Submarine Cables and Armed Attacks - Evaluating the Right to Self-Defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter
(2024) LAGF03 20242Department of Law
Faculty of Law
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Undervattenskablar och deras status inom folkrätten är mer aktuellt än någon- sin. Under de senaste åren har kabelbrott i Östersjön skapat rubriker runt om i världen och aktualiserat såväl deras skydd inom folkrätten som tänkbara åt- gärder som respons på kabelbrott. En tänkbar åtgärd mot kabelbrott finns i ar- tikel 51 i FN-stadgan, som ger stater rätt att agera i självförsvar om de utsätts för ett väpnat angrepp. Väpnat angrepp definieras dock inte i FN-stadgan vilket kräver att vi ser till andra källor för att tolka dess innebörd. Denna upp- sats tolkar begreppet utifrån internationella domstolens uttalanden i diverse internationella rättsfall. En analys av undervattenskablars skydd inom folk- rätten i relation till begreppet väpnat... (More)
- Undervattenskablar och deras status inom folkrätten är mer aktuellt än någon- sin. Under de senaste åren har kabelbrott i Östersjön skapat rubriker runt om i världen och aktualiserat såväl deras skydd inom folkrätten som tänkbara åt- gärder som respons på kabelbrott. En tänkbar åtgärd mot kabelbrott finns i ar- tikel 51 i FN-stadgan, som ger stater rätt att agera i självförsvar om de utsätts för ett väpnat angrepp. Väpnat angrepp definieras dock inte i FN-stadgan vilket kräver att vi ser till andra källor för att tolka dess innebörd. Denna upp- sats tolkar begreppet utifrån internationella domstolens uttalanden i diverse internationella rättsfall. En analys av undervattenskablars skydd inom folk- rätten i relation till begreppet väpnat angrepp är därför högst relevant.
Denna uppsats använder sig av den rättsdogmatiska metoden och syftar till att analysera undervattenskablars skydd inom folkrätten och att undersöka om ett angrepp mot en undervattenskabel kan ge stater rätt till självförsvar enligt artikel 51 i FN-stadgan. UNCLOS används för att identifiera skyddet för un- dervattenskablar inom folkrätten och internationella domstolens rättspraxis undersöks för att förstå definitionen av ett väpnat angrepp. De frågor som besvaras är följande: Hur skyddas undervattenskablar mot avsiktliga attacker inom folkrätten? Vad är ett väpnat angrepp enligt artikel 51 i FN stadgan och internationell rättspraxis? Kan ett angrepp på en undervattenskabel betraktas som ett väpnat angrepp enligt artikel 51 i FN-stadgan och internationell rätts- praxis?
Uppsatsen visar att undervattenskablars skydd mot angrepp varierar beroende på maritima zoner och jurisdiktion. Skyddet mot avsiktliga attacker inom territorialhavet i förhållandevis starkt. Bortom territorialhavet är däremot detta skydd beroende av en bedömning av allvarlighetsrekvisitet. Analysen visar att ett angrepp på en undervattenskabel kan anses utgöra ett väpnat an- grepp om det uppfyller hänförbarhets- och allvarlighetsrekvisitet och därmed ge stater rätt till självförsvar enligt artikel 51 i FN-stadgan och internationell rättspraxis. (Less) - Abstract
- The status of submarine cables in international law is more relevant than ever. In the last couple of years, ruptures in the Baltic Sea have made headlines around the world, sparking discussions regarding their protection under inter- national law as the legal possibilities of responses to such ruptures. One pos- sible response is through Article 51 of the UN Charter, which gives States the right to act in self-defence if they are the victim of an armed attack. However, the UN Charter does not define armed attack, which calls for interpreting the term through a study of the article’s application in international case law. An analysis regarding the protection of submarine cables under international law and armed attacks is therefore of... (More)
- The status of submarine cables in international law is more relevant than ever. In the last couple of years, ruptures in the Baltic Sea have made headlines around the world, sparking discussions regarding their protection under inter- national law as the legal possibilities of responses to such ruptures. One pos- sible response is through Article 51 of the UN Charter, which gives States the right to act in self-defence if they are the victim of an armed attack. However, the UN Charter does not define armed attack, which calls for interpreting the term through a study of the article’s application in international case law. An analysis regarding the protection of submarine cables under international law and armed attacks is therefore of great interest.
This essay is based on the legal dogmatic method and aims to analyze the protection of submarine cables within international law and to investigate if an attack on a submarine cable can give States the right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter. UNCLOS is used to identify the protection of submarine cables under international law, and ICJ jurisprudence is examined to understand the term armed attack. The questions answered are: How are submarine cables protected against deliberate attacks in international law? What is an armed attack according to Article 51 of the UN Charter and inter- national case law? Can an attack on a submarine cable be considered an armed attack under Article 51 of the UN Charter and international case law?
This essay demonstrates that the protection of submarine cables depends on maritime zones and jurisdiction. The protection against deliberate attacks within the territorial sea is relatively strong. However, the protection against deliberate attacks beyond the territorial depends on the attack's gravity. This investigation establishes that an attack on a submarine cable can be deemed an armed attack if it fulfils the elements of attribution and gravity and thereby gives States the right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter and international case law. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9180266
- author
- Lonér, Teo LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- LAGF03 20242
- year
- 2024
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Submarine cables, Armed attack, Article 51 of the UN Charter, Self-Defence, Public international law
- language
- English
- id
- 9180266
- date added to LUP
- 2025-03-20 14:13:39
- date last changed
- 2025-03-20 14:13:39
@misc{9180266,
abstract = {{The status of submarine cables in international law is more relevant than ever. In the last couple of years, ruptures in the Baltic Sea have made headlines around the world, sparking discussions regarding their protection under inter- national law as the legal possibilities of responses to such ruptures. One pos- sible response is through Article 51 of the UN Charter, which gives States the right to act in self-defence if they are the victim of an armed attack. However, the UN Charter does not define armed attack, which calls for interpreting the term through a study of the article’s application in international case law. An analysis regarding the protection of submarine cables under international law and armed attacks is therefore of great interest.
This essay is based on the legal dogmatic method and aims to analyze the protection of submarine cables within international law and to investigate if an attack on a submarine cable can give States the right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter. UNCLOS is used to identify the protection of submarine cables under international law, and ICJ jurisprudence is examined to understand the term armed attack. The questions answered are: How are submarine cables protected against deliberate attacks in international law? What is an armed attack according to Article 51 of the UN Charter and inter- national case law? Can an attack on a submarine cable be considered an armed attack under Article 51 of the UN Charter and international case law?
This essay demonstrates that the protection of submarine cables depends on maritime zones and jurisdiction. The protection against deliberate attacks within the territorial sea is relatively strong. However, the protection against deliberate attacks beyond the territorial depends on the attack's gravity. This investigation establishes that an attack on a submarine cable can be deemed an armed attack if it fulfils the elements of attribution and gravity and thereby gives States the right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter and international case law.}},
author = {{Lonér, Teo}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Submarine Cables and Armed Attacks - Evaluating the Right to Self-Defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter}},
year = {{2024}},
}