Report on NCLOS Conference: “The limits and possibilities of sovereignty, as both the organizing logic and the central legal principle underpinning Law of the Sea and Ocean Governance (LOSOG)”, Tromsø, 25 and 25 November 2021

Abstract

The law of the sea is facing fundamental challenges, including material challenges, epistemic challenges, and challenges relating to ocean justice and geopolitical dynamics. To address these challenges, NCLOS has been engaged with several projects, one of which focusses on problematizing the logic of sovereignty and investigating how sovereignty could be redefined, adapted, and rethought to respond to such systemic challenges.4 As such, sovereignty is one of the NCLOS’s common research themes for 2021-22. The Centre organized a two-day conference (Aurora Conference), from 25-26 November 2021, with the purpose of facilitating a discussion on the research done/in progress, and to identify issues and questions for further research. The conference consisted of three sessions. Session 1 focused on the theme: “Problematizing sovereignty (in a LOSOG context) – evolution and critique”. Session 2 dealt with the topic “Sovereignty challenged and under transformation”. Session 3 examined the theme of “Sovereignty across spaces”. All the sessions followed the same two-layered format: first the speakers presented their research relating to their respective session-specific themes, and second, the presentations were followed by questions and answers, as well as an inclusive round-table discussion.5 This report captures, as much as possible, the main points raised in the presentations and during the discussions. It also highlights some general concluding remarks reflecting the common threads connecting the three sessions and offers suggestions (provided by the participants) for the way forward.