The Division of the Commons? The Myth of the Commons: Divide or Perish

Abstract

Professor Rüdiger Wolfrum has dealt extensively with the global commons both in theory and in practice. His habilitation monograph was devoted to the internationalization of common spaces, including Antarctica, the sea and outer space. In practice, he acted in various eminent functions on committees and other bodies relevant for the administration of such areas, most recently as president of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). I had the great pleasure and privilege of working with him in the third United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III) and the law of sea has remained a decisive factor in his career.