Abstract

In August 2021, Pacific Islands Forum Leaders issued the Declaration on Preserving Maritime Zones in the Face of Climate Change-Related Sea-Level Rise (PIF Declaration), declaring their intention that their maritime zones, and rights and entitlements flowing from those zones, would be maintained notwithstanding the effects of sea-level rise. This article offers a commentary on the PIF Declaration in the context of scholarly debate on sea-level rise implications for baselines and maritime zones, and in light of its historical lineage. The PIF Declaration’s significance lies in giving prominence to a package of state practice, comprising the establishment of maritime zones using fixed methods, their notification to the international community, and their maintenance over time. The article examines evidence of such practice among PIF members, and considers how such practice advances the PIF Declaration’s claim that the preservation of maritime zones may be achieved through the interpretation and application of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

摘要

2021年8月，太平洋岛国论坛领导人发表《面对气候变化相关海平面上升保护海域宣言》（PIF 宣言），宣布他们打算在海平面上升的影响下维持他们的海洋区域以及从这些区域流出的权利和权利。本文在关于海平面上升对基线和海域的影响的学术辩论的背景下，并根据其历史渊源，对 PIF 宣言进行评论。《太平洋岛国论坛宣言》的意义在于突出一揽子国家实践，包括以固定方式建立海域、向国际社会通报和长期维护。这篇文章检查了 PIF 成员中这种做法的证据，