The Rights and Obligations of States in Disputed Maritime Areas

Since many States are faced with disputed maritime areas, understanding their rights and obligations in these areas is both pressing and topical. This is the first comprehensive treatment of this vast and complex issue and will be an essential book for state officials, scholars, practitioners, and various industries.

Many disputed maritime areas exist around the world. Often, the States concerned have not been able to reach agreement on how to, for example, regulate commercial activities within such areas. Conflict regularly arises between claimant coastal States if one of them acts unilaterally, such as in the South China Sea. This book examines the rights and obligations States have under international law concerning disputed maritime areas, in the first comprehensive treatment of this highly topical and pressing issue. It analyses conventional law, general international law, judicial decisions, State practice, and academic opinions that shine a light on the international legal framework that is applicable in disputed maritime areas. Proposing practical solutions on how to interpret the relevant international law, the book discusses the extent to which it currently provides clear guidance to States, and how international courts and tribunals have dealt with cases related to activities in disputed maritime areas.