The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), often called the “constitution of the oceans,” has served as the foundation of the international ocean legal order for more than 30 years since its entry into force in 1994. In recent years, however, new challenges have emerged, such as passage through international straits and the development of deep-seabed mineral resources. Against this backdrop, law of the sea experts from Korea and Japan are gathering in Busan to discuss the challenges and the future of ocean law.
The Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST, President Hyi-Seung Lee) is holding the “KIOST？Japan Society for the Law of the Sea International Workshop of Law of the Sea Experts” jointly with the Japan Society for the Law of the Sea. The workshop takes place over two days, from Tuesday, August 4 to Wednesday, August 5, at KIOST headquarters in Busan, with some 50 law of the sea experts from universities and research institutions in both countries in attendance.
This fourth gathering of experts from the two countries traces its origins to Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, in 2022. At that time, the UN negotiations on the BBNJ Agreement and the International Seabed Authority (ISA) negotiations on deep-seabed mineral exploitation regulations were under way simultaneously, and the two countries agreed on the need for a forum to examine both issues together.
Participants include Kentaro Nishimoto, Vice President of the Japan Society for the Law of the Sea (Professor, University of Tokyo), and Hee-Cheol Yang, Director of the Ocean Law and Policy Institute at KIOST, along with experts from 10 universities and research institutions in both countries, including Waseda University, Keio University, and Kobe University in Japan.
The workshop consists of five sessions. The first day covers deep-seabed mineral development, passage through international straits, and high-seas fisheries management in the North Pacific in turn, while the second day examines the jurisdiction of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). KIOST plans to present on topics including deep-seabed exploitation regulations and ITLOS jurisdiction.
President Hyi-Seung Lee of KIOST said, “The law of the sea has always developed hand in hand with ocean science and technology,” adding, “I hope this workshop will serve as an occasion to discuss the future of the law of the sea and of ocean science and technology together.”
Meanwhile, KIOST plans to expand its network of overseas law of the sea experts in countries such as the United States, China, France, and the United Kingdom, and to participate proactively in discussions on establishing a new international law of the sea order.
