DOALOS: UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea

The Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) is a Division of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs. It serves as the principal UN body responsible for ocean affairs and the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), assisting UN bodies and UN members on ocean affairs and the application of ocean law. DOALOS is based within the Division of Legal Affairs at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, USA. DOALOS fulfils the function of Secretariat to UNCLOS (the overarching international legal framework regulating the use of the global ocean) and to the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA). At the time of writing (2026), it is also acting as Interim Secretariat to the BBNJ Agreement. (The BBNJ Secretariat may, in future, be established as its own body, independent of DOALOS). DOALOS reports on ocean affairs to the UN General assembly, acts as the main focal point for UN-Oceans (the inter-agency mechanism through which UN bodies coordinate their work in relation to oceans), and supports the work of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. It provides legal, technical, and policy support to UN Member States and international organizations on issues relating to ocean governance, maritime boundaries, marine biodiversity, sustainable fisheries, and the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. DOALOS facilitates capacity building and technical assistance for developing countries in support of consistent implementation of international law governing the world's oceans. DOALOS also maintains a repository of reports and information ocean affairs and the law of the sea, and it publishes the Law of the Sea Bulletin. Further information can be found on the website of the UN Office of Legal Affairs, which has dedicated pages on DOALOS (click here https://www.un.org/ola/en/content/div-doalos).