The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the Polar Regions

Abstract

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (itlos) was created by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (unclos) as a mechanism for the settlement of disputes that may arise in relation to the interpretation or application of the provisions of the Convention or of an international agreement regarding the purposes of the Convention. So far, no claim regarding the polar regions as a whole has been brought before the itlos. However, in certain aspects these regions have been present in the activity of the itlos. This article is divided into two main parts. The first part presents an analysis of the present and future activities of the itlos regarding the Arctic. In the second part, the issues referring to the Antarctic lato senso brought to the itlos will be examined. So far, the Antarctic has received greater attention from the itlos than the Arctic.