Written evidence submitted by Dr Ioannis Chapsos, Dr James Malcolm and Dr Robert McCabe (UNC0002) to the House of Lords’ International Relations & Defence Committee. UNC0002 - UNCLOS: fit for purpose in the 21st century?

The House of Lords’ International Relations and Defence Committee initiated an inquiry to determine whether UNCLOS remains fit for purpose forty years after its agreement. The ‘framework’ nature of the convention allows for the development of more detailed regulation and guidance to be delegated to other international bodies such as the International Maritime Organization. This means that UNCLOS has been considered a ‘living treaty’, which can change to reflect modern circumstances. This is now being tested by new concerns and new uses of the sea. CTPSR’s maritime security team responded to the inquiry and their submitted evidence informed relevant sections of the report which was published on 1st March 2022, titled ‘UNCLOS: the law of the sea in the 21st century’