New Legal Framework for Protection of the Marine Environment in the ABNJ: New Obligations for States under the Law of the Sea?

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K01394
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 05070:New fields of law-related
• Research Institution: Meiji University
• Principal Investigator: Sato Chie 明治大学, 法学部, 専任教授 (80611904)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: EU海洋環境法 / 国連海洋法条約 / 国家管轄権外区域 / 相当の注意義務 / 海洋保護区 / 生物多様性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research aims to propose an effective legal framework for protection of the marine environment including ABNJ for which the special rules are applied by the UNCLOS. The proposed framework should be applied not only for protection of the marine biodiversity including fauna and flora, but also for reducing marine pollution from various sources as an overarching framework. To consider the issue, firstly, this research focuses on the BBNJ negotiation process taken in UN and has analyzed whether and how the new BBNJ will change existing international law principles and relevant obligations of States including due diligence. In adittion to the BBNJ negotiation process, the relevant EU laws and regulations which are legally binding for 27 MS are taken into considertation, so that the propoesed framework is to be effectvely applied for the international society.

Free Research Field

海洋環境法

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的意義は、研究を進める当たり、近年発展した国際環境法の原則と、「公海自由の原則」を認める伝統的な海洋法の原則との整合性を確保するための新たな法理論を探求することを目指して、EU法の実例を参照しながら、既存の理論とグローバル化する国際社会の現実に対応するための法理論を発見しようとした点である。また、社会的意義は、国家管轄権外区域における海洋生物多様性の保護のための新条約の作成に関する国連での最新の議論を踏まえることにより、研究成果を国際社会の実情に即した、より実践的なものにできた点であり、そのような研究成果を日本語（論文・著書）及び英語（論文）で公表した。