The Transfer of Marine Technology as Benefit-sharing

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) includes provisions on the transfer of marine technology (Part XIV) that seek to contribute to the realization of a just and equitable economic order, similarly to its provisions on marine scientific research (as discussed in a previous post). This economic order is envisaged to take into account the interests and needs of mankind as a whole, and of the special interests and needs of developing countries, in particular of coastal or land-locked countries. Against this background, this blog post will analyse UNCLOS rules on marine technology transfer as a form of benefit-sharing, discuss challenges to their implementation and identify opportunities for tackling them.