22 October 2022: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited by the American Branch of the International Law Association to Speak at the International Law Weekend

Dr Oral spoke on the topic “Law of the Rising Sea: Where Do We Go From Here?”

As we celebrate 40 years of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, this panel discussed the questions arising under the Convention that were most likely to impact the international community over the coming decades. For example, as sea levels rise, affected States are considering declaring and freezing their baselines in an attempt to preserve their maritime rights before depletion of their land territory, which brings to the forefront whether the long-established principle of the “land dominates the sea” will stand the test of time. And with technological advancements, the ocean-based blue economy and exploration of seabed minerals has led to a battle for marine resources, raising questions of security measures and sovereign rights at sea, including whether these novel issues need us to re-think the basic principles of the law of the sea. The panel also considered if and how international organizations such as the Commission of Small Island States, the Pacific Islands Forum, the Alliance of Small Island States, the International Law Commission, and the European Union can play a part in protecting States’ rights and settling conflicts.

Moderator:

• Catherine Amirfar, Partner & Co-Chair of the Public International Law Group, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Panellists:

• David Freestone, Professorial Lecturer in Law, George Washington University Law School
• Nilufer Oral, Director, Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore; Member, International Law Commission, Co-Chair of the Study Group on Sea-level Rise in Relation to International Law

More about the event at the link: https://www.ila-americanbranch.org/international-law-weekend/