The overarching vision of the 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy is to foster increased wealth creation from Africa’s oceans and seas by developing a sustainable thriving blue economy in a secure and environmentally sustainable manner. The Law of the Sea: The African Union and its Member States provides a first and firm foundation for an assessment and the further development of the legal aspects of ocean governance on the continent. It is an indispensable reference for all the role players in the African Maritime Domain, including agencies and governments, business, civil society, lawyers scientists and students.

The structure of the book is as follows:

• The AU and the law of the sea
• The Atlantic coast
• The Indian Ocean coast
• The Mediterranean coast
• Close to 20 national chapters
• Landlocked states

• Introduction
  • The development of the law of the sea
  • Scholarship on Africa and the law of the sea
  • Goal and content of the book
• Overview of the international law of the sea
  • Introduction
  • Islands and low-tide elevations
  • Baselines
  • Maritime zones
  • Maritime activities
  • Protection of the marine environment
  • Settlement of disputes
• African Union
  • Introduction
  • The organisation of African Unity and the African Union
  • Africa and the traditional law of the sea
  • The OAU confronts the law of the sea
  • The OAU and Unclos III
  • The OAU after Unclos III the AU leadership in harnessing the seas
  • Conclusion
• Eastern Seaboard
  • Introduction
  • African Indian Ocean regionalism
  • Navigation
  • Exploitation of marine resources
  • Protection of the marine environment and integrated coastal management
  • Maritime security
  • Conclusion
• Northern Seaboard
  • Introduction
  • Semi-enclosed sea 
  • Maritime zones
  • Cooperation between states 
  • Conclusion
• Western Seaboard
  • Introduction
  • Regional organisations and mechanisms
  • Navigation
  • Exploitation of marine living resources
  • Exploitation of non-living marine resources
  • Protection of the marine environment and integrated coastal management
  • Conclusion
• Algérie (French*)
  • Introduction
  • Participation aux organisations et instruments globaux
  • Participation aux organisations et instruments régionaux
  • Instruments bilatéraux et trilatéraux
  • Îles, lignes de base et zones maritimes
  • Les frontières maritimes
  • Activités maritimes
  • Conclusion
• Angola (Portugese*)
  • Introdução
  • Participação em organizações internacionais e tratados de âmbito universal
  • Participação em organizações internacionais e tratados de ambito regional ou bilateral
  • Linhas de base e zonas marítimas 
  • Fronteiras marítimas
  • Regulamentação das actividades prosseguidas no espaço marítimo
  • Conclusão
• Bénin (French*)
  • Introduction 
  • Participation aux instruments et organisations à vocation universelle
  • Participation aux organisations et instruments régionaux
  • Instruments juridiques bilatéraux et trilatéraux 
  • Lignes de base et zones maritimes
  • Frontières maritimes
  • Utilisations de l’espace maritime
  • Conclusion
• Cabo Verde
  • Introduction 
  • Participation in global instruments and organisations 
  • Participation in regional instruments and organisations
  • Bilateral and trilateral instruments 
  • Islands, baselines and maritime zones
  • Maritime boundaries
  • Maritime uses
  • Ports
  • Conclusion
• République du Congo (French*)
  • Introduction 
  • Participation aux organisations et instruments globaux
  • Participation aux organisations et instruments régionaux
  • Instruments bilatéraux et trilatéraux
  • Îles, lignes de base et zones maritimes
  • Frontières maritimes
  • Activités maritimes
  • Conclusion
• Côte d’Ivoire (French*)
  • Introduction 
  • Participation aux organisations et instruments à vocation universelle 
  • Participation aux organisations et instruments régionaux
  • Les frontières maritimes
  • Les ports 
  • La protection de l’environnement marin et cotier
  • La surete maritimé 
  • Conclusion
• The Gambia
  • Introduction 
  • Participation in global instruments and organisations 
  • Participation in regional instruments and organisations
