The University of Coimbra (Portugal) is hosting the final symposium of the project MediMARE: Mediation in Maritime Disputes. The organizers welcome interdisciplinary and international approaches such as: legal analysis of maritime mediation and its implications; social and political analysis of the mediation mechanism related to maritime activities; diagnosis on current situation and building innovative solutions at the legal and social policies levels; relevance and/or experience of maritime mediation in particular fields, such as (but not limited to) insurance, labor relations, contractual relations, environmental disputes. The symposium will be conducted in a hybrid format on 30 June and 1 July 2023 at the University of Coimbra (Portugal). Deadline to submit paper proposals is 2 June 2023. The call can be found here.
Author Archives: N.F. Coelho
Events: L’obligation des États de protéger et préserver le milieu marin
The Institut du Droit Economique de la Mer (INDEMER) is organizing an international symposium on the obligation of States to protect and preserve the marine environment. The event is set to happen 12-13 May 2023 in Monaco. More information is available here (in French).
Filed under Events
ITLOS: The M/T “Heroic Idun” (No. 2) Case
A special chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea was formed to deal with “the dispute concerning the M/T “Heroic Idun” and her crew” between the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea (Order 2023/2 of 27 April 2023). The Parties agreed to transfer the arbitral proceedings instituted by the Marshall Islands under Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to a special chamber of the Tribunal to be constituted pursuant to article 15, paragraph 2, of the Statute of the Tribunal. See ITLOS Press Release 335. See also the press release from the Government of Equatorial Guinea (here). The context of the case leading to this transfer of proceedings can be found in previous De Maribus reports here, and here.
Filed under Jurisprudence
Events: Öresund International Law Workshop
The 5th Öresund International Law Workshop will take place at Lund University Faculty of Law on 13 June 2023. This edition shall address the topic of ‘International Law and Attachment’. The workshop is co-organised by international law researchers at Lund University Faculty of Law, the World Maritime University-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute, and the University of Copenhagen Faculty of Law. The full programme and registration information are available here.
Filed under Events
Events: ILA Paris 150 – Ocean
The International Law Association (ILA) is hosting a webinar to discuss the White Paper on the Ocean. This event is taking place on 25 April 2023, within the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the association. The document may be read here; registration is open here.
Filed under Events
Events: Deep Seabed Mining and the International Seabed Authority
The Geneva Graduate Institute, the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS Potsdam) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are hosting an event entitled Deep Seabed Mining and the International Seabed Authority. The main objective of the proposed event is to sensitise the topic of deep seabed mining to a broader audience, including discussing the mandate and ongoing work of the ISA, alongside the many associated concerns and tensions among member states and stakeholders. This event will provide an overview of the state-of-the-art at the ISA, including the accelerated regulatory process and implications of the two-year rule at the ISA amidst growing opposition to deep seabed mining, as the deadline of July 2023 approaches. This event will take place in Geneva (Switzerland) on 3 May 2023. Further information is available here.
Filed under Events
Events: Direito do Mar
The Faculty of Law at the University of Lisbon is hosting a conference entitled “Direito do Mar” (Law of the Sea). This event will include presentations on the teaching and history of the law of the sea in Portugal, maritime spaces and conflict resolution. It will also include a panel featuring experiences of practicioners. The event takes place on 27 Abril 2023 in Lisbon (Portugal). More information can be found here (in Portuguese).
Filed under Events
Calls/Events: The Future of Law in the Age of Disruptive Technology
The Faculty of Law at the University of Antwerp has launched a call for abstracts for the upcoming Conference on the Platform Economy and Transport Law. This event will take place on 21-22 September 2023 in Antwerp, Belgium. The theme of the conference is “Law in the Age of Disruptive Technology- Navigating the Platform Economy and Transport Law”. The organizers accept contributions that address legal responses to disruptive technology, including autonomous maritime transport. Deadline to submit abstracts is 31 May 2023. More information is available in this call and in this poster.
