International maritime governance is primarily structured around the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), and the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). Differences in legal traditions, domestic legal systems, and enforcement mechanisms may affect the implementation and application of these conventions across jurisdictions. This study adopts a comparative mixed-methods approach, combining analysis of maritime dispute cases with qualitative analysis of 15 expert materials. It examines the implementation of UNCLOS, MARPOL, and SOLAS across common law, civil law, and mixed legal systems, focusing on legal integration, enforcement capacity, institutional commitment, and dispute resolution. The findings indicate that differences in domestic legal integration and enforcement arrangements may influence treaty implementation and cross-border maritime dispute resolution. The study further suggests that greater institutional coordination and adaptable domestic implementation mechanisms may facilitate more consistent application of international maritime conventions across different legal systems.
Xi Li (2026) studied this question.