This book addresses the rights of indigenous peoples to marine space and associated marine resources under international law. Examining the rights of indigenous peoples relating to marine space and marine resources both in international human rights law and the law of the sea, the book provides an in-depth critical analysis of the existing legal framework, whilst identifying the gaps, and possible further mechanisms, for recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples to marine space. The book addresses three main issues: 1) the extent to which international law recognizes and protects the rights of indigenous peoples in relation to marine space and marine resources; 2) if and how the law of the sea and international human rights law pertaining to the rights of indigenous peoples to marine space and marine resources interact; 3) whether and to what extent the law of the sea regime limits the capacity of coastal States to recognize and implement the rights of indigenous peoples relating to marine space and resources. In response, and in a context where indigenous marine rights are under increasing threat, the book develops an important critical theoretical and methodological approach which moves beyond the current doctrinal focus of much existing work in this area. The book will appeal to academics, researchers, and practitioners in the areas of indigenous peoples and the law, international law, the law of the sea, and human rights.

The question of what rights might be afforded to Indigenous peoples has preoccupied the municipal legal systems of settler states since the earliest colonial encounters. As a result of sustained institutional initiatives, many national legal regimes and the international legal order accept that Indigenous peoples possess an extensive array of legal rights. However, despite this development, claims advanced by Indigenous peoples relating to rights to marine spaces have been largely opposed. This book offers the first sustained study of these rights and their reception within modern legal systems. Taking a three-part approach, it looks firstly at the international aspects of Indigenous entitlements in marine spaces. It then goes on to explore specific country examples, before looking at some interdisciplinary themes of crucial importance to the question of the recognition of the rights of Indigenous peoples in marine settings. Drawing on the expertise of leading scholars, this is a rigorous and long-overdue exploration of a significant gap in the literature.

The book explores the right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) – a highly controversial right. It is mainly discussed in the context of large-scale business projects on Indigenous territories but also with respect to the creation of protected areas and communities’ traditional resource rights. From a legal anthropological perspective, it attempts to disentangle the various coexisting understandings of FPIC and provide an explanation for the multiplicity of FPIC norms or – to put it in other words – its fragmentation. It examines the right- or stakeholders of FPIC, the scope of the consent requirement, the respect for self-determined decision-making, and the right to FPIC of women in different sociolegal fields. Moreover, it explores the impact of power relations, strategic alliances, and discourses within these fields and shows that the emerging FPIC norms are the result of norm negotiation processes. The fields that are examined include transnational law – more specifically, human rights, environmental, and development law -, the Liberian post-conflict forest and land legislation, and Liberian community forests as fields in which FPIC is operationalized. Liberia is quite unique in this respect. It is not only one of the few countries in Africa recognizing FPIC but has also begun implementing it. The book shows that based on the logic of a sociolegal field, legal identities are discursively created and determine the meaning of FPIC. Moreover, different actors can resort to different legalities shaping the emerging FPIC norm.

Shipping in Inuit Nunangat is a timely multidisciplinary volume offering novel insights into key maritime governance issues in Canadian Arctic waters that are Inuit homeland (Inuit Nunangat) in the contemporary context of climate change, growing accessibility of Arctic waters to shipping, the need to protect a highly sensitive environment, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The volume includes policy, legal and institutional findings and recommendations intended to inform scholars and policymakers on managing the interface between shipping, the marine environment, and Indigenous rights in Arctic waters.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea follows a comprehensive approach and can be interpreted dynamically to include the regulation of all potential human uses of the ocean, but the law of the sea cannot be viewed in isolation from other fields of international law. International law does not resemble a hierarchically structured legal system; its different parts interact when different rules address the same activity or situation. The academic discussion concerning the specialization and proliferation of international legal rules and dispute settlement bodies has theoretical as well as practical relevance for the law of the sea and its interaction with other parts of international law. The intensified use of the oceans for different purposes and the ongoing proliferation of international rules addressing different activities from different perspectives and with distinct foci require a more thorough evaluation of how the law of the sea relates to other fields of international law, how the normative context can be approached theoretically and if interdisciplinary interfaces can be adequately addressed. This book discusses the normative context of the law of the sea and the interactions of the law of the sea with other legal regimes. By connecting high-quality research with new ideas and perspectives, this book offers expertise from different fields and perspectives in which the interaction between the law of the sea and other fields of international law becomes particularly relevant.

This book offers multidisciplinary perspectives on the changing relationships between states, indigenous peoples and industries in the Arctic and beyond. It offers insights from Nordic countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Russia to present different systems of resource governance and practices of managing industry-indigenous peoples’ relations in the mining industry, renewable resource development and aquaculture. Chapters cover growing international interest on Arctic natural resources, globalization of extractive industries and increasing land use conflicts. It considers issues such as equity, use of knowledge, development of company practices, conflict-solving measures and the role of indigenous institutions. Focus on Indigenous peoples and Governance triangle Multidisciplinary: political science, legal studies, sociology, administrative studies, Indigenous studies Global approach: Nordic countries, Canada, Russia, Australia, New Zealand and Canada Thorough case studies, rich material and analysis The book will be of great interest to legal scholars, political scientists, experts in administrative sciences, authorities at different levels (local, regional and nations), experts in human rights and natural resources governance, experts in corporate social governance.

Several disturbing issues pose a threat to the marine environment and its wellbeing, among them marine environmental pollution and degradation of marine biodiversity. Most troubling is that these issues are overwhelmingly caused by human activities which are sometimes transboundary, and their consequences will become more severe and complicated if not properly curbed. Thus, these activities require comprehensive policies, laws, and principles to manage them effectively. Linked to these solutions is the need for responsibilities, cooperation and commitments at local, national, regional and international levels. Contemporary Marine Environmental Law and Policy presents a thorough appraisal of the main issues, actors and institutions engaged in the legal aspects of marine environmental conservation. With contributions from an international range of authors, the book provides a concise account of the legal and policy framework underlying international marine environmental issues, and of the fundamental concepts and strategies that are important to the protection of the marine environment. Some of the topics explored include: the prevention of marine pollution caused by land based activities, ships, and offshore hydrocarbon and mineral resources exploration; the conservation and management of marine living resources; the marine environment in the polar regions; and the settlement of marine environmental disputes. This book provides a solid foundation for anyone studying International Environmental Law and the Law of the Sea. It will also appeal to anyone seeking to gain a deeper understanding of this hugely important subject.

What does the future hold for oil and gas, what can we learn from the past and what role does law have to play in this? Using a unique temporal lens, this Research Handbook examines core themes in oil and gas regulation from historical, contemporary and forward-looking perspectives.

Governance of global water resources presents one of the most confounding challenges in contemporary natural resource governance. With considerable government, citizen and financial donor attention devoted to a range of international, transnational and domestic laws and policies aimed at protecting, managing and sustainably using fresh and coastal marine water resources, this book proposes that sustainable water outcomes require a ‘trans-jurisdictional’ approach to water governance. Focusing on the concept of trans-jurisdictional water governance the book diagnoses barriers and identifies pathways to coherent and coordinated institutional arrangements between and across different bodies of laws at local, national, regional and international levels. It includes case studies from the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the United States and Southeast Asia. Leading specialists offer insights into the pretence and the promise of trans-jurisdictional water governance and provide readers, including students, practitioners, policy-makers and academics, with a basis for better analysing, articulating and synthesising standards of good trans-jurisdictional water governance both in theory and in practice.