ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the role of international law in maritime security, with a focus on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). UNCLOS and other treaties and arrangements provide the parameters within which states can respond to threats from non-state actors as well as set the ground rules for inter-state cooperation. An approach to maritime security based on international law acknowledges the importance of establishing order at sea based on a cooperative rule of law that is appropriate for the issues at hand and provides for peaceful settlement of disputes. Limitations inherent in an approach based on international law are identified.
