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The deepest reaches of our oceans are among the least explored places on Earth. Yet they have become the location of an international race for minerals essential to artificial intelligence and renewable energy technologies. As governments and corporations push to mine the deep seabed, a fundamental question has emerged: Who will determine the fate of the world’s oceans?

For Coalter Lathrop, that question is not just about the oceans—it’s about the future of the international order itself.

A world-leading international lawyer and marine cartographer, Lathrop advises governments and international organizations on the world’s most complex ocean and territorial disputes. He appears frequently as counsel before the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

As Lathrop explains in a recent on-line essay, The Unmaking of International Law, longstanding legal institutions are facing a fundamental challenge from US President Donald Trump and “The Metals Company”—a Vancouver-based mining venture.

Trump and The Metals Company aim to destroy the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea – which has been ratified by 171 countries, including Canada – by mining the seabed unilaterally and without environmental protections.