What Are Global Commons?

Global Commons

In this course, Professor Philippe Cullet (SOAS, University of London) explores what the global commons are and how they are regulated. In the first module, we think about global commons as a legal concept and the principle of common heritage of mankind – that some natural resources cannot be claimed by any state and must be shared by all. The second module considers some of the key approaches to regulating shared global resources, centred around the problem that absence of ownership may disincentivise effective protection. In the third module, we look at some of the limitations of existing regulatory regimes, noting particularly that they suffer from lack of universal adoption and often must be weakened to be made acceptable to major powers. We conclude with a final module on the continued threats to global commons and how we may need to rethink their regulation to properly protect them.

What Are Global Commons?

In this module, we think about how global commons are conceptualised within international law. We focus on: (i) the basic definition of global commons as all natural resources which are not under sovereign appropriation (i.e., which have not been claimed by any nation state); (ii) the unusual nature of global commons in an international system primarily organised by sovereign appropriation; (iii) the concept of common heritage of mankind – the central legal principle of global commons that certain resources cannot be claimed by any state – and some areas in which this has been applied; (iv) global water resources as an example of clear shared interest in which the principle has not been applied.