4 October
This year’s Lecture will delve into the critical nexus between the ocean and climate from an international legal perspective. On the backdrop of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) advisory opinion on Climate Change and International Law, Professor Alexander Proelss, from the University of Hamburg, will deliver his keynote lecture on the implications of this landmark advisory opinion. His insights will shed light on the role of international law in mitigating climate impacts on marine ecosystems and the responsibilities of states under evolving legal norms. This lecture promises to be an invaluable opportunity to engage with cutting-edge developments in international law and its intersection with climate change.
This year, we will also have the participation of Professor Erik Røsæg (University of Oslo), Snjólaug Árnadóttir (Reykjavik University), Angelique Pouponneau (Senior Advisor, University of New South Wales Sustainable Development Reform Centre), Niels Krabbe (University 91̽) and Gabriela Argüello (University 91̽).
Programme
Welcome remarks
Professor Lena Gipperth – University 91̽
Keynote Lecture: Counteracting the fragmentation of international law: ITLOS and the climate-ocean nexus
Professor Alexander Proelss – University of Hamburg
On 21 May 2024, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) rendered its advisory opinion in the case “Request for an Advisory Opinion submitted by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law.” This advisory opinion brings to an end the first proceedings that were initiated at an intergovernmental level, in which an international judicial mechanism has been used to compel the international community to take more stringent environmental protection measures in order to help achieve the global temperature goals of the Paris Agreement. The lecture will present key elements of the landmark advisory opinion and provide an initial assessment. Particular attention will be devoted to the interplay between the international law of the sea and international climate change law. It will be shown that by interpreting the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in accordance with international law on climate change, ITLOS has made a significant contribution to a holistic understanding that counters the fragmentation of international law.
Comments to Prof. Proelss’ presentation with emphasis on private law repercussions of climate change measures
Professor Erik Røsæg – University of Oslo
Sea level rise and its implications for the law of the sea
Snjólaug Árnadóttir - Associate Professor, Reykjavik University
The ITLOS Advisory Opinion – A case for high seas protection
Angelique Pouponneau - Senior Advisor, University of New South Wales Sustainable Development Reform Centre
Policy dilemmas in the deployment of offshore climate technology
Gabriela Argüello – Associate Senior Lecturer, University 91̽
Panel discussion
Moderator: Niels Krabbe – Postdoctoral Researcher, University 91̽