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Unclos And The Law Of Occupation: On The Rights And Duties Of Occupying States In Maritime Areas, Louis M. Monroy

International Law Studies

As of today, the framework of ocean governance of coastal maritime areas created by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is well understood and accepted by the international community. However, there are large and important areas of ocean space around the world that are subject to a more nuanced framework of interrelated norms. These are maritime areas that have come under the effective control of occupying States, often through the use of force. As such, the legal framework applicable to these maritime areas is that of the law of occupation. Nevertheless, because of the specificities …

Annotated Supplement To The Commander's Handbook On The Law Of Naval Operations

International Law Studies

The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations is used in the United States and throughout the world as a restatement of U.S. doctrinal law positions on matters affecting the operations of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Judge advocates and legal advisers have occasion to conduct deeper research to identify the context and source of the rules reflected in the Commander’s Handbook. Responding to this need, an Annotated Supplement to The Commander’s Handbook was produced in 1997 and published as volume 73 of International Law Studies. In the intervening decades, …

Chapter 2: International Status And Navigation Of Military Vessels And Military Aircraft

International Law Studies

The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations is used in the United States and throughout the world as a restatement of U.S. doctrinal law positions on matters affecting the operations of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Judge advocates and legal advisers have occasion to conduct deeper research to identify the context and source of the rules reflected in the Commander’s Handbook. Responding to this need, an Annotated Supplement to The Commander’s Handbook was produced in 1997 and published as volume 73 of International Law Studies. In the intervening decades, …

Chapter 3: Protection Of Persons And Property At Sea And Maritime Law Enforcement

International Law Studies

The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations is used in the United States and throughout the world as a restatement of U.S. doctrinal law positions on matters affecting the operations of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Judge advocates and legal advisers have occasion to conduct deeper research to identify the context and source of the rules reflected in the Commander’s Handbook. Responding to this need, an Annotated Supplement to The Commander’s Handbook was produced in 1997 and published as volume 73 of International Law Studies. In the intervening decades, …

Chapter 4: Safeguarding U.S. National Interests In The Maritime Environment

International Law Studies

The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations is used in the United States and throughout the world as a restatement of U.S. doctrinal law positions on matters affecting the operations of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Judge advocates and legal advisers have occasion to conduct deeper research to identify the context and source of the rules reflected in the Commander’s Handbook. Responding to this need, an Annotated Supplement to The Commander’s Handbook was produced in 1997 and published as volume 73 of International Law Studies. In the intervening decades, …

Chapter 1: Legal Divisions Of The Oceans And Airspace

International Law Studies

The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations is used in the United States and throughout the world as a restatement of U.S. doctrinal law positions on matters affecting the operations of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Judge advocates and legal advisers have occasion to conduct deeper research to identify the context and source of the rules reflected in the Commander’s Handbook. Responding to this need, an Annotated Supplement to The Commander’s Handbook was produced in 1997 and published as volume 73 of International Law Studies. In the intervening decades, …

Chapter 10: Chemical, Biological, Radiological, And Nuclear Weapons

International Law Studies

The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations is used in the United States and throughout the world as a restatement of U.S. doctrinal law positions on matters affecting the operations of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Judge advocates and legal advisers have occasion to conduct deeper research to identify the context and source of the rules reflected in the Commander’s Handbook. Responding to this need, an Annotated Supplement to The Commander’s Handbook was produced in 1997 and published as volume 73 of International Law Studies. In the intervening decades, …

Chapter 11: Treatment Of Detained Persons

International Law Studies

The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations is used in the United States and throughout the world as a restatement of U.S. doctrinal law positions on matters affecting the operations of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Judge advocates and legal advisers have occasion to conduct deeper research to identify the context and source of the rules reflected in the Commander’s Handbook. Responding to this need, an Annotated Supplement to The Commander’s Handbook was produced in 1997 and published as volume 73 of International Law Studies. In the intervening decades, …

Chapter 12: Deception During Armed Conflict

International Law Studies

The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations is used in the United States and throughout the world as a restatement of U.S. doctrinal law positions on matters affecting the operations of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Judge advocates and legal advisers have occasion to conduct deeper research to identify the context and source of the rules reflected in the Commander’s Handbook. Responding to this need, an Annotated Supplement to The Commander’s Handbook was produced in 1997 and published as volume 73 of International Law Studies. In the intervening decades, …

