Study

This 1-credit course offers a brief introduction to the customary rules, cases and treaties that constitute the international law of the sea: the legal regime regulating activities of coastal, flag and port states across 70 percent of the earth’s surface.

During our short time together, we will seek to cover the breadth of this wide-ranging area of international law. Like the law of the sea, the course will emphasize the jurisdictional zones that have been created over centuries of practice, adjudication and codification, and which dictate and have been shaped by the balance of coastal state and flag state interests in ocean uses and resources.

Building on the basic structure of the law of the sea, we will touch briefly on important issues such as fisheries; deep seabed mining and oil and gas extraction; marine environmental protection; dispute settlement; baselines, limits and boundaries; submarine pipelines and cables; piracy, terrorism and military activities; and shipping, salvage and shipwrecks.

Readings will come from academic journals, popular press sources, treaty texts, case decisions and textbook excerpts. In order to participate in class discussion, assigned material must be read in advance of our meetings. Grades will be based on class participation (25%) and a take-home exam (75%).

While not required, a course in public international law is strongly encouraged as background for this course.

The Course will

• Provide an overview of development challenges in Low and Middle-Income Countries and the shared global responsibility under the UN Agenda 2030 to reconcile economic, social, and ecological objectives.
• Focus on the roles of and partnerships between actors of development finance, such as government agencies, multilateral development banks, foundations, NGOs, and the private sector, particularly social entrepreneurs and impact investors.
• Familiarize students with development finance instruments, such as budget aid, grants, loans, and blended finance mechanisms.
• Address critical views on aid effectiveness.
• Highlight policies in developed countries incoherent with the objectives of development assistance.

Requirements for one credit:

• Two 3-page essays: the first to be submitted on or before September 14, 2023 (15% of final grade); the second to be submitted on or before October 5, 2023 (15% of final grade)
• One 10-page paper to be submitted on or before December 1, 2023 (40% of final grade)
• Active participation in class discussions (30% of final grade)
• There will be no final exam

Requirements for a second credit (optional):

• Online presentation to professor of approx. 25 minutes
• Topic in the field of Development Finance proposed by student
• Time of presentation between November 6^th and 24^th, 2023 (date to be determined by student and professor)
• Written outline of presentation and bibliography to be submitted to professor no later than three days prior to presentation.
• Grading: CR/NC