Calls/Events: Innovating for Change in Global Fisheries Governance
The Norwegian Centre for the Law of the Sea at the Arctic University of Norway is holding a workshop entitled ‘Innovating for Change in Global Fisheries Governance’. This workshop builds on a previous workshop with the same title, held in Tromsø in September 2016, the proceedings of which were published in a special section of the Marine Policy journal (Volume 84, 2017). The organizers welcome papers on innovations in relation to: environmental challenges (e.g. relationship between fisheries and climate change, pollution, etc.), technical challenges (e.g. vessel/gear technologies, standards, data collection, and monitoring & enforcement), human challenges (e.g. vulnerable human groups, equitable approaches, and small-scale fisheries) and new legal developments (e.g. the BBNJ treaty). Deadline for submission of abstracts is 31 May 2023. More information is available here.
Calls: Montée du niveau de la mer et infrastructures portuaires / Sea level rise and port infrastructure
Scholars from French and Canadian universities are calling for contributions to an edited volume (in French or in English) on legal challenges for port infrastructures associated with sea level rise. The proposed book would have four sections: definition of “ports and maritime infrastructures” and privatization at sea; environmental risks and responsibilities; industrial, logistic and economc risks; the competence of public entities in the prevention and management of risks in ports. Deadline for submission of proposals is 31 May 2023. More information can be found here (French) or here (English).
Filed under Calls
USA: Withdrawal of Certain Areas off the United States Arctic Coast of the Outer Continental Shelf from Oil or Gas Leasing
The President of the United States of America announced a decision (13 March 2023) to withdraw from disposition by oil or gas leasing for a time period without specific expiration the areas designated as the Beaufort Planning Area of the Outer Continental Shelf. According to the memorandum published by the White House, the withdrawal prevents consideration of withdrawn areas for any future oil or gas leasing for purposes of exploration, development, or production, but nothing in this withdrawal affects rights under existing leases in the withdrawn areas. The Memorandum for the Secretary of the Interior is available here. This comes after the U.S. Interior Department issued a Record of Decision regarding the proposed Willow Master Development Plan in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (source).
Filed under State Practice
Calls: Brazilian Journal of International Law (Special Issue)
The Brazilian Journal of International Law invites submissions for a special issue on “Oil spill Prevention and Response: national, international and comparative perspectives” to be published in December 2023. In the backdrop of the 2019 Northeast Brazil Oil Spill, this call aims to look into innovative solutions for addressing environmental, social and economic issues caused by accidental oil spills caused by ships from an international, national and comparative perspective. The call is open to papers examining a variety of civil, administrative, criminal and international legal issues regarding oil spills, such as: 1) Prevention and reparation of vessel-source pollution; 2) Safety management of offshore oil and gas operations; 3) Assessing economic loss caused by oil spill disasters; 4) Ecologic compensation in case of oil spill disasters; 5) Area Based Management Tools (including Marine Protected Areas, other effective area-based conservation measures and Marine spatial planning). The deadline for submission is 31 July 2023. More information is available here.
UN: negotiations on BBNJ Agreement concluded
On 4 March 2023, the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), successfully concluded negotiations on a new international agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. The BBNJ Agreement is the culmination of discussions that began in 2004 under the auspices of the United Nations to enhance the international legal regime concerning the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in the oceans beyond the exclusive economic zones and continental shelves of states. The BBNJ Agreement covers access to and use of marine genetic resources; the adoption of conservation and sustainable use measures and the conduct of environmental impact assessments in the maritime areas beyond national jurisdiction; and capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology. The draft (advanced, unedited, pending paragraph renumbering) may be found here.
Filed under International Organizations, Treaties
Calls/Events: The Protection of Vulnerable People at Sea
The Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law is inviting abstract submissions for a one-and-a-half-day in-person workshop, funded by the Society of Legal Scholars. The event is to be held from 17 May to 18 May 2023 at Swansea University, Wales (U.K.). A first aim of the workshop is to reflect on the existing international legal framework applicable to the protection of vulnerable people at sea, to identify any gaps and deficiencies contained therein. Connected to this, the workshop will explore how such gaps and weaknesses in the two main branches of the law relating to the protection of vulnerable people at sea (i.e., human rights law and the law of the sea) could be remedied. The deadline for submitting abstracts (250 words maximum) is 20 March 2023. More information is available here.
