Development of the Law of the Sea by UNCLOS Dispute Settlement Bodies

This is the first study to provide both a systematic assessment of the ways by which the dispute settlement bodies of the United Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) contribute to the development of the law of the sea and an exposition of the factors that explain such contribution. The book analyses UNCLOS dispute settlement bodies' decisions and the legal reasoning in key areas of the law of the sea. It further examines the factors that impact the decision-making process of UNCLOS tribunals to explain the parameters within which UNCLOS tribunals operate and how this impacts their ability and willingness to develop the law. The book provides a unique reference point for lecturers, researchers and students of international law, particularly law of the sea, as well as practitioners and government advisors who wish to gain comprehensive insights into the functioning and the role of the UNCLOS dispute settlement system.

Lan Nguyen is an Assistant Professor at Utrecht University School of Law. She obtained her B.A (summa cum laude) from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, her LL.M in International Law (First Class Honours and awarded the Clive Parry Prize for International Law) and her PhD from the University of Cambridge. She has previously worked at the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.