CYIL vol. 9 (2018)

VOJTĚCH POSPÍŠIL

CYIL 9 ȍ2018Ȏ

DUE DILIGENCE UNDER THE LAW OF THE SEA Vojtěch Pospíšil

Abstract: This paper looks into the topic of a due diligence as an obligation under international law in context of the law of the sea. After a brief introduction to the concept of a due diligence obligation, follows an analysis of three decisions of international judicial bodies, which were dealing with this matter. The aim of this paper is to analyse the concept of due diligence obligation under the law of the sea, identify its main structure and compare approaches of individual judicial bodies in three above-mentioned decisions. Resumé: Tento článek pojednává o problematice due diligence jako závazku podle mezi- národního práva v kontextu mořského práva. Po stručném úvodu konceptu závazku due diligence následuje analýza tří rozhodnutí mezinárodních judiciálních orgánů, které se tímto problémem zabývaly. Článek má za cíl analyzovat koncept závazku due diligence podle me- zinárodního práva, identifikovat jeho základní strukturu a porovnat přístupy jednotlivých judiciálních orgánů ve třech zmíněných rozhodnutí. Key Words: Law of the Sea, Due Diligence, Seabed, The Area. On the Author: Mgr. Vojtěch Pospíšil is an external PhD candidate at the Faculty of Law, Charles University in Prague. His main research focus lays within the law of the sea. He currently works in aviation field. Introduction After centuries of the development of the law of the sea, the current legal framework has been established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea from 1982 1 (hereinafter “Convention”). The Convention has few provisions concerning the obligations of States, mostly in relation to protection of marine environment. States have all sorts of obligations under international law of the sea, however, as the title implies, the relevant obligations for this paper are obligations to act diligently, commonly known as a due diligence. 2 Brief introduction to the concept of due diligence obligation There are numbers of papers and books on the issue of the due diligence notion. While different authors may have different take on the whole concept, one thing is common for all of them – there is no general definition on the meaning of due diligence. Historically, one of the very first definitions was provided by the United States of America in the Alabama claims case. 3 The US explained the notion of due diligence as: “ …a diligence proportioned to the magnitude of the subject and to the dignity and strength of the power which is to exercise it; a diligence which shall, by the use of active vigilance, and of all the other means in the power of the neutral, through all stages of the transaction, prevent its soil from being violated; a diligence that shall in like manner deter designing men from committing acts of war upon the soil of the

1 UN General Assembly, Convention of the Law of the Sea , 10 December 1982, 1833 U.N.T.S. 2 It is important to note, that the due diligence is obligation itself, not only a subjective element of responsibility. 3 Alabama claims (United States v. Great Britain), 1872, XXIX RIAA 125-134.

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