Calendar of Events 2019

President Paik met with Foreign Minister Taro Kono on 14 February 2019 in Tokyo and discussed the importance of the Tribunal for the maintenance of the rule of law, the growing significance of the law of the sea and the importance of encouraging younger generations’ interest in maritime issues. On 13 February 2019, President Paik met Mr Kenji Yamada, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, with whom he discussed the importance of capacity building in this area of international law and reiterated the Tribunal’s gratitude for the assistance provided by the Nippon Foundation for capacity building at the Tribunal. During his visit to Japan, President Paik gave a lecture on 14 February 2019 at the Ocean Policy Research Institute on the “Contribution of ITLOS to the rule of Law”, co-hosted by the Institute and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan within the frame of the lecture series 'Ocean Forum'.

The Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Mr Kenji Yamada, visited the Tribunal today and paid a courtesy call on President Paik, discussing inter alia the importance of the capacity building programmes held at the Tribunal. After a guided tour of the facilities, Mr Yamada met with the fellows currently participating in the ITLOS-Nippon Foundation Capacity-Building and Training Programme on Dispute Settlement under UNCLOS. During his discussion with the fellows, Mr Yamada emphasised the significant role that younger generations must play in supporting the rule of law and in the protection of the marine environment.

President Paik welcomed the First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Dr Peter Tschentscher, to the Tribunal today. After the signing of the guest book, the First Mayor met with the Judges of the Tribunal.

Tribunal orders the Russian Federation to release the three Ukrainian naval vessels and crew. 

Mr Philippe Gautier, Registrar of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, has announced his resignation from the Tribunal after 22 years of service.

Judge Jin-Hyun Paik, President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, presented the Tribunal’s annual report for 2018 to the 29th Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea today. The President reported on the judicial activity of the Tribunal, including the recent developments which have kept the Tribunal busy since the beginning of the year.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI), hosted at the Headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London on 25 June 2019, the President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, Judge Jin-Hyun Paik, delivered a speech on “the rule of law and the importance of capacity building”.

President Paik attended the special commemorative session of the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority, convened to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the establishment of the International Seabed Authority. He also delivered a statement highlighting the role of the Seabed Disputes Chamber in settling disputes arising from activities in the Area and giving advisory opinions relating to the work of the Authority.

The President presented a commemorative plaque to Mr Philippe Gautier on behalf of the Judges of the Tribunal in appreciation of his contribution to the work of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea from 1997 to 2019 and to mark his departure from the Tribunal on 31 July 2019. With effect from 1st August 2019, the Deputy Registrar, Ms Ximena Hinrichs Oyarce, will act as Registrar pursuant to article 37, paragraph 1, of the Rules of the Tribunal.

President Paik appoints three arbitrators in the arbitral proceedings instituted by Ukraine against the Russian Federation in Respect of a dispute concerning the detention of three Ukrainian naval vessels and the twenty-four servicemen on board.

The Tribunal is currently hosting the 13th IFLOS Summer Academy ‘Promoting Ocean Governance and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes’ at its seat in Hamburg. 41 participants from 28 States are attending four weeks of lectures given by current and former Members of the Tribunal, professors, practitioners and professionals from the law of the sea and maritime fields.

President Paik met with Ms Kang Kyung-wha, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Ms Ji Yeon Kim, Director for Territory and Oceans, and Mr Ki-Jun You, Director General for International Legal Affairs, on 19 August 2019 in Seoul. President Paik was accompanied by Vice-President Attard, Judges Kateka and Heidar and Acting Registrar Hinrichs Oyarce. The ITLOS delegation is currently in Seoul in order to participate in the ROK – ITLOS law of the sea conference ‘New developments in the law of the sea and the role of ITLOS’.

President Paik paid a courtesy call on the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, Mr Teodoro L. Locsin Jr., on 22 August 2019 in Quezon City, on the occasion of the 7th Biennial Conference of the Asian Society of International Law. In a Special Forum on the sidelines of the conference President Paik delivered a keynote speech on “The role of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in the settlement of disputes related to the law of the sea: Current Trends and Other Developments”.

The Judges of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea today elected Ms Ximena Hinrichs Oyarce, of Chilean nationality, as the Registrar of the Tribunal.

H.E. Mr Safri Burhanuddin, Deputy Minister for Human Resources, Science and Technology and Maritime Culture Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, and H.E. Mr Arif Havasd Oegroseno, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Federal Republic of Germany,  visited the Tribunal today. H.E. Mr Burhanuddin presented the Tribunal with a model of the pinisi “Maritim Jaya”, a traditional Indonesian timber fishing vessel.

Mr Jiro Kawasaki and Mr Minoru Kiuchi, both Members of the House of Representatives of Japan, visited the Tribunal with the Consul General of Japan, Ms Kikuko Kato, and paid a courtesy call on President Paik. They also met with Judge Yanai and Registrar Hinrichs Oyarce.

Participants of a high level international conference of law of the sea consisting of practitioners and visiting experts from countries particularly active in the maritime domain visited the Tribunal yesterday. They were given a guided tour of the premises before being welcomed by the President of the Tribunal, Judge Paik.

Mauritius and Maldives submit their dispute concerning the delimitation of the maritime boundary in the Indian Ocean to a special chamber of the Tribunal

A delegation from the Ministry of Law of Singapore, led by the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Law, H.E. Mr Ng How Yue, visited the Tribunal last week. Mr Ng How Yue paid a courtesy call on President Paik. The delegation also met with the Registrar and Legal Officers.

President Paik paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, Mr Rodolfo Nin Novoa, in Montevideo today, together with Registrar Hinrichs Oyarce. He also met with the President of the Supreme Court of Justice of Uruguay, Mr Eduardo Turell. Earlier in the day, President Paik had the opportunity to give a lecture on the work of the Tribunal to law students at the University of the Republic Law School in Montevideo.

The Tribunal's fourth quarterly newsletter for 2019 is now available.

The Tribunal’s fourteenth regional workshop was opened today by President Paik and Dr Carlos Mata Prates, Director of International Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, in Montevideo. The workshop, entitled “The role of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in the settlement of disputes relating to the law of the sea”, welcomes participants from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

President Paik and Registrar Hinrichs Oyarce paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Argentina, H.E. Jorge Faurie, today in Buenos Aires. President Paik was also invited to give a lecture at the ISEN (Foreign Service Institute) to graduates on “The rule of law in international relations and the role of international adjudication”.

President Paik was awarded an honorary doctorate (law) today by the University of Hamburg on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the University. The honorary doctorate was awarded by Professor Repgen, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Hamburg.

Before addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, President Paik met with UN Secretary-General, António Guterres.

President Paik addressed the General Assembly on Tuesday, emphasizing the Tribunal’s increasing attraction for States seeking to settle disputes arising under the Convention.

The Swiss Confederation and the Federal Republic of Nigeria transmitted a special agreement and notification to the Tribunal today to submit to the Tribunal their dispute concerning the arrest and detention of the M/T “San Padre Pio”, its crew and cargo.

The Republic of Maldives has filed preliminary objections to the jurisdiction of the Special Chamber of the Tribunal and to the admissibility of the claims submitted by the Republic of Mauritius in the Dispute concerning delimitation of the maritime boundary between Mauritius and Maldives in the Indian Ocean.