Bringing Expertise to Bear
The cases with which the International Tribunal for the Law of
the Sea has dealt have included proceedings - which have attracted
international attention - for the release of arrested vessels,
disputes over fishery matters and the legality of discharging
pollutants into maritime waters. However, quite apart from these
proceedings the expertise assembled in the Tribunal is also making
itself felt in other areas - thanks to the work done in the run-up
to the establishment of the Foundation.
This preparatory work includes, for
example, the "Maritime Talks at the International Tribunal of
Maritime Law", a symposium organized by the founding committee of
the International Foundation for the Law of the Sea. The topical
subject under discussion was: "Worldwide Terrorism - New Challenges
for Merchant Shipping". Here the founding committee worked together
with a number of academic bodies, public maritime institutions and
the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
At that meeting over 160
representatives of public life and the business, academic and legal
worlds from a number of States discussed the extent to which the
September 11 attacks made a change in maritime law necessary and
the role that the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea was
to play as custodian of the law of the sea in the future
development of maritime law.
The Intention
The intention of the symposium, as a
dialogue between the academic and business worlds, was in line with
the aims of the Foundation, namely to "bring together ... experts
from all over the world who are interested in subjects relating to
international law of the sea/maritime law". The event, which also
attracted extensive media coverage, was organized to coincide with
the start of the autumn session of the International Tribunal for
the Law of the Sea.
The Broader Focus
Activities will in future be focused
on "promoting cooperation between national and international
institutions operating in the field of international law of the
sea/maritime law". One of the tasks will be to bring to the
attention of members of the public interested in this subject the
results of the activities covered by the Foundation. Together with
the promotion of research and teaching, as provided for in the
Statute, and the establishment of internship and scholarship
programmes, the charitable Foundation and the Academy to be
supported by it are thus taking final shape.