What is the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS)?
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) is an international judicial body established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The tribunal is located in Hamburg, Germany, and its decisions are binding on all parties to the Convention. The tribunal is designed to resolve disputes concerning activities in the ocean related to navigation, exploitation of marine resources, protection of the marine environment, and other matters. The ITLOS has the ultimate authority to provide binding rulings on disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention on the Law of the Sea. This includes disputes over fishing rights, boundary differences, pollution of the marine environment, and other disputes that might arise between states. The tribunal also has jurisdiction over enforcement and disagreement concerning the provisions of the Convention, such as the protection of endangered and threatened species, the prevention of pollution, and the right of access to marine resources. Other than the courts of states that are parties to the Convention, the ITLOS is the only global international judicial body related to the Convention. The tribunal is made up of 21 judges equally divided among the five geographic regions of the world, and the judges are appointed by the parties to the Convention for nine-year terms. The tribunal has the power to make binding decisions, issue provisional measures, settle disputes, and take further steps to prevent disputes from escalating.
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