Small island states and the LOS convention 30 years on: have the benefits been realised?

Although the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC)

is of great importance to a majority of countries, coastal states, naval powers

and distant water fishing nations alike, there is a group of countries for whom

the sea is such an integral part of their existence that the LOSC, as the

“Constitution for the Oceans,” must be regarded as being of fundamental significance.

The populations of these countries, comprised of one or more relatively

small islands, find their way of life, indeed their very existence, dominated

by the sea. The UN Secretary-General noted in 2011 that small islands are, “by

their very nature, highly dependent on oceans and seas for the livelihoods of

their people, while also remaining extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise and the

adverse effects of climate change, pollution and other stresses on oceans and

marine resources.” The LOSC provides small island states with a degree of

stability and security, allowing them to deal on a more even footing with larger

and more prosperous nations and to more easily access the benefits of marine

resources.