HAMBURG, 26 June 2026 – Ambassador Maria Teresa Torres Almojuela met H.E. Judge Tómas Heiðar, President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), in Hamburg on 26 June 2026.
They exchanged views on the important role of international judicial institutions such as ITLOS in upholding the rule of law, promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes, and strengthening a rules-based international order.
Ambassador Almojuela emphasized the Philippines’ unwavering commitment to the 1982 United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and steadfast support for its bodies, i.e. the ITLOS, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS). Together, these bodies form an integrated framework for the governance of the oceans and the implementation of UNCLOS.
Both photos: Amb. Maria Teresa T. Almojuela with ITLOS President Tómas Heiðar.
During the meeting, President Heiðar and Mrs. Ximena Hinrichs Oyarce, Registrar of the Tribunal, informed the Ambassador of the recent activities of ITLOS in New York, where the 36th Meeting of States Parties approved the work program and budget of the 21-member Tribunal and its Secretariat. They also noted that there is stronger recognition among States of the role and functions of the Tribunal, based on the number of cases brought before it.
Ambassador Almojuela noted that this highlights the confidence of States in ITLOS as an independent, impartial and effective forum for the peaceful resolution of disputes concerning the interpretation and application of UNCLOS.
Noting the 30th anniversary of the ITLOS this year, Ambassador Almojuela commended the Tribunal and its Summer Academy on their efforts to build a community of legal professionals and scholars worldwide who are key to implementing and supporting the Law of the Sea, particularly as an instrument for the peaceful settlement of disputes. She cited programs to train thousands of scholars, legal professionals and public officials across the world, including from the Philippines.
Ambassador Almojuela also pointed out the value of ITLOS regional activities, including in Africa, Latin America and Asia, where the application of the Law of Sea is better understood and advanced in specific regional contexts. This engagement is key to helping all regions benefit from, and effectively engage with, institutions established under UNCLOS. Recent workshops of ITLOS in Asia were cited in the meeting.
Photo: (from left) ITLOS Registrar Mrs. Ximena Hinrichs Oyarce, Amb. Maria Teresa T. Almojuela, President Tómas Heiðar, Deputy Chief of Mission Gerardo P. Abiog, and Third Secretary Dana Michelle C. Del Rosario at ITLOS on 26 June 2026.
The Philippines’ commitment to international law was demonstrated in its participation in the Tribunal’s proceedings in September 2023 on the Request for an Advisory Opinion submitted by the Commission of Small Island States (COSIS) on Climate Change and International Law. The Philippines strongly welcomed the Tribunal’s Advisory Opinion issued months later – in May 2024 – which clarified that states have a legal obligation to prevent, reduce, and control these emissions to protect the marine environment, thus strengthening legal certainty on the subject.
In key parts of that Advisory Opinion, the Tribunal cited the South China Sea Arbitration Award of 12 July 2016 as authoritative. Twenty six (26) States or Group of States, such as the COSIS itself, the African Union and the European Union, and two international organizations, also referenced the Award as legal authority in their respective oral and written arguments during the Tribunal’s proceedings. This establishes that the 2016 Arbitral Award, which marks its 10th Anniversary in two weeks, is well-recognized as part of the body of international law.
In the 36th Meeting of UNCLOS States Parties held last 15-19 June in New York, the Philippines called for compliance with decisions and rulings duly rendered through the compulsory dispute settlement mechanisms under UNCLOS, such as the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, and respect for decisions as well as respect for the advisory opinions that provide authoritative clarity to its provisions, such as the 2024 ITLOS Advisory Opinion. –END.
