Lords Committee to hear from former First Sea Lord and academic experts on maritime security and how climate change affects UNCLOS provisions
Friday 12 November 2021
On Wednesday 17 November the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee will continue its inquiry into whether the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is still fit for purpose. The Committee will take evidence from a former First Sea Lord and senior academic experts.
The session will start at 10am and will be available to watch live or on demand at Parliament TV.
Giving evidence will be:
10am
- Professor Clive Schofield, Head of Research, WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute, World Maritime University; and
- Dr Surabhi Ranganathan, Associate Professor and Co-Acting Director of the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law, University of Cambridge.
11am
- (Retired) Admiral Sir Philip Jones, First Sea Lord, Royal Navy (2016-2019).
Questions will include:
- What areas of the law of the sea are most affected by the impacts of climate change? Can UNCLOS and the current law effectively address these changes?
- How should the international law of the sea adapt to the climate change induced changes, such as rising ocean temperatures or sea level rise? What are the initiatives that the UK Government could or should take?
- How does the Royal Navy help ensure compliance with the international law of the sea (including navigational freedoms) and prevent threats to maritime security? Does the current law of the sea adequately address new and emerging threats?
- How does the UK co-operate with international partners and allies on maritime security challenges?
