International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea

• Small island nations seek protection from ocean pollution, climate change and appeal to the United Nations maritime tribunal recently.
• A group of 9 SIDS countries will urge the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) to rule on whether greenhouse gas emissions absorbed by the marine environment should be considered pollution.
• It will also seek the tribunal’s advisory opinion on the obligations countries have to prevent it.
• Small Island Developing States (SIDS) – Group of low-lying island nations, home to approximately 65 million people.
• They are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change despite being responsible for less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL FOR THE LAW OF THE SEA:

• It is an independent judicial body established by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
• Composition
  • The Tribunal is composed of 21 independent members.
  • Members elected by secret ballot by the States Parties to the Convention.
  • Each State Party may nominate up to two candidates.
• Jurisdiction
  • It has jurisdiction over any dispute concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention and over all matters specifically provided for in any other agreement which confers jurisdiction on the Tribunal.
  • Disputes relating to the Convention may concern the delimitation of maritime zones, navigation, conservation and management of the living resources of the sea, protection and preservation of the marine environment and marine scientific research.
• The Tribunal is open to States Parties to the Convention(i.e. States and international organisations which are parties to the Convention).
• It is also open to entities other than States Parties, i.e., States or intergovernmental organisations which are not parties to the Convention, and to state enterprises and private entities.
• The seat of the Tribunal is in the City of Hamburg, Germany.