Chapter 8: The Law Of Targeting

International Law Studies

The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations is used in the United States and throughout the world as a restatement of U.S. doctrinal law positions on matters affecting the operations of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Judge advocates and legal advisers have occasion to conduct deeper research to identify the context and source of the rules reflected in the Commander’s Handbook. Responding to this need, an Annotated Supplement to The Commander’s Handbook was produced in 1997 and published as volume 73 of International Law Studies. In the intervening decades, …

Chapter 9: Conventional Weapons And Weapons Systems

International Law Studies

The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations is used in the United States and throughout the world as a restatement of U.S. doctrinal law positions on matters affecting the operations of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Judge advocates and legal advisers have occasion to conduct deeper research to identify the context and source of the rules reflected in the Commander’s Handbook. Responding to this need, an Annotated Supplement to The Commander’s Handbook was produced in 1997 and published as volume 73 of International Law Studies. In the intervening decades, …

Chapter 7: The Law Of Neutrality

International Law Studies

The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations is used in the United States and throughout the world as a restatement of U.S. doctrinal law positions on matters affecting the operations of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Judge advocates and legal advisers have occasion to conduct deeper research to identify the context and source of the rules reflected in the Commander’s Handbook. Responding to this need, an Annotated Supplement to The Commander’s Handbook was produced in 1997 and published as volume 73 of International Law Studies. In the intervening decades, …

Chapter 6: Adherence And Enforcement

International Law Studies

The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations is used in the United States and throughout the world as a restatement of U.S. doctrinal law positions on matters affecting the operations of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Judge advocates and legal advisers have occasion to conduct deeper research to identify the context and source of the rules reflected in the Commander’s Handbook. Responding to this need, an Annotated Supplement to The Commander’s Handbook was produced in 1997 and published as volume 73 of International Law Studies. In the intervening decades, …

Chapter 5: Principles And Sources Of The Law Of Armed Conflict

International Law Studies

The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations is used in the United States and throughout the world as a restatement of U.S. doctrinal law positions on matters affecting the operations of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Judge advocates and legal advisers have occasion to conduct deeper research to identify the context and source of the rules reflected in the Commander’s Handbook. Responding to this need, an Annotated Supplement to The Commander’s Handbook was produced in 1997 and published as volume 73 of International Law Studies. In the intervening decades, …

Another Missed Opportunity To Adopt A Universally Accepted Maritime Treaty, Raul (Pete) Pedrozo

International Law Studies

In March 2023, an intergovernmental conference adopted the Agreement 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 (BBNJ Agreement). Inspired by a resurgence of the New International Economic Order (NIEO), the BBNJ Agreement contains numerous provisions that will have the practical effect of making ratification of the agreement untenable for the industrialized nations. Similar provisions were included in the original Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS). As a result, industrialized nations refused to sign or …

International Law And Acoustic Antagonism In East Asian Waters, Matt D. Montazzoli, John C. Tramazzo

International Law Studies

This article analyzes a 2023 maritime incident in which the Chinese Navy Ship (CNS) Ningbo employed active sonar in the vicinity of His Majesty’s Australian Ship (HMAS) Toowoomba, while knowing that Toowoomba had divers in the water. The Chinese sonar caused injuries to the Australian divers. The article discusses the employment of acoustic devices to cause harm during peacetime and analyzes whether CNS Ningbo’s actions constituted a failure of "due regard" and other applicable legal regimes and norms. The article concludes that CNS Ningbo’s actions were an unlawful use of force and failed to demonstrate due regard, and that …

Recent Developments In The Jurisprudence Concerning The Delimitation Of The Continental Shelf Beyond 200 Nautical Miles: Analysis Of The Mauritius/Maldives And Nicaragua V. Colombia Cases, Yoshifumi Tanaka

