气候变化背景下海平面上升对基线的法律影响

Legal Effects of Sea-level Rise on Baselines in the Context of Climate Change

《联合国海洋法公约》没有明确规定气候变化背景下海平面上升对基线的法律影响。但《联合国海洋法公约》关于基线的规定用语较为抽象和模糊,并且存在若干例外情况。因此,短期内可以通过适度宽泛地解释相关条款的方式固定基线。长期而言,对该问题需关注国家实践的发展,探讨是否形成解释和适用《联合国海洋法公约》条款的嗣后协议或嗣后惯例,或者产生应对气候变化的新的基线制度。目前实践的整体趋势向固定基线和保护海岸线的方向发展,但表明该立场的国家主要集中于小岛屿国家、大洋洲和东南亚国家,其他国家和地区的实践较为有限。因此,在嗣后协定和习惯国际法识别方面还需相对谨慎。在规则的发展过程中,还可以从国家责任的角度探寻解决方法,与研究问题最为相关的是不可抗力和危难两种不法性排除的情形,但其适用需要满足较为严格的条件。

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea does not explicitly address the legal effects of sea-level rise on baselines in the context of climate change.Nevertheless,the terms employed in the provisions of the Convention regarding baselines are relatively abstract and vague,and several exceptions are recognized.Hence,within a limited timeframe,the baseline could be fixed through a broad interpretation of the pertinent provisions.In the long term,the issue requires a focus on the development of state practice,to explore any subsequent agreements or subsequent practice regarding the interpretation and application of the Convention or the emergence of new baseline regimes in response to climate change.The overall trend of current practice is in favor of fixing baselines and protecting coastlines,and the entities adopting this position are primarily small island states,Oceania and Southeast Asia states,whereas the practice in other regions is limited.Thus,a cautious approach to identifying subsequent agreement and customary international law is required.As the rules evolve,potential solutions could also be explored from the perspective of state responsibility.Concerning sea-level rise caused by climate change,force majeure and necessity are the two feasible circumstances precluding wrongfulness,but the conditions for their application are relatively stringent.