States and entrepreneurs are becoming increasingly interested in the economic potential of ocean areas beyond the national jurisdiction of coastal States, namely the high seas and the Area. This has led to growing support within the international community to enhance the international legal regime for those areas, among other things to protect and preserve the environment and biodiversity. However, the current debate in international fora indicates that States have widely different interpretations on key aspects of this regime. For instance, what implications do the principles contained in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea have for the governance and regulation of these areas, how is access to natural resources best regulated, how are benefits derived from these areas to be distributed and which specific institutional frameworks should be employed in the management of areas beyond national jurisdiction? This work intends to contribute to a better understanding of the international law aspects of the ongoing debate on current and future international governance and regulation of areas beyond national jurisdiction. To this end four specific topics are examined: principles and objectives of the legal regime; institutional arrangements for the legal regime; entitlements to marine living resources; and compliance with international regulations.

This book investigates competing constructions of areas beyond national jurisdiction, and their role in the creation and articulations of legal principles, providing a broader perspective on the ongoing negotiation at the UN on marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.

"This book is based on presentations made at the Malmö Conference by many of the most knowledgeable experts on both the on-going bbnj negotiations at the United Nations and on the well- established UNCLOS principles and rules. The Malmö Conference featured remarks by distinguished diplomats followed by six parts devoted to identifying the major issues at the bbnj negotiations"--

Marine Protected Areas in International law – an Arctic perspective, introduces and analyzes the legal rights and obligations of states under international law, using Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as a tool to protect marine biodiversity. The fragile Arctic marine environment is under growing pressure from climate change and the prospect of increasing human activity affecting previously untouched areas. The conservation of Arctic marine biodiversity is a pressing and global concern, not least because the melting of sea ice will have widespread effects. By analyzing regional cooperation through the OSPAR Convention and under the Arctic Council, Jakobsen examines the implementation of the global legal framework for biodiversity protection and conservation in the Arctic. The book has a particular focus on the possibilities of the states to regulate shipping within the MPAs, as the increasing shipping activities represent a major threat to the sensitive marine Arctic.

High Seas Governance: Gaps and Challenges identifies gaps in and challenges to the existing legal regime in the protection and preservation of the marine environment of the high seas, including sensitive marine areas. The gaps identified in the book include the failure of liability and compensation schemes to cover pollution of the high seas and the fact that no state has the responsibility to clean up pollution of the high seas. One common theme of the book is that it is necessary to identify a state other than flag states, port states or coastal states, which should have an obligation to exercise jurisdiction and control over certain activities on the high seas.

The oceans cover more than seventy per cent of the surface of the planet and they provide many vital ecosystem services. However, the health of the world's oceans has been deteriorating over the past decades and the protection of the marine environment has emerged as one of the most pressing legal and political challenges for the international community. An effective solution depends upon the cooperation of all states towards achieving agreed objectives. This book provides a critical assessment of the role that international law plays in this process, by explaining and evaluating the various legal instruments that have been negotiated in this area, as well as key trends in global ocean governance. Starting with a detailed analysis of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the book considers the main treaties and other legal texts that seeks to prevent, reduce, and control damage to the marine environment caused by navigation, seabed exploitation, fishing, dumping, and land-based activities, as well as emerging pressures such as ocean noise and climate change. The book demonstrates how international institutions have expanded their mandates to address a broader range of marine environmental issues, beyond basic problems of pollution control to include the conservation of marine biological diversity and an ecosystems approach to regulation. It also discusses the development of diverse regulatory tools to address anthropogenic impacts on the marine environment and the extent to which states have adopted a precautionary approach in different maritime sectors. Whilst many advances have been made in these matters, this book highlights the need for greater coordination between international institutions, as well as the desirability of developing stronger enforcement mechanisms for international environmental rules.

In The Marine Environment and United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14, leading marine experts assess the scope, achievements, and limitations of UNSDG 14 for the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. Chapters discuss the challenges and gaps of ocean governance through five key sections: Conservation and Sustainable Use of Oceans and Their Resources; Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction; Status of Deep Seabed Minerals; Marine Pollution and Coastal Ecosystems; and Climate Change and the Oceans. This important book illustrates current challenges facing sustainable marine development and management, and provides necessary insights for a coherent path forward.

The World Ocean Assessment - or, to give its full title, The First Global Integrated Marine Assessment - is the outcome of the first cycle of the United Nations' Regular Process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment, including Socioeconomic Aspects. The Assessment provides vital, scientifically-grounded bases for the consideration of ocean issues, including climate change, by governments, intergovernmental agencies, non-governmental agencies and all other stakeholders and policymakers involved in ocean affairs. Together with future assessments and related initiatives, it will support the implementation of the recently adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly its ocean-related goals. Moreover, it will also form an important reference text for marine science courses.

Explores how the law of the sea can develop in support of the objectives of the United Nations climate regime.

This book describes emerging and unresolved sustainability issues related to the oceans and marine environment, for policy makers, students and academics.