Abstract
The recent incident involving a United States ship (USS) Impeccable in the South China Sea has led to considerable debate over the jurisdiction of a coastal state to regulate marine scientific research (MSR) in its exclusive economic zone. This article examines the legal framework for MSR as embodied in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and interprets its provisions as applicable in the Impeccable ‘incident’ on the basis of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. This incident may set a wrong precedent for interpreting other international treaties on similar lines, the implications of which will be detrimental to international cooperation, as it can escalate tensions among the concerned countries. Hence, the matter may be taken up as an agenda item in the next Meeting of State Parties of UNCLOS (generally held in May-June every year) to clarify aspects related to maritime research and build a consensus on the issue.
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