Events: Tallinn Conference on the Law of the Sea and Hybrid Warfare
The Norwegian Centre for the Law of the Sea (NCLOS) is organizing a conference on ‘Hybrid Naval Warfare through the Lens of Maritime Security Law‘. The event is set to happen on 11-12 May 2022 at the Estonian Academy of Sciences (Estonia). The conference will bring together experts from various fields of international law, maritime law, as well as security law to discuss legal challenges posed by hybrid naval warfare. Registration is free and open until there are open seats. Read about the program, panelists, registration, and more on the conference website.
Filed under Events
2023 Summer Academy on the Continental Shelf
The University of the Faroe Islands and the Centre for International Law of the National University of Singapore will be co-organizing the 2023 Summer Academy on the Continental Shelf on 7-13 May 2023, in Singapore. This course is designed for government officials, researchers, practitioners, and advanced graduate students with particular interest for scientific and legal aspects relating to the continental shelf. The course confers particular focus on the intricate legal and technical conditions governing the entitlement to and establishment of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles, and on the delimitation of overlapping entitlements to such areas. Emphasis will therefore be given to Articles 76 and 83 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and Annex II thereto. More information is available here.
Filed under Courses
Vacancies: associate professor at Aalborg University
The Centre for Blue Governance (CBG) at Aalborg University (Denmark) seeks an associate professor with a social scientific background who does innovative research in interrelated blue governance topics or emerging blue economy activities and/or marine/coastal conservation. Those applicants with experience and/or interest in the governance and socioeconomic implications of blue carbon, deep-sea/seabed mining, aquaculture/mariculture, and/or multiuse conflicts and planning at sea are especially encouraged to apply. Closing date for applications is 5 February 2023, as per this announcement.
Filed under Vacancies
Vacancies: Endowed Chair at Monmouth University
The Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Monmouth University (NJ, USA) seeks an outstanding senior scholar for the Endowed Rechnitz Family / Urban Coast Institute Chair in Marine and Environmental Law and Policy. The Chair will have an expertise in environment, coastal and marine policy. This position will offer courses geared towards the overall environment as well as environmental law and policy. The successful applicant will be hired at the Associate or Full Professor level in the Department of Political Science and Sociology with the possibility of a joint appointment in another appropriate department at the university, as well as associated with the Urban Coast Institute (UCI). More information is available here.
Filed under Vacancies
Vacancies: legal officer at ITLOS
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, an international court with its seat in Hamburg, Germany, has opened the following vacancy: Legal Officer (P-4). Application deadline is 15 February 2023. More information is available here.
Filed under Vacancies
Calls: OGEL Special Issue on Carbon Capture and Storage
The journal Oil, Gas & Energy Law (OGEL) invites submissions for a Special issue focusing on Carbon Capture and Storage. This special issue will look at the key issues related to carbon capture, utilization, and storage, taking a multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary perspective including both onshore and offshore projects. Topics of interest include: challenges with cross-jurisdictional projects, including CO2 pipelines, CO2 shipments and offshore storage and international law of the sea. Papers should be submitted by the end of March 2023 to the editors. More information available in the call for papers.
Filed under Calls
ICCAT: management procedure for Atlantic bluefin tuna adopted
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) has for the first time in its history adopted a management procedure for Atlantic bluefin tuna. This novel measure, which is the result of the extensive collaboration among scientists, managers and stakeholders, should ensure long-term, sustainable and profitable fisheries of both the western stock and eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean stock. New management measures were also agreed for both North and South Atlantic swordfish stocks. More information available in ICCAT’s press release (21 November 2022).
Filed under International Organizations
OSPAR: consultation on the proposed expansion of the NACES MPA
The OSPAR Commission for the protection of the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) is seeking views on whether to extend the North Atlantic Current and Evlanov Sea basin Marine Protected Area (NACES MPA) to cover the seabed and other species and habitats. This consultation, that starts on 1 December 2022 for a period of 3 months, invites views on new evidence presented in the revised nomination proforma that seeks to demonstrate clear linkages between the benthic and pelagic systems, explaining why this site is so important for seabirds and other species. More information is available here.
