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Dr Bimal N. Patel Takes Oath as ITLOS Judge
Dr. Bimal N. Patel takes oath as a Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). He is elected at the 36th Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, where 7 members are elected to the Tribunal.
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Institutional status | ITLOS comprises an independent international judicial body. |
| Established under | ITLOS is established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). |
| Headquarters | It is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. |
| Composition | It comprises 21 independent members. |
| Election authority | Members are elected by the States Parties to UNCLOS. |
| Election criteria | Members are elected with due regard to: equitable geographical distribution, and representation of the principal legal systems of the world. |
| Term | Members are elected for a term of 9 years. |
| Dispute-settlement mandate | ITLOS provides for adjudication of disputes regarding the interpretation and application of UNCLOS. |
| Dispute areas | ITLOS provides for addressing disputes pertaining to: maritime boundary delimitation, freedom of navigation, protection of the marine environment, conservation and management of marine resources, regulation of deep seabed activities, and facilitation of the peaceful settlement of maritime disputes. |
| Vision MAHASAGAR | Vision MAHASAGAR comprises “Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions”, and it is articulated in March 2025 as an evolution of the SAGAR vision. |