The World Maritime University is hosting the 43rd Annual Conference of the Center for Oceans Law and Policy (COLP), University of Virginia School of Law. The event shall be held in Malmö, Sweden, from 14-17 May 2019. The conference title is Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction: Intractable Challenges & Potential Solutions and it will discuss the development of an internationally legally binding instrument under UNCLOS on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). The programme is available here.
Monthly Archives: April 2019
Conference: Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction: Intractable Challenges & Potential Solutions
Filed under Events
Malaysia-Singapore: overlapping port claims suspended
The Governments of Malaysia and of Singapore have entered an agreement to mutually suspend the implementation of their overlapping port limits and apply their port limits in effect prior to 25 October 2018 and 6 December 2018 respectively. They furthermore agreed to not authorise and to suspend all commercial activities in the area and to not anchor government vessels in the area. The agreement became effective on April 8, 2019. According to a statement issued by representatives of both Governments, negotiations for maritime boundary delimitation in the area are expected to commence within one month following implementation of said agreement. That March 2019 joint statement may be found here / here; a more recent joint statement confirming the schedule is available here / here. The relevant Circulars of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore are here and here.
Maritime boundaries between Singapore and Malaysia (Source: Singapore Ministry of Transport)
Filed under State Practice
Summer school: Marco Polo – Zheng He Academy of International Oceans Law and Policy
The South China Sea Institute at Xiamen University is hosting another edition of the Marco Polo – Zheng He Academy of International Oceans Law and Policy (see previous report here). This year’s session happens between 1 and 26 July 2019 in Xiamen, China. The application deadline for the 2019 Xiamen Summer Program is 9 June 2019. More information is available here and here.
Filed under Courses
ITLOS: Case concerning the detention of three Ukrainian naval vessels (Ukraine v. Russian Federation), Provisional Measures
On the 16 April 2019, Ukraine submitted a request to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for the prescription of provisional measures under UNCLOS, Article 290(5) in a dispute between Ukraine and the Russian Federation concerning the immunity of three Ukrainian naval vessels and the twenty-four servicemen on board.
For more information see Case No. 26 and the press releases of ITLOS, Ukraine MFA and Russia MFA.
Filed under Jurisprudence
Call for Papers: South Asia in the Era of International Courts and Tribunals
The Faculty of Legal Studies at South Asian University shall host a conference, entitled, South Asia in the Era of International Courts and Tribunals, 28–29 February 2020, at South Asian University (New Delhi, India). The submission of abstracts is welcome until 30 June 2019.
For more information see the website and call for papers.
Call for papers: The contribution of the case-law of international courts and tribunals to the development of international law
The Portuguese branch of the International Law Association shall host a regional ILA conference, entitled, The contribution of the case-law of international courts and tribunals to the development of international law, 19-20 September 2019, at the University of Minho Law School (Braga, Portugal). Topics include the contribution of ITLOS to the development of the law of the sea. Abstracts are welcome until the 15 June 2019.
For more information see here.
ITLOS: Judgment in The M/V “Norstar” Case (Panama v. Italy)
On the 10 April 2019, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) delivered its Judgment in The M/V “Norstar” Case (Panama v. Italy). The Tribunal found that Italy had violated UNCLOS, Article 87(1) (by 15 votes to 7), that UNCLOS, Article 87(2) was not applicable to the case (unanimously), and that Italy did not violate UNCLOS, Article 300 (20 votes to 2). ITLOS decided to award Panama compensation (with interest) for the loss of the M/V “Norstar” (15 votes to 7).
For more information, see the Judgement and furthermore the case page for numerous Declarations, Separation Opinions and a Joint Dissenting Opinion. As previously reported, incidental proceedings occurred in respect of Preliminary Objections.
Filed under Jurisprudence
Moot Court: Chinese Society of the Law of the Sea, 2019
The Chinese Society for the Law of the Sea is hosting another edition of its International Law of the Sea Moot Court Competition (see 2018 report here). The 2019 edition will be hosted by the Wuhan University China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies and it is scheduled to take place in early November 2019 in Wuhan, China. Registration deadline is 20 May 2019. More information is available here.
Filed under Competitions, Events
IMO: FAL Convention amendments on electronic information exchange come into effect
A mandatory requirement for national governments to introduce electronic information exchange between ships and ports is coming into effect. The requirement, mandatory under IMO’s Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention), is part of a package of amendments under the revised Annex to the FAL Convention, adopted in 2016. The FAL Convention encourages use of a “single window” for data, to enable all the information required by public authorities in connection with the arrival, stay and departure of ships, persons and cargo, to be submitted via a single portal, without duplication. The FAL Convention amendments make it mandatory for ships and ports to exchange FAL data electronically from 8 April 2019. More information is available here and here.
Filed under International Organizations
De Maribus 