UNCLOS' Role and Limitations in Resolving Marine Territorial Disputes: Integrating Islamic Jurisprudence for Enhanced Effectiveness

Saleh Hussain Ali; Sami Hammadi Resen; Anas Akram Mohammed Subhi; Mahmood Jawad Abu- AlShaeer; Ivan Chornomordenko

doi:10.29240/jhi.v9i2.11323

Authors

Saleh Hussain Ali Alnoor University, Iraq
Sami Hammadi Resen Al-Mansour University College, Iraq
Anas Akram Mohammed Subhi Al-Turath University, Iraq
Mahmood Jawad Abu- AlShaeer Al-Rafidain University College, Iraq
Ivan Chornomordenko Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, Ukraine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29240/jhi.v9i2.11323

Keywords:

Marine territories, UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), international conflicts, geopolitics, international law.

Abstract

The article critically examines the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and its limitations in addressing marine territorial disputes, especially in regions where Islamic jurisprudence holds influence. Given the strategic and resource value of marine territories, international conflicts frequently arise over these areas. While UNCLOS aims to regulate and resolve such disputes, its effectiveness is hindered by geopolitical power dynamics and enforcement challenges. This research utilizes a mixed-methods approach, involving an extensive review of historical conflicts governed by UNCLOS, along with qualitative interviews with diplomats, international law experts, and Islamic legal scholars. Findings reveal that while UNCLOS establishes a formal legal framework for marine claims, its application often falls short in regions where political interests supersede legal protocols. Integrating principles of Islamic jurisprudence, particularly justice, equity, and mutual respect, can offer alternative pathways to enhance UNCLOS's efficacy in dispute resolution. The article concludes that incorporating Islamic legal principles could address UNCLOS’s shortcomings, fostering a more harmonious and cooperative maritime environment in geopolitically sensitive areas.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Adewumi, Ibukun J., Juan Luis Suárez de Vivero, and Alejandro Iglesias-Campos. "The Salient Dynamics of Cross-Border Ocean Governance in a Regional Setting: An Evaluation of Ocean Governance Systems and Institutional Frameworks in the Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem." [In English]. Original Research. Frontiers in Marine Science 8 (2022-January-04 2022). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.674804.

Árnadóttir, Snjólaug. "Provisional Boundaries and Alternative Solutions to Maritime Delimitation." Leiden Journal of International Law 35, no. 2 (2022): 397-406. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0922156521000662.

Benneh Mensah, George. "Maritime Law: International Treaties, Unclos Principles, and Ghanaian-Ivorian Petroleum Dispute." International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research (2023). https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.30449.25441.

Caron, James, and Salman Khan. "Writing War, and the Politics of Poetic Conversation." Critical Asian Studies 54, no. 2 (2022/04/03 2022): 149-70. https://doi.org/10.1080/14672715.2022.2030776.

Chang, Yen-Chiang, Chao Zhang, and Nannan Wang. "The International Legal Status of the Unmanned Maritime Vehicles." Marine Policy 113 (2020/03/01/ 2020): 103830. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2020.103830.

Coulson, Noel J. "A History of Islamic Law." JSTOR: Edinburgh University Press (2019): 272. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctvxcrvtm.2.

Emon, Anver M. "Hassan S. Khalilieh, Islamic Maritime Law: An Introduction, Studies in Islamic Law and Society (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1998). Pp. 223. $72.50 Cloth." International Journal of Middle East Studies 12, no. 2 (2001): 285. https://doi.org/10.2307/605060.

Gallea, Quentin, and Dominic Rohner. "Globalization Mitigates the Risk of Conflict Caused by Strategic Territory." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118, no. 39 (2021/09/28 2021): e2105624118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2105624118.

Giacomarra, Marcella, Maria Crescimanno, Demetris Vrontis, Lluís Miret Pastor, and Antonino Galati. "The Ability of Fish Ecolabels to Promote a Change in the Sustainability Awareness." Marine Policy 123 (2021/01/01/ 2021): 104292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2020.104292.

Giovannini, Arianna, and Davide Vampa. "Towards a New Era of Regionalism in Italy? A Comparative Perspective on Autonomy Referendums." Territory, Politics, Governance 8, no. 4 (2020/08/07 2020): 579-97. https://doi.org/10.1080/21622671.2019.1582902.

Gkargkavouzi, Anastasia, Stefanos Paraskevopoulos, and Steriani Matsiori. "Public Perceptions of the Marine Environment and Behavioral Intentions to Preserve It: The Case of Three Coastal Cities in Greece." Marine Policy 111 (2020/01/01/ 2020): 103727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2019.103727.

Gómez, Sílvia, Arnau Carreño, and Josep Lloret. "Cultural Heritage and Environmental Ethical Values in Governance Models: Conflicts between Recreational Fisheries and Other Maritime Activities in Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas." Marine Policy 129 (2021/07/01/ 2021): 104529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2021.104529.