The Implementation of UNCLOS: Supporting Maritime Governance in the Indian Ocean (Part I)

Sri Lanka is a country positioned in the centre of the Indian Ocean with great ambitions to be the pioneer of good governance and international standards in its surrounding waters. To this end, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Ranil Wickremesinghe, has set an important agenda to advance further dialogue in the Indian Ocean region. The dialogue aims to foster regional cooperation and development through improved implementation of international and regional obligations in the law of the sea.

The Max Planck Foundation aims to support this initiative through a series of consultations with the Sri Lankan Task Force appointed to develop this important agenda. These consultations will draw on the long and renowned experience of the Foundation’s Managing Director, Professor Rüdiger Wolfrum – former Judge and President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The Foundation will also provide additional support through substantive research on the international legal framework of the law of the sea, as well as an in-depth study reviewing the domestic legislation of Indian Ocean rim States in Asia.

This project aims to provide expert advice to support Sri Lankan stakeholders responsible for supporting the Prime Minister’s initiative in compliance with the current international legal framework.