The author discusses the world-wide regulation of international disputes against the background ofarticle 33 of the United Nations Charter, the UN Convention on the law of the sea from 1982, and other international legal documents. International custom plays a separate role in the determination of international disputes. In a further part of the article, the author interprets among other matters: the character of maritime disputes and the procedure for arbitration; international maritime disputes against the background of the UN Convention on the law of the sea from 1982; the settling of maritime disputes related to property through arbitration.