Postgraduate Course: International Ocean Governance and the Protection of the Marine Environment (LAWS11424)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course explores the institutions, rules, principles and related policies that underpin the management of the world¿s oceans, with a particular emphasis on the protection of the marine environment. |
| Course description |
The course provides an introduction to the fundamental pillars of the modern law of the sea, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as well as the key institutions, processes and actors involved in international ocean governance. It aims to identify opportunities for developing effective and integrated policies for the sustainable development of the seas, as well the challenges and barriers associated therewith.
Provisional Seminar Outline:
1) The international law of the sea and international ocean governance: key concepts
2) The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: an evolving ¿constitution for the oceans¿
3) Understanding maritime zones: sovereignty, sovereign rights, jurisdiction, freedoms and duties
4) Coastal governance: designing participatory and coordinated decision-making processes
5) Regional approaches to ocean governance: the role of the regional seas programme
6) Regulating shipping: balancing coastal state and flag state interests
7) High seas fishing: from tragedy to triumph?
8) Deep seabed mining and the common heritage of mankind
9) Biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction: the challenge of coordinating sectoral processes
10) Dispute settlement and compliance: the role of courts, tribunals and compliance procedures in global ocean governance
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 25 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Formative Assessment:«br /»
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An online multiple choice test will assess the student¿s knowledge of the basic concepts and governance framework for maritime activities taught in seminars 1-3. «br /»
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Summative Assessment:«br /»
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The course will be assessed by two components:«br /»
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1) A 2000 word written assignment (30%)«br /»
2) A 3000 word written assignment (70%)«br /»
«br /»
The written assignment will allow students to explore in more depth the governance challenges relating to one particular issue dealt with in seminars 5-10. |
| Feedback |
Feedback on the formative assessment may be provided in various formats, for example, to include written, oral, video, face-to-face, whole class, or individual. The course organiser will decide which format is most appropriate in relation to the nature of the assessment.
Feedback on both formative and summative in-course assessed work will be provided in time to be of use in subsequent assessments within the course.
Feedback on the summative assessment will be provided in written form via Learn, the University of Edinburgh's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand the fundamental pillars of the international law of the sea, including the main maritime zones under the jurisdiction of coastal states and the principles which inform the regulation of areas beyond national jurisdiction;
- Understand the institutional and policy processes which underpin decision-making relating to the management of the oceans at global, regional and national levels;
- Understand the key treaties addressing marine environmental threats and the challenges for ensuring coordinated cross-sectoral management of the world¿s oceans.
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Reading List
In addition to general international law of the sea literature already used for the international law of the sea and international law of the marine environment courses, this course will draw upon the following specialist literature relating to oceans governance:
- Boyes, S.J. and Elliot, M. (2014). Marine legislation ¿ The ultimate ¿horrendogram¿: International law, European directives and national implementation. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 86(1) 39-47.
- Tanaka, Y. (2016). A dual approach to ocean governance: The cases of zonal and integrated management in international law of the sea (Ashgate international law series). London ; New York: Routledge.
- Juda, L. (1996). International law and ocean use management: The evolution of ocean governance (Ocean management and policy series). London: Routledge.
- Mensah, T. (1996). Ocean governance: Strategies and approaches for the 21st century. Honolulu: Law of the Sea Institute.
- Knol, M. (2011). Mapping ocean governance: From ecological values to policy instrumentation. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 54(7), 979-995.
- Attard, D., Ong, D., & Kritsiotis, D. (2018). The IMLI Treatise on Global Ocean Governance (First ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
- Chang, Y. (2012). Ocean governance a way forward (SpringerBriefs in geography). Dordrecht: Springer.
- Scheiber, H., & Paik, J. (2013). Regions, institutions, and law of the sea : Studies in ocean governance. Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff.
- Töpfer, K., Tubiana, L., Unger, S., & Rochette, J. (2014). Charting pragmatic courses for global ocean governance. Marine Policy, 49(C), 85-86. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
On completion of this course the student will be able to:
Skills and abilities in Research and Enquiry
- Find and contextualise key materials relating to international ocean governance;
- Critically evaluate the opportunities and challenges presented by the governance framework for the achievement of sustainable development of the oceans;
Skills and abilities in Personal and Intellectual Autonomy
- Work by themselves in order to complete assignments;
Skills and abilities in Communication
- Explain key concepts relating to international ocean governance;
- Participate in debates about the effectiveness and challenges of international ocean governance.
Skills and abilities in Personal Effectiveness
- Manage their time in order to complete assignments within set deadlines. |
| Keywords | International,Level 11,Marine,Environment,Postgraduate,Ocean,Conservation |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr James Harrison
Tel: (0131 6)50 2040
Email: james.harrison@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Chloe Culross
Tel: (0131 6)50 9588
Email: Chloe.Culross@ed.ac.uk |
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