News Archive
Publishing Article on Gaza Sea Governance by Elsevier with IF 4.315 and Scopus CS 6.8
Mutaz M. Qafisheh, Professor of International Law at the College of Law and Political Science of Hebron University, published a paper titled ‘From Constantinople to Oslo to Gaza: Developments of Palestine’s Maritime Legislation under Colonization’ in Marine Policy: The International Journal of Ocean Affairs (Scopus CiteScore 6.8, impact factor 4.315), Elsevier, UK, Vol. 160. The article ran online in December 2023 and the print version is forthcoming in February 2024. The article has been written in Berlin during a fellowship in which the author has took part in within the context of Berlin-Potsdam Research Group: ‘The International Rule of Law—Rise or Decline?’, a joint research program among Free University of Berlin, University of Potsdam, Humboldt University and University of Oxford.
The paper argues that due to its colonial heritage over more than a century, Palestine has been unable to regulate its maritime affairs. The 2015 accession of Palestine to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) offers an opportunity to craft comprehensive legislation that may give rise to the domestication of international law of the sea. Such harmonization is called for annually by the UN General Assembly. Some UNCLOS-based laws might accord Palestine the means of claiming particular maritime rights towards other State parties or even non-parties to UNCLOS, relevant international organizations, law of the sea tribunals, or even companies operating ships, submarines, oil rigs and aircrafts. While the reform process is separate from the State’s ability to enforce these stipulations, domestication of maritime laws would enhance State’s image on the global stage, increasing its credibility and contributing to its independence.
Full text of the paper is available here for free download until February 4, 2024:
