F1ES 4310 - Ocean Governance and Marine Policy

The ocean covers 71% of the Earth's surface and hosts a large amount of its biodiversity. Due to technological progress, all parts of the ocean are gradually becoming accessible to humankind. Consequently, since the mid-20th century, States have constantly sought to push back the frontiers at sea and to exploit all the resources available. Access to marine resources is therefore subject to increasingly intense competition and marine biodiversity is threatened by this intensification of human activities.

From a scientific point of view, there is only one ocean. National interests cannot therefore be considered in isolation. That is why law of the sea and international marine policy have gradually developed, from the principle of the freedom of the seas in the 18th century to the adoption in 2015 of a Sustainable Development Goal for Oceans. These developments have led to the creation of various institutions, which today serve as a framework for international cooperation.

This seminar aims at providing students with a general understanding of key issues related to ocean governance and marine policy by:

• Providing a comprehensive overview of the legal and institutional frameworks dedicated to ocean governance;
• Exploring marine issues that the international community currently has to address;
• Highlighting conflicts between exploitation of marine resources and conservation of biodiversity.

Learning Outcomes

• Assess the effectivity of the ocean governance framework
• Identify the main leviers and tools for a better conservation and sustainable use of the ocean
• Discuss the positions and strategies of key stakeholders (e.g. States, NGOs, private sector)
• Engage in debates on further needs for the ocean governance

Professional Skills

• Understanding stakeholders
• Negotiation
• Team work
• Critical thinking

Pedagogical and feedback format

• Introductory (paper or issue) presentations: right after the presentation + synthesis sent by email
• Group presentations and oral participation: right after the presentation + synthesis sent by email
• Writing essay: corrected paper sent at the end of the semester.

• Introductory (paper or issue) presentations (2 students per class; 25 % of grade)
• Group presentations and oral participation (mi-semester; 25% of grade)
• Writing essay (end of semester; 50% of grade)

-In Class Presence: 2 hours a week / 24 hours a semester

-Reading and Preparation for Class: 24 hours a semester

-Research and Preparation for Group Work: 12 hours a semester

-Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 14 hours a semester