International Legal Framework for the Protection of the Marine Environment & Keynote Speech on Barcelona Convention and Its Protocols

This course offers an in-depth look at the international legal instruments and cooperative mechanisms developed to safeguard the marine environment. Learners will examine the legal foundations that underpin global and regional marine conservation efforts, exploring both binding and non-binding frameworks.

Key focus areas include:

– Core international agreements such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), along with recent developments like the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) treaty;

– Regional legal frameworks including the Barcelona Convention and related protocols;

– European Union initiatives and directives, such as the EU Green Deal and the Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Directive;

– Key conventions adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), addressing issues like ship-source pollution and marine safety;

– Global climate change agreements and their relevance to marine environmental protection.

Through this module, participants will gain a structured understanding of how international law responds to the growing threats faced by marine ecosystems and how multilateral cooperation is advancing marine environmental governance.

This session consists of two parts: The first part will provide a general overview of the International Legal Framework for the Protection of the Marine Environment, while the second part will focus specifically on Barcelona Convention and Its Protocols.