more information and registration, see here.
Filed under Events
The 23rd Session of the Conference of Parties (COP23), hosted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat, is taking place 6-17 November 2017, at its headquarters (Bonn, Germany). The Oceans Action Day of the Marrakesh Partnership for Global Climate Action will take place on the 11 November 2017.
Filed under Events
On the 26 October 2017, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has issued the compliance panel report on the revised US “dolphin-safe” tuna labeling measure, arising from DS381: United States — Measures Concerning the Importation, Marketing and Sale of Tuna and Tuna Products. The 2016 Tuna Measures (USA) was found consistent with the requirements set forth in Article 2.1 of the TBT Agreement and justified under Article XX of the GATT 1994.
For more information see the WTO news item here, and case summary page here.
Filed under International Organizations
CSEIA, the Global Law Initiatives for Sustainable Development (United Kingdom), ESIL Interest Group on International Environmental Law and the ASIL Interest Group on Intellectual Property Law, shall organize a conference, entitled, Health, Environment and Risk Regulation. Focus on: Good Governance, Consumer Policy and Intellectual Property Rights, 4 December 2017, held at the University of Parma (Italy). Applications may be submitted until 10 November 2017.
For more information, see the call for papers here.
Filed under Calls
The NUS Centre for International Law (CIL) shall host a conference, entitled, Adapting Law of the Sea to Address the Challenges of Climate Change, 13-14 March 2018, venue TBC (Singapore).
For more information and draft programme see here.
Filed under Events
The Manchester International Law Centre shall host the 14th Annual Conference of the European Society of International Law, entitled, International law and universality, 13-15 September 2018, in Manchester (UK). The submission of abstracts is welcome until 31 January 2018.
For more information and the eight themes, see here.
Filed under Calls
The 17th Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flaura (CITES) decided to expand the species of sharks protected by CITES controls, including silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis), thresher sharks (Alopias spp.) and all nine devil ray species (Mobula spp.) within Appendix II. Listing of devil rays entered into effect on 04 April 2017, while silky and thresher shark listing was subject to a 12 month delay, entering into effect 4 October 2017.
For more information see the press release here, or the sharks and manta rays page here.
Filed under Treaties
Peru has become the second state (following Indonesia) to sign a memorandum of understanding with Global Fishing Watch Inc to establish a framework for cooperation. Peru will be sharing information upon its commercial fishing fleets through the Global Fishing Watch system.
Announced, 27 September 2017, Peru also signaled a further framework cooperative agreement with Oceana (NGO) and ratification of the 2009 FAO Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA). Peru will implement the PSMA as of October.
For more information, see the press release here, and Global Fishing Watch here.
Filed under Non-State Actors, State Practice
The Arctic Frontiers 2018 conference, entitled, Connecting the Arctic, will be held 21-26 January 2018, in Tromsø (Norway). A number of presentations will touch upon legal and policy matters.
For more information, see here.
Filed under Events
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (USA) and UN Environment have announced the Sixth International Marine Debris Conference, to be held 12-16 March 2018, in San Diego (California, USA). Authors may submit an abstract or poster idea until 11 October 2017.
For more information, see here.
Filed under Calls
The University of Strathclyde Law School shall host the 16th Annual Colloquium of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law, entitled, The Transformation of Environmental Law and Governance: Innovation, Risk and Resilience, 4-6 July 2018, at the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow, UK). Additional events will be scheduled for the 2-3 July 2018. Abstracts may be submitted until 1 February 2018.
For more information see the call for abstracts page here.
Filed under Calls
The Transnational Legal Theory Journal shall host its inaugural annual symposium, entitled, Transnational Food Security, on 20 January 2018, at the Transnational Law Institute (King’s College London, UK). Abstracts must be submitted by 22 September 2017, with the proposed topics leaving plenty of space for oceans literature.
For more information see here.
Filed under Calls
The President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, announced, on the 7 September 2017, the designation of 700,000 square kilometers of marine protected areas (MPA) in Easter Island, following the first indigenous consultation on MPAs.
For more information see the press release here. A global overview of MPAs can be found on protectedplanet, here.
Filed under State Practice
The World Ocean Council will host the Sustainable Ocean Summit 2017, with the theme, The Ocean Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 14): Business Leadership and Business Opportunities, 29 November – 1 December 2017, in Halifax (Canada).
For more information see the website here, and programme here.
Filed under Events
At the 2nd Indian Ocean Conference, 31 July – 1 August 2017, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and the Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled their position that a code of conduct upon the freedom of navigation and overflight was necessary for the Indian Ocean. The Prime Minister noted “Sri Lanka will soon commence exploratory discussions on convening a meeting to deliberate on a stable legal order on freedom of navigation and over flight in the Indian Ocean”.
For more information see the ministry of foreign affairs statement, and prime minster’s speech (unofficial transcript). Further insight may be provided by a previous speech on the matter at Deakin University.
Filed under State Practice
The conciliation proceedings between the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, pursuant to article 298 and Annex V of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, has reached “agreement on the central elements of a maritime boundary delimitation between them in the Timor Sea”, on the 30 August 2017.
