UNCLOS: Facilitating ocean governance and maritime security

ABSTRACT The world’s oceans are facing a multitude of security challenges across various domains that require dynamic and varied responses, specific to the threat. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides a comprehensive regulatory framework to for ocean governance, facilitating a cooperative approach to addressing regional bilateral and multilateral divergences affecting the maritime security dynamic in various parts of the globe. This is also supported by various other conventions aimed at protecting the oceans and ensuring their sustainability for the future. However, the effective implementation of these depends on the will and the inclination to do so. This article highlights some specific areas of concern and offers a perspective on how UNCLOS can be used effectively to address the wide spectrum of kinetic and non-kinetic challenges in the maritime domain through efficient and effective regional multilateral governance architectures.