Baselines

Introduction The 21st century, heralded for its unprecedented surge in technological advancements, is currently confronted with a malignant phenomenon termed ‘climate change’. Extreme weather, global warming, and the ensuing rise in sea levels are now very much a ubiquitous reality. Among its various negative impacts, one particularly distressing reality is the swallowing of territory of…

Part I of the series argues that the fixed baseline approach violates the good faith obligation under UNCLOS, as it contradicts the treaty’s ordinary meaning and intent by disregarding actual coastal geography. While equity and climate justice are invoked, such interpretations risk distorting UNCLOS’s foundational principles and legal coherence. Part II evaluates whether the fixed…