For more information see Press Release No. 9, and, generally, PCA Case No. 2016-10. Previous reporting may be found here.
Filed under Jurisprudence
The 4th International Marine Protected Areas Congress, IMPAC4, will be held 4-8 September 2017, in La Serena – Coquimbo (Chile).
For more information and to watch online, see the programme here.
Filed under Events
The Max Planck Institute Luxembourg for Procedural Law shall host a lecture by Prof. Alexander Proelß (University of Trier) to launch the book, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: A Commentary, 12 September 2017. Prof. Alina Miron will act as interviewer.
For more information see the announcement here, and poster here.
Filed under Events
Ukraine sent a note of protest to the Russian Federation, 11 August 2017, in connection with the introduction by the Russian Federation of a ban on navigation through the Kerch Strait during August and September 2017, related to the construction of a bridge across the Kerch Strait. Ukraine objects to both the ban and construction.
For further information, see here. Also note the pending Dispute Concerning Coastal State Rights in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and Kerch Strait (Ukraine v. the Russian Federation), PCA Case No. 2017-06, previously reported here.
Filed under State Practice
On 13 August 2017 the Chinese Flagged Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999 was boarded by Ecuadorian authorities within the Galapagos Marine Reserve, carrying a reported 300 tons of marine fauna, including hammerhead sharks. On the 27 August 2017 judgement was delivered, sentencing the crew to 1-4 years in prison, a 5.9 million dollar fine, and the confiscation of the vessel for violation of Article 247 of the Código Orgánico Integral Penal.
For more information see the Ministry of the Environment press release on boarding (here) and sentencing (here).
Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999: Dirección de Comunicación, Ministerio del Ambiente
Filed under State Practice
The International Seabed Authority annual session was held, 31 July-4 August 2017 for the Legal & Technical Commission and 7-18 August 2017 for the 23rd Session, at ISA headquarters (Kingston, Jamaica).
Draft Regulations on Exploitation of Mineral Resources in the Area (8 August 2017) discussed are available here. For documentation from the 23rd Session see here, and the IISD summary report here.
Filed under International Organizations
Having failed to follow an order to leave the Songa Enabler safety zone, issued by the Troms Police District, 17 August 2017, the Greenpeace vessel, the Arctic Sunrise, has been boarded and towed away by the Norwegian Coast Guard.
Filed under State Practice
The Warwick Law School and Social Theory Centre shall host a Critical Legal Conference, entitled, Catastrophe, 1-3 September 2017, at the University of Warwick (Coventry, UK). Whilst of broad scope, reflection may be of interest to law of the sea scholars, e.g. Environmental Law, panel 3.
Filed under Events
The Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance shall host a symposium, entitled, Global Environmental Law, 4-5 September 2017, at the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow, UK).
For more information and registration (before 18 August 2017), see here.
Filed under Events
The joint statement, issued at the conclusion of the Australia-Japan-United States Trilateral Strategic Dialogue Ministerial, 6 August 2017, touched upon the maritime disputes in the South China Sea. Calling upon all claimants to clarify their claims in compliance with UNCLOS and to respect the Philippines-China Arbitration Award, the statement also called for the proposed ASEAN Code of Conduct for the South China Sea to be legally binding.
For more information see the Joint Statement here. For the ASEAN and China consensus on a framework for the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea (without reference to its legal status) see the Joint Communiqué of the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting here.
Filed under State Practice
The Edinburgh Europa Research Group shall host a symposium, entitled, External Challenges for the Common Fisheries Policy, on 11 May 2018, at the University of Edinburgh (Edinburgh, UK). Abstracts must be submitted by 30 November 2017.
For more information, see here.
Filed under Calls
In the arbitration concerning a territorial and maritime dispute between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Slovenia, the Tribunal issued a unanimous Final Award on 29 June 2017.
For more information see the Final Award, press release and case page. Croatia has responded it is not bound by the Final Award and shall not implement it, here. Slovenia’s responses may be found here.
Filed under Jurisprudence
The UK Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, has announced the UK shall notify the other Member States of its withdrawal from the London Fisheries Convention on 3 July 2017, triggering a two-year withdrawal period.
For more information see the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs press release and the London Fisheries Convention.
Filed under Treaties
As part of the 2017-18 International Order & Justice Lecture Series at Ghent University, Professor Erik Francxk will give a lecture, entitled, The UN Convention for the Law of the Sea and the scramble for the Arctic, 31 October 2017 (Ghent, Belgium). Prior online registration is required. Afterwards, Professor Franckx will take part in a closed seminar with doctoral students. Separate online registration is required.
For more information, see here.
Filed under Events
The Netherlands Institute for the Law of the Sea (NILOS) has announced the first edition of the International Law of the Sea (ILOS) Moot Court Competition, which is scheduled to take place in Utrecht in May 2019. Interested universities will be requested to register by 1 November 2018. Depending on the number of participating teams, the organisers may request the organisation of regional or national rounds.
Filed under Competitions
De Maribus 