Judge James L. Kateka
(Member of the Tribunal since 1 October 2005)

Education: Bachelor of Laws (with honours), Dar-es-Salaam University College of the (then) University of East Africa (1970); Master of Laws (international law), King’s College, University of London (1974).

Professional Experience: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1970–2005): Legal Officer, Protocol and Treaties Division (1970–1973), Head, Legal Section (1973–1975), Legal Adviser, Mission of the United Republic of Tanzania to the UN (1976–1980), Head (Minister Plenipotentiary), Treaties Section (1980–1983), Director (Legal Adviser), Legal Department (1983–1989), Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, with concurrent accreditation to Austria, the Holy See, Poland, Romania and Switzerland (1989–1994), Ambassador to the Russian Federation (1994–1998), Ambassador to Sweden, with concurrent accreditation to Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania (1998–2005); Partner, law firm South Law Chambers, Dar es Salaam (1995–present); Judge ad hoc in the case concerning Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (DRC v. Uganda), International Court of Justice (2001–2005); Dean of the diplomatic corps, Stockholm (2003–2005); Dean of the Ambassadors of the United Republic of Tanzania (2004–2005).

Member: Deliberations, UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of the Seabed and the Ocean Floor beyond Limits of National Jurisdiction (1971–1973); Tanzanian delegation to: Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment (1972), London Conference on the Anti-dumping Convention (1972), IMO Conference that adopted the Marine Pollution Convention (1973), UN Conference that adopted the 1978 Vienna Convention on the Succession of States in Respect of Treaties (1977), Conference of Plenipotentiaries on Territorial Asylum, Geneva (1977–1978), Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, New Delhi (1983), 1985 Nairobi Convention for the Protection, Management, and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region, UN Conference on Women, Nairobi (1985), 25th Session of the Asian African Legal Consultative Committee, Arusha (1985), UNEP International Group of Experts on Environmental Dispute Avoidance and Settlement (1998–1999), UNEP Meeting of Experts on Liability and Compensation for Environmental Damage (2002); Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea (1973–1982); Acting Chairman, UN Sanctions Committee on Southern Rhodesia under Security Council Resolution 253 (1976); Special Committee on the Charter, UNCITRAL sessions, the Ad Hoc Committee against the Taking of Hostages, the Non-use of Force Committee and the Ad hoc Committee on the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace (1976–1980); Sixth (Legal) Committee of the UN General Assembly (1976–1988, 1996); Rapporteur, Ad hoc Committee on International Terrorism (1977–1979); first and second special sessions of the UN General Assembly on Disarmament (1978 and 1982); Preparatory Commission for the International Seabed Authority and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (1983–1994); International Law Commission (1997–2006; Vice-Chairman 2002, Chairman of the Drafting Committee 2003); American Society of International Law (2005–present); British Institute of International and Comparative Law (2006–present); Associate Member, Institute of International Law (2009–present).

Publications and lectures: Numerous articles for various legal publications and lectures on international law covering the law of the sea, human rights, environmental law and the work of the UN International Law Commission, including: “Diplomatic Protection”, The Protection of the Individual in International Law – Essays in Honour of John Dugard, Th. Skouteris and A. Vermeer-Kunzli (eds); “Landlocked Developing Countries and the Law of the Sea”, International Law between Universalism and Fragmentation-Festschrift Gerhard Hafner, I. Buffard, J. Crawford, A. Pellet and St. Wittich (eds); “The Forty Ninth Session of the United Nations International Law Commission”, African Yearbook of International Law (AYIL), vol. 5 (1997); “The Fiftieth Session of the ILC”, AYIL, vol. 6 (1998); “The Fifty-first Session of the ILC”, AYIL, vol. 7 (1999); “The Fifty-second Session of the ILC”, AYIL, vol. 8 (2000); “The Fifty-third Session of the ILC”, AYIL, vol. 9 (2001); “The ‘Tanzania National Report’”, Legal Aspects of Protecting and Managing the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region, UNEP Regional Seas Reports, No. 49, 1984; paper presented at the International Seminar on the Experience of Different Countries in the Implementation of international standards on Human Rights, Geneva, 1983 (published in UN Doc. HR/GENEVA/1983/WP.23); “Africa and the law of the sea”, paper presented at UNCLOS experts meeting in January 1992, New York; “Tanzania and the Environment Problem”, paper presented at a workshop on Tanzania’s foreign policy in May 1994, Dar es Salaam.

Distinctions: Papal Honour of the Grand Cross with the Star of the Order of Pius IX (1993).