Filed under International Organizations, Surveys
Vacancies: Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Bergen
The Faculty of Law at the University of Bergen (UiB) and The Norwegian Centre for Hydrogen Research (HyValue) are recruiting a Postdoctoral Fellow in energy and business law. Applicants are encouraged to submit a project proposal on regulatory aspects related to hydrogen and ammonia transport (in pipelines or ships), storage, and contracts. Closing date for applications is 8 January 2023. More information is available here.
Filed under Vacancies
Events: International Law and the Nord Stream Leaks
The Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute of the World Maritime University (Sweden) will host a webinar on International Law and the Nord Stream Leaks, to take place on Friday November 18 at 14.00-15.30 CET. The webinar will take the form of a roundtable discussion. More information and a link to register can be found here.
Filed under Events
Vacancies: tenure-track appointment at Dalhousie University
The Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University (Canada), invites applications for a probationary tenure-track, tenure-track or tenured appointment at the rank of Assistant, Associate or Full Professor in the areas of Environmental Law, Climate Change and Energy Law, Environmental Impact Assessment, and Oceans Law. The selected candidate is expected to advance the research, teaching and graduate and post-doctoral supervision activities of our Marine and Environmental Law Institute and the associated Marine and Environmental Law Program. Closing date for applications is 17 November 2022. More information is available here.
Filed under Vacancies
Events: Preparing for Sea Level Rise
The School of Law of the University of Lisbon (Portugal) is hosting a conference entitled Preparing for Sea Level Rise. This event is set to happen in Lisbon on 18 November 2022. The program of the event is available here.
Filed under Events
Vacancies: Lecturer/Senior Lecturer at University of Wollongong
The Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) at the University of Wollongong (Australia) is advertising a position for a lecturer or senior lecturer. The successful applicants are expected to support a range of research and capacity-building activities through the Indo-Pacific region. Closing date is 29 November 2022; more information is available here.
Filed under Vacancies
New Zealand: moratorium on deep seabed mining backed
The Government of New Zealand announced its support to a conditional moratorium on deep sea mining in areas beyond national jurisdiction until environmental rules are agreed and backed up by science. The decision follows a review of progress on regulations for deep sea mining in the area managed by the International Seabed Authority, who has a July 2023 deadline to complete the regulations, or Mining Code, before mining applications can be submitted. More information on this announcement can be found in the press release from the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This announcement goes in the same direction of a motion by IUCN (see De Maribus report here) and of a decision from the Parliament of Belgium (see De Maribus report here)
Filed under State Practice
Events: Filling the legal toolbox for working towards ocean sustainability
The Netherlands Institute for the Law of the Sea (NILOS) and the Utrecht University Centre for Water, Oceans and Sustainability Law (UCWOSL), in collaboration with the Centre for International Law (CIR) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, are organizing a workshop entitled Filling the legal toolbox for working towards ocean sustainability: UNCLOS, UNCLOS 2.0 and/or what else? This event is set to take place on 17 and 18 November 2022, in The Hague (Netherlands). Further information about registration, as well as the program of the event, is available here.
Filed under Events
Vacancies: legislative drafting services for British Virgin Islands
The Government of the Virgin Islands is inviting candidates to submit Expressions of Interest to create a specialist panel to provide legislative drafting services for the comprehensive review of the maritime laws of the British Virgin Islands. The primary objective of this undertaking is to create a Legislative Drafting Maritime Panel consisting of individuals who can efficiently and effectively provide the required legal drafting services to the Government to draft the primary and subsidiary legislation required to give effect to the review of the British Virgin Islands’ maritime laws, to undertake peer review of drafts produced by other drafters as part of the Project and to liaise with them on their projects where appropriate. Expressions of Interest must be submitted no later than 26 September 2022. For further information consult the Virgin Islands Shipping Registry press release.
