Brazil’s Maritime Claim: A Threat to UNCLOS?

Abstract

On September 3, 2010, Brazil unilaterally expanded the offshore area where it claims jurisdiction. In an apparent effort to increase control over the exploration and exploitation of natural resources, Brazil outwardly snubbed the international laws that dictate the limits of offshore control. Less than two weeks later, the rising South American power signed a memorandum of understanding with Britain for the future purchase of eleven warships, an initiative largely seen by military analysts as a protective measure to secure the vast natural resources within its newly enlarged territory. As a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Brazil’s actions have wide ideological and practical implications.