When the 1982 United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea was adopted, climate change was not an issue of concern for the international community. Consequently, the Convention does not make mention to climate change or its consequences. When the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted a decade later, the adverse consequences of climate change on the ocean and marine environment were not fully understood. However, in recent years scientists have discovered that climate change is having significant adverse impacts on the ocean, such as ocean warming, deoxygenation, chemistry change, ocean acidification and sea level rise.

Dr Nilüfer Oral’s lecture examined the existing frameworks in relation to protection of the marine environment under the 1982 UNCLOS and climate change under the 1992 UNFCCC regime. The lecture will identify the gaps within each regime, the gaps between the two regimes and how synergies may be developed to address the important climate risks to the health of the ocean.

The session is moderated by Stephen Minas, Associate Professor at Peking University School of Transnational Law.