Filed under Vacancies
ECOWAS: Supplementary Act on piracy suspects adopted
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) adopted the Supplementary Act on the Conditions of Transfer of Persons Suspected of Having Committed Acts of Piracy and Their Associated Property and / or Evidence. This adoption was decided at the 61st Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government on 3 July 2022, in Accra, Ghana. According to the ECOWAS communiqué, the purpose of this initiative is to further strengthen the gains made in securing the region’s maritime domain from acts of piracy. The Act serves to facilitate the transfer of piracy suspects and the associated property and/or evidence to member states with the appropriate legal framework to ensure ‘legal finish’ with the prosecution of piracy, while ensuring compliance with applicable international human rights law, including the treatment of suspected or transferred persons, as well the inclusion of provision on death penalty to safeguard that no transferred person or persons are subjected to death sentence for acts of piracy. More information is available in a press release from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Filed under International Organizations
Events: IFLOS Maritime Talks 2022
The International Foundation for the Law of the Sea is organizing the 2022 Maritime Talks. The subject of this year is Security, Safety, and Freedom of Navigation through Straits. The event takes place on 24 September 2022 in Hamburg, Germany. More information can be found on the event poster.
Filed under Events
Vacancies: postdoc and assistant professor at Aalborg University
The Centre for Blue Governance (CBG) at Aalborg University (Denmark) has opened two academic positions. One position is for a postdoctoral researcher in marine affairs and arctic studies. Deadline for applications is 15 August 2022 (see here). The other position(s) is for assistance professor in diverse blue governance areas, which may include ecosystem-based marine management, EU marine policies, citizen science and biodiversity, maritime transportation, and policies on emerging blue economy sector. Deadline for applications is 15 September 2022 (see here).
Filed under Vacancies
Vacancies: Research Associate at IASS Potsdam
The Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) at Potsdam (Germany) has opened two positions for Research Associate. In one of the positions, the successful applicant will contribute to the project Marine Systems Approaches for Biodiversity Resilience and Ecosystem Sustainability (Marine SABRES) and Sources to Seas – Zero Pollution 2030 (SOS-ZEROPOL2030). More information here. In the other position, the successful applicant will contribute to the project Coherent and Cross-compliant Ocean Governance for Delivering the EU Green Deal for European Seas (CrossGov) and Multi-layer Governance of Marine Policies (PermaGov). More information here. Deadline for application is 29 August 2022.
Filed under Vacancies
Courses: International Maritime and Transport Law
The Inter University Centre of Dubrovnik (Croatia) is hosting a course entitled International Maritime and Transport Law – Transport Law De Lege Ferenda. The course takes place 5-9 September 2022. Applications are open here; more information is available here and in the course program.
Filed under Courses
Events: Marine Justice and Right to Science
The Observatorio para la Gobernanza Marino Costera (Colombia) is hosting a side event at the United Nations Ocean Conference 2022 entitled Marine Justice and Right to Science. The event takes place 30 June 2022, and it shall be held in English with simultaneous translation into Spanish. See program and registration.
Filed under Events, Non-State Actors
CJEU: Case C-700/20 (London Steam-Ship Owners’ Mutual Insurance Association Limited v. Kingdom of Spain) judgment delivered
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered judgment on Case C-700/20 (London Steam-Ship Owners’ Mutual Insurance Association Limited v. Kingdom of Spain). This corresponds to a request for a preliminary ruling from the High Court of Justice (England & Wales), Queen’s Bench Division (Commercial Court) (United Kingdom). The case relates to the Prestige sinking, and the CJEU found that arbitration proceedings initiated in the United Kingdom cannot block the recognition of the Spanish judgment ordering the insurer to pay compensation for the damage caused by the oil spill (see previous De Maribus report).
The CJEU held that Regulation No 44/2001 (on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial) must be interpreted as meaning that a judgment entered by a court of a Member State in the terms of an arbitral award cannot prevent, in that Member State, the recognition of a judgment given in another Member State where a judicial decision resulting in an outcome equivalent to the outcome of that award could not have been adopted by a court of the first Member State without infringing the provisions and the fundamental objectives of that regulation, in particular as regards the relative effect of an arbitration clause included in the insurance contract in question and the rules on lis pendens. In doing so, the Court ensures, in essence, that those provisions and fundamental objectives cannot be circumvented by means of arbitration proceedings followed by judicial proceedings seeking to have the terms of the arbitral award entered in a judicial decision.
