Introduction

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS - the Tribunal) is a specialized international tribunal established in Hamburg in 1996 on the basis of the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS - the Convention) to which to date 155 States (including the European Community) are party. It is competent to settle disputes concerning the interpretation and application of the Convention. As the Convention regulates most aspects of the law of the sea, its relevance is obvious for the oil and gas industry, an industry that conducts exploration for and exploitation of ...