The “Blue Amazon” doctrine
In the Opening Keynote of the Conclima conference, Prof. Dr. Wagner Menezes, Professor of Public International Law at the University of São Paulo and President of the Brazilian Academy of International Law, presented the “Blue Amazon” doctrine.
This is his proposal for a systematic interpretive framework for the contemporary law of the sea. Building on Brazil’s maritime governance practices and the symbolic parallel with the “Green Amazon,” the concept frames Brazil’s vast maritime zone as a space of biodiversity, climate significance, and strategic value. Menezes traced its origins to Brazil’s 2004 initiative to expand its continental shelf, a move that invited comparisons to the Amazon rainforest in terms of scale, ecological importance, and global relevance.
While the term “Blue Amazon” was originally used in Brazilian policy without doctrinal intent, Menezes argues it contains the elements of a coherent set of principles that can guide the interpretation and application of the law of the sea. These include viewing the ocean as a space of both sovereignty and responsibility, recognising the primacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, integrating land and sea governance, and embedding environmental protection as a core imperative. He also emphasised the transversal, multilevel nature of ocean governance and the idea of the ocean as a common heritage of humanity.
Menezes described the doctrine as a hermeneutic tool, applicable at national, regional, and international levels, to support sustainable governance, legal certainty, and cooperation across jurisdictions. Rooted in Brazilian experience but not limited to it, he sees the framework as adaptable to other contexts, including by states not party to certain conventions, and as a long-term project that will mature through scholarly debate and judicial use over the next decade.
This keynote is in Spanish. If you don’t speak Spanish, click “Watch on YouTube” and turn on auto-translated subtitles by clicking the settings icon in the video.
Key highlights
- The “Blue Amazon” concept emerged from Brazil’s 2004 effort to expand its continental shelf under UNCLOS provisions, highlighting a maritime area comparable to the Amazon rainforest in size, biodiversity, and climate importance.
- Originally a symbolic and political term, it has been reframed by Menezes as the basis for a systematic doctrinal approach to the law of the sea.
- Aims to fill the gap in maritime law by providing a unifying interpretive framework grounded in fundamental principles.
- Core principles include:
- Sovereignty and responsibility — states have full rights within their maritime zones but also a duty to protect and preserve the marine environment without causing harm to others.
- Primacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea over national rules, and recognition of legitimate multilateral governance institutions.
- Holistic integration of land and sea governance — recognising their interdependence.
- Ocean health as central to human survival, making its protection an ethical imperative for the species.
- Environmental protection as inseparable from maritime governance, with direct links to climate change, biodiversity, and pollution control.
- Multilevel and transversal governance, ensuring coherence among local, regional, and global norms.
- The ocean as a common heritage of humanity, even beyond areas beyond national jurisdiction, implying a collective duty of preservation.
- Serves as an interpretive and normative guide for policymakers, courts, and institutions at all governance levels, potentially applicable even in states not party to certain conventions.
- Currently in a formative stage; Menezes anticipates a decade or more of academic debate, refinement, and eventual judicial reference before full consolidation.