The judgment (20 June 2022) may be found here and the Opinion of the Advocate General (5 May 2022) is available here. See also the CJEU press release.
Filed under Jurisprudence
WTO: Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies adopted
The World Trade Organization (WTO) adopted the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, to be inserted in the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization via an amendment (see previous De Maribus report). The decision to adopt this agreement was reached on 17 June 2022 at the WTO Twelfth Ministerial Conference. The Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies includes rules prohibiting subsidies to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing (Article 3), to the fishing of overfished stocks (Article 4), and to fishing on the high seas outside the control of regional fisheries management organizations (Article 5). See the text of the agreement (reference WT/MIN(22)/W/22). Access the draft text and explanatory note here. Access the chair’s full statement here. See also the press release from the WTO on the “Geneva Package”.
Filed under International Organizations
Croatia/Italy: EEZ delimitation agreed
The Governments of Croatia and of Italy have signed on 24 May 2022 an agreement on the delimitation of their exclusive economic zones. See press release from the Government of Croatia and press release from the Government of Italia; see also the text of the agreement, which posits that if a dispute is not settled through direct consultations or negotiations, either Party may submit the dispute to ITLOS, the ICJ or an UNCLOS Annex VII Arbitral Tribunal (see Italian version here).
Filed under State Practice
IMO: Mediterranean Sea SOx ECA approved
The 78th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 78) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which convened on 6-10 June 2022, approved the designation of the Mediterranean Sea Emission Control Area for Sulphur Oxides and Particulate Matter (Med SOx ECA) under regulation 14 of Annex VI to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). The formal designation of the Med SOx ECA will be put forward for adoption at the 79th session of MEPC due to take place on 12-16 December 2022. MEPC 78 granted its approval after considering the joint and coordinated proposal to designate the Mediterranean Sea, as a whole, as an Emission Control Area for Sulphur Oxides, which was submitted by all Mediterranean coastal States, along with all Member States of the European Union, and the European Commission. The submission of this proposal was agreed in December 2021 within the framework of the Mediterranean Action Plan of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP/MAP) at COP 22 of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention). The amendment could enter into force in mid-2024, with the new limit taking effect from 2025. See IMO press release and UNEP press release.
Filed under International Organizations
Calls/Events: Transitions in Climate Arctic Governance
The interdisciplinary Climate Arctic Governance (CArGo) research network welcome proposals for paper and poster presentations at a conference on Transitions in Climate Arctic Governance. The event will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, on the 16 September 2022. The conference aims to explore the different transitions within Arctic climate governance, which are necessary to address the increasing societal, climate and sustainability challenges the Arctic is facing. The conference will focus on Arctic socio-economic systems and the different legal, political, geographical and cultural regimes at play. In particular, the conference centers around the Arctic governance landscape, paying specific attention to the current geopolitical situation. Further, it will examine the topics of Arctic shipping, climate vulnerability, and natural resources in the Arctic. Deadline to submit proposals is 1 August 2022. More information is available here.
USA: Ocean Shipping Reform Act passed by Congress
The Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, passed on 13 June 2022 the Ocean Shipping Reform Act. This bill revises requirements governing ocean shipping to increase the authority of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to promote the growth and development of U.S. exports through an ocean transportation system that is competitive, efficient, and economical. For example, the bill requires the FMC to (1) investigate complaints about detention and demurrage charges (i.e., late fees) charged by common ocean carriers, (2) determine whether those charges are reasonable, and (3) order refunds for unreasonable charges. It also prohibits common ocean carriers, marine terminal operators, or ocean transportation intermediaries from unreasonably refusing cargo space when available or resorting to other unfair or unjustly discriminatory methods. See the text (reference S.3580) as approved by the U.S. Congress.
