Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea
The Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) is a division of the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) of the United Nations that serves as the Secretariat for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and supports the implementation and progressive development of international law relating to the oceans. Established following the adoption of UNCLOS in 1982, the Division is headquartered at United Nations Headquarters in New York City. DOALOS provides legal, technical, and administrative support to United Nations bodies, Member States, and international institutions concerned with ocean affairs, maritime governance, and the law of the sea.
The Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea is responsible for supporting the implementation of UNCLOS and related international agreements governing the use, conservation, and sustainable management of the world's oceans. Its principal functions include servicing meetings of the Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, providing secretariat services to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), maintaining official records relating to maritime boundaries and declarations under UNCLOS, promoting capacity-building in ocean governance, and providing legal and technical assistance to Member States on maritime delimitation, continental shelf submissions, marine scientific research, navigation, fisheries, and marine environmental protection.
In addition to its secretariat functions, DOALOS conducts legal research, policy analysis, and technical cooperation programmes relating to ocean governance and international maritime law. The Division supports negotiations on emerging issues such as the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction (BBNJ), deep-sea biodiversity, marine genetic resources, marine protected areas, environmental impact assessments, and capacity-building for developing states. It also publishes legal studies, reference materials, and official documentation relating to UNCLOS while facilitating international dialogue on the peaceful use and sustainable management of the oceans.
The Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea works closely with institutions including the United Nations, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, and the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). Through legal support, technical assistance, policy coordination, and international cooperation, DOALOS plays a central role in promoting the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and strengthening the international legal framework governing the world's oceans.