The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) entered into force in 1994. By now, it has been ratified by 168 parties, including all Member States of the EU and the EU itself. The convention defines the rights and duties of states with regard to the use and protection of the ocean. UNCLOS consolidates customary international law and various conventions previously adopted by the international community. As a framework agreement, this treaty, the most comprehensive one ever concluded, is often referred to as the constitution for the seas.

The commentary employs a systematic methodology, whereby each provision is examined and analysed element by element. The issue of the suitability of the convention to deal with the challenges facing the modern law of the sea, such as the exploration and exploitation of non-mineral resources or the protection of the marine environment in general, occupies a central focus of this work.