Possibility of Objective Litigation under the UNCLOS Dispute Settlement Procedure

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K01313
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 05030:International law-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University (2021-2022); Kobe University (2019-2020)
• Principal Investigator: Tamada Dai 京都大学, 法学研究科, 教授 (60362563)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 国連海洋法条約 / 客観訴訟 / 国際司法裁判所 / 紛争解決 / 対世的義務 / 沖ノ鳥島 / 深海底

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this research, I pointed out that objective litigation may be permitted in the dispute settlement procedures of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. In particular, in relation to legal systems that are of common interest to the international community (e.g., the Deep Sea System and the High Seas System), where one State's measures could affect the legal interests of all other States Parties to the Convention, each States party to the treaty will also be allowed to initiate proceedings against the State of that measure. More specifically, the dispute over the legal status of Okinotorishima can be a matter that concerns the high seas and the deep seabed, and could give rise to objective litigation. As a result of this research, I concluded that there is such a possibility, but at the same time, there is a danger of backlash from contracting Parties against the dispute settlement system itself.

Free Research Field

国際法

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

国連海洋法条約上の紛争解決は、日本にとって他人事ではない。竹島周辺の海洋法問題、沖ノ鳥島の法的地位、再開された商業捕鯨の合法性、温暖化防止と海洋環境保護義務の関係など、喫緊の課題も多い。これらの課題は、ICJでは管轄権設定が困難であり、放置されざるを得ないが、国連海洋法条約の紛争解決手続では、強制的管轄権を有する附属書VII仲裁が利用可能であり、状況が大きく異なる。加えて、本研究で見たように、同条約の紛争解決手続において「客観訴訟」が認められる可能性が高く、これを阻止することが困難であることから、その利用可能性や防禦の方法については、今後慎重な分析と対応が求められる。