The course addresses the following topics:

1. The functions of the law of the sea.
2. The sources of the law of the sea.
3. The three principles governing marine spaces under the law of the sea: freedom, sovereignty, and the common heritage of mankind.
4. The codification of the law of the sea.
5. The construction of marine spaces under the law of the sea: baselines and related issues.
6. The cartographic construction and the legal regime of marine spaces under territorial sovereignty (internal maritime waters; territorial sea; international straits; archipelagic waters) with examples taken from international practice.
7. The cartographic construction and the legal regime of marine spaces under sovereign rights (contiguous zone; exclusive economic zone; continental shelf) with examples taken from international practice.
8. The legal regime of marine spaces beyond national jurisdiction (the high seas; the Area): the freedoms of the high seas; the exclusive jurisdiction of the flag State in the high seas and its exceptions (right of visit and right of hot pursuit at sea); the role and mandate of the International Seabed Authority and the regulations for the exploration and exploitation of the minerals of the seabed and subsoil thereof beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.
9. The conservation of marine living resources: the species-specific approach; the ecosystem, approach; the precautionary approach; the flag State responsibility; the role and measures of the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations.
10. The legal regime of marine scientific research in the different marine spaces according to the law of the sea.