The Shift in Power Distribution and its Influence on the Law of the Sea

Authors

Youngmin Seo

Publication Date

2023

First Page

1

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Power and its distribution have always been the central themes of international law, yet international lawyers have paid limited attention to the correlation between power shifts and legal change. Notably, international law effectively operates when balance of power is sustained. With this qualification, this paper examines the relationship of international law with the change in power distribution, arguing that international law should proactively attend to power in order to contribute to the peaceful reconfiguration of the international system. Furthermore, this paper explores the mechanism of power shift being transmitted to law shift and specifically adduces the process and effectiveness of hegemonic international law change centered on UNCLOS.

Repository Citation

Youngmin Seo, The Shift in Power Distribution and its Influence on the Law of the Sea, 45 U. Pa. J. Int’l L. 1 (2023).
Available at: https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/jil/vol45/iss1/2