Utrecht University graduate Emma van den Boogaard shares her experience with environmental law and law of the sea

Emma van den Boogaard, policy officer at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW), was interviewed about her academic career, what brought her to Utrecht and what she has been doing after finishing her LLM in Utrecht. She also reflects on how she is developing her career.

Could you tell us something about your academic career before starting the master in Utrecht?

“I did a bachelor in Dutch law at Leiden University, and I started off with a business specialization. During the last year of my bachelor studies, however, I realized that business courses were not really for me, so I decided to switch to just law and to do extra courses, mostly related to international relations, human rights and international politics. I slowly started realizing that international law might be a good avenue for me to combine my interests in law and international relations.”

Why did you choose to pursue the master PIL at Utrecht University, and why the OES track?

“A combination of my curiosity towards international law and an interest in sustainability led me to start researching for public international law master programmes with a focus on environmental issues. I found the PIL programme and the OES track at Utrecht University, which perfectly aligned with my interests.

I realized that many universities offer specializations in human rights and criminal law, but less often in environmental law. I thought it was an interesting angle from which to study public international law, so I told myself ‘this sounds perfect, let’s do it!’.

My interest in pursuing the OES track was also influenced by the fact that the Netherlands Institute for the Law of the Sea (NILOS) is based at Utrecht University. So the OES track is more than simply a university offering courses; these courses are embedded in research activities, and informed by researchers in the field.”

What has been your career path after finishing the master?

“I finished my master during COVID (in July 2020) so the career opportunities, internship-wise and in general, were limited. I did secure an internship at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, within the international law division of the legal affairs department. It was a 3-months internship, which I had to conduct entirely from home because of the pandemic. Nonetheless, I still had a chance to witness and take part in the discussions that were taking place. I worked with legal officers on all sorts of topics, e.g. state responsibility, law of the sea, human rights. It was interesting to see some things you have been told in the lecture coming alive and being discussed by people who work with these issues on a daily basis.

After the internship, I realized I wanted to continue working for the government. I secured a position as Circular Economy officer at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW). The position had a strong national law and policy focus, so not very related to international law, but I enjoyed experiencing something different. It allowed me to work on how things operate in practice at the national level.

After a while, however, I realized that what I really wanted to do was something more closely related to the law of the sea. In November 2022, I quit my job, moved out of my apartment and left to travel. After about three months, I was informed that there was an opening for a position as policy officer in marine and ocean affairs at IenW. I was successful with my application and started in June 2023.”

What would you like to share about your experience in your current position?

 “I really enjoy what I do! In my position I work on marine and ocean affairs with a strong focus on the protection of the marine environment. Currently, my main tasks focus on deep-seabed mining and the implementation of the Agreement on marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). We also work more broadly on issues related to the marine environment, like setting up a program to monitor the seawater quality in the Dutch Caribbean, and I also participate in conferences on ocean affairs.

It has been really interesting to work on two international processes, deep-sea mining and the BBNJ Agreement, that are at different stages of the negotiation and implementation process, and it is interesting to learn about these two instruments. I really like puzzling with the deep-sea mining draft exploitation regulations that are currently being negotiated, and preparing the written and oral statements delivered by the Dutch delegation at the International Seabed Authority. Working on these statements is a good mix of what is the law in theory and how to put it in practice. Not everybody likes working for the government, because things can be slow and bureaucratic, but you have the opportunity to deal with challenging, unusual cases and you can have a big impact. Also, I think it can be very interesting to experience very closely how politics impact our work and our policies.”

Any advice for students who want to pursue a career in the field of OES?

“The master programme was a good preparation for the work that I do, it gives you the basis that you then put in practice. And these skills can be used in different types of jobs. For me it was government, but if one decides to work for an NGO, the ‘translation’ of the law into practice will still be needed, but in a different way. The master provides you with the knowledge and then it is up to you to decide how to use it. And I still use my copy of UNCLOS on a daily basis!

Also, don’t hesitate to network! Don’t be afraid to speak to people, to ask them to share some advice. Most people are happy to talk about what they do.

Your career path doesn’t have to be a straight line. I studied law and business, and then I changed to international relations and politics, and then changed again for international law during the masters. When I started working, I first had a position in circular economy, and then ended up in marine environmental protection. Don’t be afraid to try out different things, this is what will help you understand what you really like.”