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Analysis on the Legal Impacts of Sea-Level Rise for the Application of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

해수면 상승이 유엔해양법협약 적용에 미치는 영향 분석

  • Yong Hee Lee (Maritime Law Department, Korea Maritime and Ocean University)
  • 이용희 (한국해양대학교 해사법학부)
  • Received : 2023.02.03
  • Accepted : 2023.04.27
  • Published : 2023.04.30

Abstract

Sea level rise due to climate change is an increasing concern for the international community, and especially for coastal States. In case of regression of the coastal line or inundations of maritime features, including islands, the questions of whether coastal States are under an obligation to redraw their baseline and the outer limits of their maritime jurisdiction and of whether the existing maritime boundary treaties should be terminated are raised. This article reviews the arguments raised by the Small Island Developing States, International Law Association, and International Law Commission and suggests a solution within the current legal framework of the Law of the Sea through an interpretation of the existing provisions of the UNCLOS focusing on the legal issues relating to the Law of the Sea.

기후변화로 인하여 해수면 상승이 발생하고 있고, 그로 인한 악영향에 대해 연안국을 비롯한 국제사회의 우려가 커지고 있다. 해수면 상승으로 해안선이 후퇴하고 섬등 해양지형물이 수몰되는 경우 그러한 해안선을 기점으로 설정된 연안국 관할해역 외측한계의 변경 가능성, 기존 해양경계획정조약의 개정 필요성, 섬 또는 암석이 암석 또는 수중암초로 변경됨에 따른 법적 지위의 변화 등 많은 국제해양법적 쟁점을 발생시키고 있다. 이 논문에서는 해수면 상승이 국제해양법에 미치는 효과에 한정하여, 쟁점별로 소도서개발도상국, 세계국제법학회, 유엔 국제법위원회의 주장을 검토하고 유엔해양법협약의 해석론적 측면에서 해결방안을 제시하였다.

Keywords

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