The Law Beneath the Waves:
Episode 1 – Deep Sea Mining & the Common Heritage of Mankind ⚖️

When we talk about the deep sea, most people picture vast darkness, lovely or scary creatures, and hidden minerals. But beneath those waves lies something even deeper — a legal idea that redefines what it means to share our planet.

In our very first episode of The Law Beneath the Waves dedicated to Deep Sea Mining, Virginie Tassin Campanella sits down with Nilufer Oral, one of the authors of The Routledge Handbook on Seabed Mining and the Law of the Sea, to explore one of the most powerful — and often misunderstood — principles in international law and the regulation of deep sea mining: the Common Heritage of Mankind.

💭 Did you know that this principle isn’t only about the ocean space?
It also applies to the Moon and genetic resources, shaping how humanity governs what belongs to all of us.

💭 Did you know that this principle was originally woven into the Law of the Sea as a way to share the benefits from the exploitation of seabed resources beyond national jurisdiction?

💭 Are you getting confused between common heritage, common concern, and common good ?

Together, Virginie and Nilufer dive into the history, the present challenges, and the unanswered questions behind this principle — revealing how it continues to influence the way we think about justice, equity, protection, and the future of our oceans.