PO102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Global Governance, Nautical Mile, Global Commons
Midterm starts from international law
RECAP
● Global governance - means reducing conflict and solving problems at the global level
● Instead of ‘a government’ taking the lea role, we have many actors contributing to
solutions
So far we’ve considered
● How we manage trade between countries
● How we control invasive aquatic species
● Cybercrime
● Maritime …?
Some of the biggest global problems relate to disputed territories → land whose sovereignty is
claimed by more than one nation / occupying power
At the other extreme, some territorial disputes involve land that seems entirely worthless
Why are countries fighting over a rock in the middle of nowhere?
● Less about the ‘territory’
● More about the ocean resources adjacent to it: oil and gas, fisheries, other minerals,
navigation rights
Territorial Conflict: South China Sea
● Spratly Islands
● Why are these islands so important?
○ Potential huge deposits of oil and gas
○ The area is geostrategic: major shipping route - $5 trillion in trade shipped/year
○ Economic value of fishing rights enormous
■ Fishing grounds supply livelihoods of people across region
What is at Issue?
1. Dispute over the maritime features. Are they islands, rocks, reefs? This is important.
2. Who owns them?
Why is it Complicated?
1. China is making a huge claim based on the so-called “nine-dash line” CHECK SLIDES
FOR END OF THIS
Why does China want this huge swath of waterway?
● To increase its security (control over access to its long coast)
● To overcome historical grievances
● To become a power on par with the US
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Global governance - means reducing conflict and solving problems at the global level. Instead of a government" taking the lea role, we have many actors contributing to solutions. Some of the biggest global problems relate to disputed territories land whose sovereignty is claimed by more than one nation / occupying power. At the other extreme, some territorial disputes involve land that seems entirely worthless. More about the ocean resources adjacent to it: oil and gas, fisheries, other minerals, navigation rights. Potential huge deposits of oil and gas. The area is geostrategic: major shipping route - trillion in trade shipped/year. Fishing grounds supply livelihoods of people across region. What is at issue: dispute over the maritime features. Why is it complicated: china is making a huge claim based on the so-called nine-dash line check slides. To increase its security (control over access to its long coast) To become a power on par with the us.
