A discussion of naval-treaty enforcement broadens into the institutional character of international maritime law. Much of the field rests on precedent rather than a fully codified body of statutes. Rules therefore depend on states accepting them and on an institution or coalition being willing to enforce them. The United Nations Security Council was intended to supply part of that enforcement function, but rivalry among permanent members has repeatedly limited collective action. The same weakness affected interwar naval agreements: international rules are difficult to enforce without a sovereign authority above states.
Notable Point · 2:40:22-2:42:34
International maritime law depends on enforcement
Much international maritime law rests on precedent and political enforcement, leaving formal rules vulnerable when powerful states refuse to uphold them.