2017 marks the 35th year since the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC) was finalised. Although the Convention enjoys almost universal acceptance by states, significant differences persist in its interpretation and implementation. Nowhere has its continued utility been more keenly tested than in the Asia Pacific region. In particular, the 2016 award in the South China Sea Arbitration (The Republic of Philippines v. The People’s Republic of China) continues to drive a considerable academic and political discourse.