  • Bilateral and trilateral instruments
  • Island, baselines and maritime zones
  • Maritime boundaries
  • Maritime uses
  • Conclusion
• Ghana
  • Introduction 
  • Participation in global instruments and organisations 
  • Participation in regional instruments and organisations 
  • Maritime space legislation and delimitation of boundaries
  • Maritime administration 
  • Marine living resources
  • Non-living resources
  • Marine environmental protection
  • Maritime safety and security
  • Conclusion
• Guiné-Bissau (Portugese*)
  • Introducao
  • Participacao em organizacoes internacionais e tratados de ambito universal 
  • Participacao em organizacoes internacionais e tratados de ambito regional
  • Acordos bilaterais
  • Ilhas, linhas de base e zonas maritimas
  • Fronteiras maritimas
  • Regulamentacao das actividades prosseguidas no espaco maritimo
  • Conclusão
• Kenya
  • Introduction
  • Participation in global instruments and organisations 
  • Participation in regional instruments and organisations 
  • Islands, baselines and maritime zones
  • Maritime boundaries
  • Conclusion
• Liberia
  • Introduction
  • Participation in global instruments and organisations
  • Participation in regional instruments and organisations
  • Bilateral and trilateral instruments
  • Islands, baselines and maritime zones
  • Maritime boundaries
  • Maritime uses 
  • Conclusion
• Mauritanie (French*)
  • Introduction
  • Participations aux instruments juridiques et organisations internationales
  • Participation aux organisations et instruments régionaux
  • Instruments bilatéraux et multilatéraux
  • Îles, lignes de base et zones maritimes
  • Frontierès maritimes
  • Usages maritimes
  • Conclusion
• Nigeria
  • Introduction 
  • Participation in global instruments and organisations
  • Participation in regional instruments and organisations
  • Bilateral instruments
  • Islands, baselines and maritime zones
  • Maritime boundaries
  • Maritime uses
  • Conclusion
• São Tomé and Príncipe
  • Introduction 
  • Participation in global instruments and organisations 
  • Participation in regional instruments and organisations
  • Bilateral instruments
  • Islands, baselines and maritime zones
  • Maritime boundaries
  • Maritime uses
  • Conclusion
• Sénégal (French*)
  • Introduction
  • Participation aux organisations et instruments globaux
  • Participation aux organisations et instruments régionaux
  • Accords bilatéraux
  • Les îles, lignes de base et zones maritimes
  • Les frontières maritimes
  • Les usages maritimes 
  • Conclusion
• Seychelles
  • Introduction
  • Participation in global instruments and organisations
  • Participation in regional instruments and organisations
  • Bilateral and trilateral instruments
  • Baselines and maritime zones
  • Maritime boundaries
  • Maritime uses
  • Conclusion
• Sierra Leone
  • Introduction
  • Participation in global instruments and organisations
  • Participation in regional instruments and organisations
  • Islands, baselines and maritime zones
  • Maritime uses
  • Conclusion
• South Africa
  • Introduction
  • Participation in global instruments and organisations
  • Participation in regional instruments and organisations
  • Bilateral and trilateral instruments
  • Islands, baselines and maritime zones
  • Maritime boundaries
  • Maritime uses
  • Conclusion
• Tanzania
  • Introduction
  • Participation in global instruments and organisations
  • Participation in regional instruments and organisations
  • Islands, baselines and maritime zones
  • Maritime boundaries
  • Maritime uses
  • Conclusion
• Landlocked States
  • Introduction
  • African landlocked states
  • Access to and from the sea
  • Navigational rights and duties
  • Access to marine resources
  • Conclusion
• Conclusion
  • Introduction
  • Africa’s contribution to the development of the Law of Sea
  • Opportunities of the new law of the sea regime for African states and evaluation of implementation
  • Enhancing ocean benefits for Africa: the way forward
  • Conclusion

*English translations for French and Portuguese chapters will be available here at the end of February 2018.