Introductory Note to Dispute Concerning the Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary between Mauritius and Maldives in the Indian Ocean, Preliminary Objections (ITLOS)

Abstract

On January 28, 2021, a Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) delivered a judgment in which it rejected preliminary objections raised by Maldives in arbitral proceedings instituted by Mauritius, concerning the delimitation of the maritime boundary north of the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. This introductory note discusses the decision and explains why it is potentially far-reaching.

Keywords: International Law, Sovereignty, Self-Determination, Human Rights, Adjudication, Dispute Settlement, ICJ, Advisory Opinion, Binding Character, General Assembly Resolutions, Law of the Sea, United Kingdom, British Indian Ocean Territory, Diego Garcia, South China Sea, EEZ