Full text of the lecture published in September 2017 in the Recueil des cours, vol. 386.

Introduction -- Selected contemporary disputes concerning islands -- Definition of an "island" -- Methods for acquiring sovereignty over an island -- Islands withing boundary rivers or lakes -- Islands in relation to maritime zones -- Effects of islands on maritime boundary delimitation -- Changes in islands over time -- Pacific settlement of island disputes -- General conclusions.

"This monograph considers the application of general rules of international law to islands, as well as special rules focused on islands, notably Article 121 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Such rules have been applied in several landmark cases in recent years, including the International Court of Justice's judgments in 'Territorial and Maritime Dispute (Nicaragua v. Colombia)', and arbitral awards in the 'Chagos Marine Protected Area Arbitration (Mauritius v. United Kingdom)' and the 'South China Sea Arbitration (Philippines v. China)'. Among other things, this monograph explores: the legal concepts of "islands", "rocks" and "low-tide elevations"; methods of securing sovereignty over and the maritime zones generated by islands; islands and historic titles, bays and rights; problems of delimitation in the presence of islands; legal issues arising from changes in islands over time (notably from climate change); and contemporary techniques for resolving disputes over islands" -- Provided by publisher.