Freedom of Navigation and Globalization

Freedom of Navigation and Globalization offers a timely analysis of current issues in the Law of the Sea in six Parts.

Part I examines co-operative measures taken within the Southeast Asia region to combat piracy and armed robbery against ships, and the historical activities of the Republic of Korea navy in countering piracy. Part II focuses on transnational threats including counter proliferation activities, freedom of navigation, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the regulation of private maritime security companies.

Part III consists of two essays on development in the Arctic Ocean. The first updates the activities of the Arctic Council, the second looks at cooperative measures taken by China, Japan, and Korea with respect to science in the Arctic.

In Part IV the topic of energy security and sealanes is taken up. Institutional building within ASEAN is examined for maritime security in Southeast Asia. Freedom of navigation is compared with the straight baselines of China in the South China Sea. In the next essay, cooperative efforts to enhance navigational safety and environmental protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore are explored.

Part V considers balancing marine environmental protection and freedom of navigation. The European Union’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive is reviewed. The dispute settlement regime in UNCLOS and the 2001 International Law Commission Articles on the Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts are analyzed for flag State responsibility for pollution violations. The current mechanisms in the South China Sea marine environment are also evaluated.

Part VI discusses marine data collection in the context of its applicability to Part XIII of UNCLOS. Attention is given to the various categories and their legal consequences. The last paper in the volume outlines global challenges such as global warming, rising sea level and changes in the ice over in the Polar Regions.