THE SPRATHY-ISLANDS DISPUTE AND THE LAW OF THE SEA

The Spratly Islands lie in the South China Sea, adjacent to strategica lly important sea lines of communication in an area possibly rich in h ydrocarbon deposits. Six proximate states have made overlapping claims to territorial sovereignty over all or part of the islands, the bases for which are complex with little commonality. The prospect of the la w of the sea providing the key to resolution of the dispute is limited , even though each of the protagonists variously refers to the 1982 Un ited Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to support its claims.