With the development of unmanned ships, which are only monitored by personnel from control centers on land and otherwise operated by electric motors, solar energy and equipped with self-learning navigation programs, international shipping hopes that transport costs will be reduced by more than 20%. This advancing technical development will present international maritime law with challenges in the future. Against this background, the thesis primarily examines the compatibility of these ships with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. First the author develops a definition for the term ship and evaluates the application of the contract to autonomous ships. Then problem areas such as compliance with contractual obligations, the need for special protective rights for the flag states, especially with regard to coercive measures by the coastal states on board, and the applicability of the existing piracy regulations to these ships are discussed. The thesis also raises the question whether the international community, especially with regard to maritime environmental protection, has an obligation to promote unmanned ships under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Finally, the necessary cyber security measures for this particular type of ship are evaluated. In conclusion, the analysis shows that the Convention on the Law of the Sea, with minor adjustments, can be applied to unmanned vessels.weiterlesen