International Law Studies

This article examines recent developments in the jurisprudence related to the delimitation of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles by analyzing the Mauritius/Maldives and Nicaragua v. Colombia cases. The ITLOS Special Chamber in Mauritius/Maldives did not delimit the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles due to applying the standard of “significant uncertainty.” In this regard, the scope of and criterion for the standard of “significant uncertainty” merit discussion. The ICJ, in Nicaragua v. Colombia, identified a rule of customary international law that the continental shelf of a State beyond 200 nautical miles may not extend within 200 nautical miles …

Equitable Considerations In The Delimitation Of The Continental Shelf, Murat Sümer

International Law Studies

The delimitation of the continental shelf is often regarded as one of the most controversial inter-State delimitation disputes due to the significant advantages it can offer to coastal States. Since the conception of the continental shelf regime, i.e., the 1945 Truman Proclamation, equitable considerations have been central to the delimitation of this zone, which has been consistently reflected in the jurisprudence and in UNCLOS.

As an umbrella instrument with a framework character, UNCLOS usually suffices to stipulate the fundamental norms and principles. This was also the case for the delimitation of the continental shelf. Article 83, whilst not prescribing a …

Law Enforcement Measures Against Chinese Maritime Militia, Kentaro Furuya

International Law Studies

This article undertakes a comprehensive legal assessment of Chinese maritime militia vessels and their operations, employing a law enforcement perspective as the analytical lens. During peacetime, those vessels engage in fishing and low-intensity military activities but during armed conflict they transition to tasks like reconnaissance. Notably, these maritime militias are frequently deployed in what is commonly termed as "gray zone" scenarios, which lack a clearly defined designation as either peacetime or armed conflict. Their principal objective lies in asserting territorial claims without resorting to full-scale armed conflict. This article delves into an exploration of the legal status accorded to these …

China’S New Law On Foreign Relations: Transforming The Rules-Based International Order With Chinese Characteristics, Raul (Pete) Pedrozo

International Law Studies

In 2023 China adopted a comprehensive Law on Foreign Relations. Although the law is intended to shape China’s diplomatic relations and its cultural, economic, and other exchanges, as well as China’s relations with the United Nations and other international organizations, implementation of the law will be guided by (inter alia) Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The law makes clear that China’s foreign relations will be conducted to uphold its system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, safeguard its sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity, and promote its economic and social development. This revisionist “rule by …

Adjusting The Aperture: The International Law Case For Qualifying Unmanned Vessels As Warships, Malgorzata Materna

International Law Studies

A number of stakeholders in the international community have advocated for the establishment of restrictions on the development and acquisition of unmanned vessels capable of contributing to naval warfare. These efforts are often based on the notion that the law did not anticipate the existence and use of unmanned vessels, and therefore the drafters of applicable legal frameworks—including the longstanding international law definition of a “warship”—did not consider them. However, this article evaluates, element by element, how unmanned vessels can, should, and already do meet the requirements for the warship designation under international law, based on a reading compatible with …

Anatomy Of China’S Maritime Strategy: Threatening The Maritime Order Through Its National Legislation And Self-Centered Interpretation Of Unclos, Shigeki Sakamoto

International Law Studies

While the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) establishes an objective framework for the coordinated handling of the use of the sea by States in the exercise of their legislative, judicial, and executive powers, China’s legislative bodies, in enacting domestic laws for the fulfillment of treaty obligations, distort obligations in its domestic laws to secure their own national interests. For example, Article 6.2 of China’s Territorial Sea Law violates articles of UNCLOS by denying the right of innocent passage. In addition, China is extending its jurisdiction over security to the contiguous zone with Article 13 …

Maritime Security Governance: Indonesia, Malaysia, And Singapore’S Approach Towards The Proliferation Security Initiative, Sumathy Permal

International Law Studies

Maritime security governance of a strategic strait is a unique exercise that presents formidable complexity for States bordering the strait. These waterways often have choke points the proper management of which is critical for the safe passage of commercial and military vessels. The focus of this article is on the Straits of Malacca (SOM) as a strategic maritime passage that is subject to multiple interests involving governance, military, and commercial aspects. This article seeks to examine maritime security governance approaches by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore towards the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI).

