Advocacy for global commons

• Main Author: Faramiñán Gilbert, Juan Manuel de
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: OBSERVARE. Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa 2017
• Subjects: Bens comuns; Advocacy; Política; Relações internacionais; Arctic; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11144/3368

In the law treaties of medieval England we already find a definition of the concept of the global commons, which were those lands belonging to the community or to the municipality, that were exploited for common benefit, without belonging to anybody in particular. It is from this medieval legal criterion that the concept was extrapolated to modern times and, today, it is used to define those spaces subject to the interest of the international community. We can point out that the high seas and the remaining sea and oceanic areas, as well as the polar territories, can be classified as such, making a clear distinction between the Arctic as an “icy” sea and Antarctica as a continent. Also the air space outside of the state´s sovereignty as well as outer space, noting that the common boundaries of both spaces have not yet been defined and, that recently, cyberspace has to be added, which is a virtual space that lacks a physical demarcation.