情勢變遷原則視閾下海平面上升對海洋邊界條約的法律影響及應對

The Legal Effects of Sea-Level Rise on Maritime Boundary Treaties and Responses under the Principle of Rebus Sic Stantibus

限於《聯合國海洋法公約》的談判和制定是在海平面上升引起諸多國際法挑戰之前，它所能提供的法律工具有限，但是海平面上升這一科學證明的事實將不可避免影響其解釋和適用。由於海平面上升可能引起近海地物、基線和相關海區法律地位變更，通過協議和裁決確立海洋邊界時已經或將來使用的相關點和島嶼的變化將對海洋劃界產生法律影響。目前最優解仍是在現行法律框架內處理這一問題。《維也納條約法公約》為國際社會如何妥善處理海平面上升對海洋邊界條約產生的法律影響提供了法律指引。現有判例顯示，情勢變遷原則不能用於突破現有海洋劃界條約和裁判，海洋邊界具有穩定性。“特別受影響國家”在內的各國也趨於承認海洋邊界條約的確定性和可預測性。在這方面的國際習慣形成之前，“實際佔領地保有權理論”也可用於維持海洋邊界的穩定性。

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which was negotiated and enacted prior to the many challenges to international law posed by sea-level rise, provides limited legal tools, but scientifically proven fact of sea-level rise will inevitably affect its interpretation and application. As sea-level rise may cause changes in the legal status of offshore features, baselines and associated maritime zones, changes in associated points and islands that have been or may be used in the future in the establishment of maritime boundaries through agreements and judgements will have legal implications for maritime delimitation. The optimal solution for now remains to deal with this issue within the existing legal framework. The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties provides legal guidance to the international community on how to appropriately address the legal implications of sea-level rise for maritime boundary treaties. Existing jurisprudence shows that the rebus sic stantibus principle cannot be used to override existing maritime delimitation treaties or judgments and adjudications, and that maritime boundaries are stable. States, including ''specially-affected States'', have also tended to recognize the certainty and predictability of maritime boundary treaties. The ''doctrine of uti possidetis'' could also be used to maintain the stability of maritime boundaries prior to the formation of relevant customary international law rules.