Ensuring access to the global commons in nor- mal circumstances has become relatively smooth, with near-universal cooperation on agreed international frameworks. For the sea and air commons, UN organi- sations are already mature and respected for handling issues of access.
Its focus is on the challenge of contested access and maneuver in the global commons from 2016 to 2025 and beyond. Furthermore, “access and maneuver” reflect the overall importance of operational access and freedom of action, while “global commons” delineates those areas of sea, air, space, and cyberspace that belong to no one state.
To elaborate on the impact and implications of the global commons law, I explain three of its functions: guardianship of future generations; creation of a comity for peace and peaceful settlement of disputes; and setting norms as the foundation for peaceful relations.
The state of affairs regarding international areas of our planet and their natural resources is popularly labelled ‘the tragedy of the global commons’, 1 because of the grave environmental threats facing these areas and the inchoate regimes governing them.