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Research on Soft Law Governance of Marine Plastic Pollution

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DOI: 10.23977/law.2026.050114 | Downloads: 3 | Views: 131

Author(s)

Chutong Zhang 1

Affiliation(s)

1 School of Law, Shenyang University of Technology, Shenyang, Liaoning, China

Corresponding Author

Chutong Zhang

ABSTRACT

Marine plastic pollution has become a major environmental issue threatening global ecological security. Its cross-regional and mobile characteristics determine the necessity of international cooperation for governance. Soft law, as an important governance tool in the field of international law, plays a crucial role in supplementing rules and promoting cooperation in the governance of marine plastic pollution. This article takes the soft law governance of marine plastic pollution as the research object. By reviewing the core definition and governance theories of soft law, analyzing the current status of soft law practices at the global and regional levels, and dissecting the current practical challenges in governance, this article ultimately proposes specific paths for optimizing soft law and transforming it into hard law. This article strives to provide readers with a systematic and comprehensive understanding.

KEYWORDS

Marine plastic pollution, Soft law, International law, Cooperation

CITE THIS PAPER

Chutong Zhang. Research on Soft Law Governance of Marine Plastic Pollution. Science of Law Journal (2026). Vol. 5, No.1, 92-99. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/DOI: 10.23977/law.2026.050114.

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