The International Legal Status of the Black Sea

Abstract

The legal position of the Black Sea in international law is regulated by international customary law and multilateral treaties on law of the sea. The most important of them all is the United Nations Con­vention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) concluded in Montego Bay in 1982. However, some other conventions, like 1958 Geneva Conventions and 1936 Montreux Convention also apply. The latter primarily concerns passage through the Black Sea straits — the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles — but it also grants Turkey influence over access to the waters of the Black Sea. Under the provisions of the UNCLOS, the Black Sea is classified as a semi–enclosed sea, a status which imposes obligations on coastal states to cooperate, inter alia, in the management of living resources and the protection of the environment. Coastal states may also enjoy the rights accorded to geographically disadvantaged states. The authors analyse legal provisions defining the status of the area in question, highlighting Turkey’s special rights as a state exercising influence over access to the Black Sea, disputes concerning the delimitation of maritime zones, and the need for international cooperation to address the region’s challenges.