The littoral States bordering the SOM bear the responsibility …

Russia’S Attack On Ukraine: The Montreux Convention And Turkiye, Yücel Acer

International Law Studies

The straits of Çanakkale and İstanbul and the Sea of Marmara, known as the Turkish Straits, together constitute a single waterway that connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and the rest of the world's oceans. These maritime passages have always been significant enough to constitute the subject of power struggles between major powers and has therefore been a subject of various international regulations.

The existing international accord regulating the passage though the Turkish Straits is the 1936 Montreux Convention on Straits. The Convention establishes the right to freedom of passage for all ships. It also addresses the security concerns …

Building Capacity In The Law Of The Sea: The Imo International Maritime Law Institute’S Experience, Ángeles Jiménez García-Carriazo

International Law Studies

Although the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) does not make any express reference to capacity-building, scientific and technological development is a centerpiece of the Convention. In 1982, UNCLOS established a comprehensive legal framework for ocean-related activities with a latent and inexorable link to capacity-building through the transfer of technology, scientific and technical assistance, knowledge sharing, and cooperation and collaboration. Building capacity in the law of the sea enables States to benefit from the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and seas and their resources. In the absence of expertise to incorporate and effectively implement …

“Nationals” At Forty: From An Undefined Unclos Term To Due Diligence Obligations On The State Of Nationality To Combat Iuu Fishing, Arron N. Honniball, Valentin J. Schatz

International Law Studies

Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing represents a global common concern, incorporating large-scale and highly mobile environmental, economic, and sometimes criminal, concerns. IUU fishing can result in dysfunctional fisheries governance, including through the non-application of relevant conservation and management measures. Non-application results, in part, from both incomplete implementation and insufficient enforcement by flag, coastal, port, and market States, and the States of nationality. This article focuses on the State of nationality that may exercise territorial and extraterritorial prescriptive jurisdiction on the basis of the active personality principle of jurisdiction. Firstly, global instruments have long held the State of nationality as …

Untethering Umvs From Vessels: Why The United States Should Construct A New Environmental Legal Scheme For Unmanned Maritime Vehicles, Lindsay I. Mccarl

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

International and domestic laws and regulations, and in particular those addressing environmental protections related to the world’s oceans, have no clear application to unmanned maritime vehicles (UMVs). Instead, legal scholars have attempted to fit UMVs into current legal schemes in a piecemeal manner that UMVs practically and realistically cannot comply with. UMVs are inherently different than their manned counterparts and therefore require a unique legal framework separate and apart from manned vessels. Without its own legal scheme, the United States Navy and other organizations will not be able to realize the full potential of UMVs—not only for their military operational …

Malware, A Device Under The 1988 Sua Convention, Michael Petta

International Law Studies

In 1988 the International Maritime Organization modernized international law in response to a vexing problem of the time—maritime terrorism. Before then, not all violent crimes against vessels amounted to piracy and therefore many maritime criminals escaped justice. To close this gap and facilitate the prosecution of those who endanger navigation, IMO member States enacted the 1988 Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation. More than three decades later, the 1988 SUA Convention may be useful to address a more modern problem—cyberattacks against commercial vessels. The 1988 treaty prohibits various acts against shipping, including the …

Opening Speech, Claudio Grossman

American University Law Review

Good morning and good afternoon, depending on your time zone. It is a great pleasure to introduce this conference on “Sea Level Rise and International Law: Assessing its Impacts on the Americas.” Sea level rise is a pressing global challenge that could generate catastrophic effects, including in the Americas, which are surrounded by four oceans: the Arctic, the Antarctic, the Atlantic, and the Pacific. Several of the countries in the Region could suffer disproportionately from the consequences of this serious phenomenon. The implications for States and people all over the world are devastating, making rising sea levels a matter of …

Introduction To The International Law Comission's Work On Sea Level Rise In Relation To International Law, Bogdan Aurescu, Nilufer Oral

American University Law Review

Thank you so much for the presentation. Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening to everybody—in accordance with the respective time that you are speaking. I am very honored to be invited to this conference, and I am also very honored that I am sharing this presentation together with my good colleague and friend, Nilüfer Oral. We are both co-chairs of the Study Group on Sea-Level Rise in Relation to International Law of the International Law Commission, together with the other colleagues, some of them I think are attending this session online, Patrícia Galvão-Teles and Juan José Ruda Santaloria together …