NCLOS Annual Conference 2024

On 7 November 2024, senior research associate Solène Guggisberg presented a paper entitled ‘The protection of marine biodiversity in ABNJ: the role of non-user States’ at the annual conference of the Norwegian Center for the Law of the Sea at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. The theme of this year’s gathering was ‘Future Trajectories for the Law of the Sea. For the full program of the conference, please visit the UiT Norges arktiske Universiteit page.

Solène presented her paper in the session dedicated to ‘Ocean and Environment’, discussing the role of non-user States in regimes regulating global goods and commons, here in particular high seas fish and whales as well as minerals in the Area. She demonstrated that these regimes vary greatly as to whether non-user States are allowed to join decision-making bodies.

In turn, even when given the option, non-user States have not joined all global goods and commons regimes equally. Finally, the consequences, in terms of sustainability, of regimes’ openness and growth are very nuanced. Solène concluded by highlighting that a different set of criteria to determine which States can qualify as ‘non-user States’ might lead to a better correlation with those States promoting a sustainability agenda – and that this research is currently keeping her occupied.