Filed under State Practice
Canada/Denmark: Hans Island/Tartupaluk maritime boundary dispute resolved
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark, along with the Prime Minister of Greenland, signed on 14 June 2022 an agreement resolving outstanding boundary issues over Tartupaluk/Hans Island, the maritime boundary on the continental shelf within 200 nautical miles, including Lincoln Sea, and the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles in Labrador Sea. The present agreement incorporates a tentative agreement from 2012 and establishes a modernized single maritime boundary within 200 nautical miles from Lincoln Sea in the north to Labrador Sea in the south – almost 3,000 km. The agreement also establishes a binding boundary line in the overlapping area of the outer continental shelf, which represents an equitable solution, consistent with article 83 of UNCLOS. See press releases from MFA Canada and MFA Denmark.
Filed under State Practice
Vacancies: internship at The Oceans Cleanup
Nonprofit engineering environmental organization The Oceans Cleanup has opened an internship position on Global Affairs. The successful candidate is expected to inter alia carry out research on particular points of environmental law related to the Ocean and/or waste management. Closing date for applications is 31 July 2022. More information is available here.
Filed under Non-State Actors, Vacancies
Vacancies: Research Associate at the National University of Singapore
The Centre for International Law (CIL) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) is seeking applications for a Research Associate for a period of two years from candidates with an LLM related to public international law, law of the sea or maritime law and a demonstrable interest in oceans law and policy. The position is hosted by the Oceans Law and Policy Team. Applications close on 15 July 2022. More information is available here.
Filed under Vacancies
Events: Fair and Equitable Deep Seabed Mining
Law firm Volterra Fietta shall host a seminar entitled Fair and Equitable Deep Seabed Mining. This seminar will address the various issues arising from the fair and equitable distribution of deep seabed mining’s financial and other benefits, including as they pertain to the notion of equitable distribution, the transfer of technology, the Enterprise and the Deep Seabed Mining Code. This event will take place on 16 June 2022; for more information see here.
Filed under Events
Events: Dispute resolution under UNCLOS
Law firm Volterra Fietta shall host a seminar entitled Dispute resolution under UNCLOS. This seminar will address various aspects of the UNCLOS dispute resolution system, namely: creativity in such dispute settlement, clarification of the law of the sea through dispute settlement, influencing dispute settlement under UNCLOS, comparisons between the different dispute settlement mechanisms under UNCLOS and how the dispute settlement system might be used to interpret UNCLOS in light of technological developments. This event will take place on 9 June 2022; for more information see here.
Filed under Events
Vacancy: Associate Legal Officer at ITLOS
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, an international court with its seat in Hamburg, Germany, has opened the following vacancy: Associate Legal Officer (P-2). Application deadline is 28 June 2022. More information is available here.
Filed under Vacancies
Calls: Implementing “Fit for 55”
The InterTran Research Group for Sustainable Law and Business, at the University of Helsinki and Turku School of Economics (Finland) welcomes proposals for extended abstracts to be presented at the upcoming international conference on Implementing Fit for 55 – The right Logistics and Transport Infrastructure for a Net Zero-Carbon Future. The Nordics at the Helm? The event is organized in collaboration with the Finnish Swedish Chamber of Commerce (FINSVE) and the Institute for Sustainability Science at the University of Helsinki (HELSUS). The conference will include presentations by invited participants (August 24) as well as by extended abstracts selected in the course of this call (August 25). Deadline for submission of abstracts is 20 June 2022. More information can be found in the call and here.
BS MoU: Interim Guidance on Repatriation of Seafarers due to the Conflict in Ukraine published
The Secretariat of the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control in the Black Sea Region (BS MoU), have agreed on an interim guidance on the issue of repatriation of Ukrainian seafarers, creating a common approach for implementing inspection activities in respect to the repatriation of seafarers. Inter alia, the document encourages Port State Cntrol Officers to show “flexibility” and adopt a “pragmatic approach”, all the while considering that the port State should be assured that seafarers with certificates of competency and associated documentation issued by Ukraine might face difficulties when seeking their renewal. This Interim Guidance on Repatriation of Seafarers due to the Conflict in Ukraine published 10 May 2022 by the BS MoU is available here. A press release from BS MoU dated 19 April 2022 is here.
Filed under International Organizations, State Practice
De Maribus 
