The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982: Reflections after 40 Years

Maritime Heritage and the Belt and Road Initiative: A Historiographical Perspective on Malaysia's Journey as a Maritime Nation

“…This awareness of the importance of seas and oceans prompted UNESCO under the United Nations (UN) to enact the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1994 and establish a commission known as the World Freedom of the Seas Commission in Tokyo in 1995. 91 In quoting the opening words of Mario Soares (Portugal) as chairman of this commission in the World Freedom of the Seas Commission Report themed "Our Oceans of The Future," he stated that "the sea is an invaluable, irreplaceable, and unchangeable property... the sea is a place with its special ability to unite the relationship between countries, form a spirit of unity, understanding, and solidarity. In the West, efforts to explore and traverse the oceans in an orderly manner were made by Prince Henry (Portugal) in 1418 by introducing the study of navigation and sending Portuguese ships throughout the world's oceans.…”

Α proactive and diligent approach to Institutional Developments for sustainable vessel operation

“…Consecutively, the prices in the charter market were doubled in some cases, e.g., a tanker DH/DB with a capacity of 250,000 DWT had 60% higher charter prices than a conventional tanker used on trade routes 484 . Also, a tanker D/H 240,000 DWT cost nearly 150 million Euros for its construction; therefore, its charter price was around USD 95,000 485 .…”

“…Initially, in the case of Muscat Dhows (1905) 1308 , where France allowed the subjects of the Sultan of Muscat to raise the French flag 1309 , the Arbitral Tribunal ruled it is an inalienable right of each state to whom it grants the right to raise its flag and determine the rules governing this relationship 1310 . This approach seems to be followed by the United Nations Geneva Convention (1958) 1311 , where the State must effectively exercise its control and jurisdiction in matters of an administrative, technical and social nature over ships bearing its flag (Article 5), but without explaining the term 'genuine link'. Finally, it should be noted that a ship that has raised two or more flags is considered, according to International Law, to have no nationality, with the already stated exception of a bareboat charter (Articles 6, 92, respectively) 1312 .…”