On 12 February 2025, Tomas Heidar, President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, gave a “lunchtime talk” at the EFTA Court entitled “The Advisory Opinion of ITLOS on Climate Change”.
In his presentation in front of a large audience, Mr Heidar, gave a short introduction about the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), its structure, functions, jurisdiction and jurisprudence before embarking on giving an overview of the ITLOS Advisory Opinion of 21 May 2024, on the Request submitted by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law. The proceedings were both written and oral and over thirty states participated in the proceedings.
In his elaboration on the advisory opinion, Mr Heidar emphasized the relevance of science, the continued relevance of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the interpretation of UNCLOS and the relationship between UNCLOS and other elements of international law.
The talk was followed by questions from a very interested audience and a lively discussion.
