Zhanali Kopzhasarov
Chair
Zhanali Kopzhassarov is an English teacher with four years of experience and has taught over 500 students. He is also an experienced MUN participant, having attended more than 15 conferences, helped organize over 10, and served as a Chair at IIMUN in India in August 2026. He is also the founder of CESMUN.
Zhanali is honored to serve as Chair of the Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (SPLOS) at NOVA MUN 2026. He encourages delegates to research thoroughly, participate actively, and approach debate with diplomacy and an open mind.
Zhanali is honored to serve as Chair of the Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (SPLOS) at NOVA MUN 2026. He encourages delegates to research thoroughly, participate actively, and approach debate with diplomacy and an open mind.
zhanalikopzhassarov@gmail.com
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Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
Topic: Regulating Foreign Military Activities within Exclusive Economic Zones
The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), as established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), extends up to 200 nautical miles from a coastal state’s baselines. Within this zone, the coastal state possesses sovereign rights over the exploration, exploitation, conservation, and management of natural resources, while other states retain important freedoms, including navigation and overflight. UNCLOS also requires both coastal and foreign states to exercise their rights with due regard for the rights and duties of others.
A particularly complex issue arises when foreign states conduct military activities within another state’s EEZ. Such activities may include naval exercises, military surveillance, intelligence gathering, hydrographic operations, submarine movements, and the operation of military aircraft. UNCLOS does not explicitly provide a comprehensive regime governing all such activities, which has contributed to differing interpretations among states. Some governments emphasize freedom of navigation and other internationally lawful uses of the sea, while others stress the security interests and jurisdictional rights of the coastal state.
These differing interpretations can create diplomatic tension, especially in strategically important or disputed maritime areas. Delegates will therefore examine how UNCLOS should be interpreted and applied to foreign military activities in EEZs, while balancing navigational freedoms, coastal-state rights, national security concerns, transparency, and the prevention of escalation. The committee should consider whether clearer international standards, notification mechanisms, confidence-building measures, or dispute-resolution procedures are necessary.
A particularly complex issue arises when foreign states conduct military activities within another state’s EEZ. Such activities may include naval exercises, military surveillance, intelligence gathering, hydrographic operations, submarine movements, and the operation of military aircraft. UNCLOS does not explicitly provide a comprehensive regime governing all such activities, which has contributed to differing interpretations among states. Some governments emphasize freedom of navigation and other internationally lawful uses of the sea, while others stress the security interests and jurisdictional rights of the coastal state.
These differing interpretations can create diplomatic tension, especially in strategically important or disputed maritime areas. Delegates will therefore examine how UNCLOS should be interpreted and applied to foreign military activities in EEZs, while balancing navigational freedoms, coastal-state rights, national security concerns, transparency, and the prevention of escalation. The committee should consider whether clearer international standards, notification mechanisms, confidence-building measures, or dispute-resolution procedures are necessary.
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