INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL FOR THE LAW OF THE SEA TRIBUNAL INTERNATIONAL DU DROIT DE LA MER MINUTES OF PUBLIC SITTINGS MINUTES OF THE PUBLIC SITTINGS HELD FROM 13 TO 19 OCTOBER 2020 Dispute concerning delimitation of the maritime boundary between Mauritius and Maldives in the Indian Ocean (Mauritius/Maldives), Preliminary Objections PROCES-VERBAL DES AUDIENCES PUBLIQUES PROCES-VERBAL DES AUDIENCES PUBLIQUES TENUES DU 13 AU 19 OCTOBRE 2020 Differend relatif a la delimitation de la frontiere maritime entre Maurice et Jes Maldives dans /'ocean /ndien (Maurice/Maldives), exceptions preliminaires For ease of use, in addition to the continuous pagination, this volume also contains, between square brackets at the beginning of each statement, a reference to the pagination of the revised verbatim records. En vue de faciliter !'utilisation de l'ouvrage, le present volume comporte, outre une pagination continue, !'indication, entre crochets, au debut de chaque expose, de la pagination des proces-verbaux revises. Minutes of the Public Sittings held from 13 to 19 October 2020 Proces-verbal des audiences publiques tenues du 13 au 19 octobre 2020 13 October 2020, p.m. PUBLIC SITTING HELD ON 13 OCTOBER 2020, 2 P.M. Special Chamber Present: President PAIK; Judges JESUS, PAWLAK, Y ANAi, BOUQUET AIA, HEIDAR, CHADHA; Judges ad hoe OXMAN, SCHRIJVER; Registrar HINRICHS OYARCE. Mauritius is represented by: Mr Dheerendra Kumar Dabee, G.O.S.K., S.C., Solicitor-General, Attorney General's Office, as Agent; Mr Jagdish Dharamchand Koonjul, G.O.S.K., Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Mauritius to the United Nations in New York, United States of America, as Co-Agent; and Mr Philippe Sands QC, Professor of International Law at University College London, Barrister at Matrix Chambers, London, United Kingdom, Mr Paul S. Reichler, Attorney-at-Law, Foley Hoag LLP, member of the Bar of the district of Columbia, United States of America, Mr Pierre Klein, Professor oflnternational Law at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium, as Counsel and Advocates; Mr Remi Reichhold, Barrister at 5 Essex Court, London, United Kingdom, Mr Andrew Loewenstein, Attorney-at-Law, Foley Hoag LLP, member of the Bar of Massachusetts, Boston, United States of America, Ms Diem Huang Ho, Attorney-at-Law, Foley Hoag LLP, Paris, France, Mr Yuri Parkhomenko, Attorney-at-Law, Foley Hoag LLP, Washington D.C., United States of America, 3 DELIMITATION OF THE MARITIME BOUNDARY BETWEEN MAURITIUS AND MALDIVES Ms Anjolie Singh, Member of the Indian Bar, New Delhi, India, as c;ounsel,· Ms Shiu Ching Young Kim Fat, Minister Counsellor, Prime Minister's Office, as Adviser; Mr Scott Edmonds, International Mapping, Ellicott City, United States of America, Mr Thomas Frogh, International Mapping, Ellicott City, United States of America, as Technical Advisers; Ms Lea Main-Klingst, Germany, as Assistant. The Maldives is represented by: Mr Ibrahim Riffath, Attorney General, as Agent; and Ms Khadeedja Shaheen, Deputy Attorney General, Ms Salwa Habeeb, Senior State Counsel in the Office of the Attorney General, as Representatives,· Mr Payam Akhavan, LL.M., S.J.D. (Harvard), Professor of International Law; Senior Fellow, Massey College and Distinguished Visitor, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto; Member of the State Bar ofNew York and of the Law Society of Ontario; Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, Mr Alan Boyle, Emeritus Professor of International Law, University of Edinburgh; Member of the Bar of England and Wales, Essex Court Chambers, United Kingdom, 4 13 October 2020, p.m. Mr Jean-Marc Thouvenin, Professor at the University Paris-Nanterre; Secretary-General of The Hague Academy of International Law; Associate Member of the Institut de droit international; Member of the Paris Bar, Sygna Partners, France, Ms Naomi Hart, Ph.D. (Cambridge); Member of the Bar of England and Wales, Essex Court Chambers, United Kingdom, as Counsel and Advocates; Mr John Brown, Law of the Sea Consultant, Cooley LLP, United Kingdom, as Technical Adviser; Ms Justine Bendel, Ph.D. (Edinburgh), Vienna School oflnternational Studies,Austria, Mr Mitchell Lennan, LL.M., University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom, Ms Melina Antoniadis, LL.M., Barrister and Solicitor, Law Society of Ontario, Canada, as Assistants. 5 DELIMITATION DE LA FRONTIERE MARITIME ENTRE MAURICE ET LES MALDIVES AUDIENCE PUBLIQUE TENUE LE 13 OCTOBRE 2020, 14 H 00 Chambre speciale Presents: M. PAIK, President ; MM. JESUS, PAWLAK, YANAI, BOUGUETAIA, HEIDARjuges; Mme CHADHA,juge; MM. OXMAN, SCHRIJVER,juges ad hoe; Mme HINRICHS OYARCE, Grefjiere. Maurice est representee par : M. Dheerendra Kumar Dabee, G.O.S.K., S.C., Solicitor-General, Bureau de !'Attorney General, comme agent ; M. Jagdish Dharamchand Koonjul, G.O.S.K., ambassadeur et representant permanent de la Republique de Maurice aupres de !'Organisation des Nations Unies, New York (Etats-Unis), comme co-agent ; et M. Philippe Sands QC, professeur de droit international au University College de Londres, avocat au cabinet Matrix Chambers, Londres (Royaume-Uni), M. Paul S. Reichler, avocat, Foley Hoag LLP, membre du barreau du District de Columbia (Etats-Unis), M. Pierre Klein, professeur de droit international a l'Universite libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles (Belgique), comme conseils et avocats ; M. Remi Reichhold, avocat au cabinet 5 Essex Court, Londres (Royaume-Uni), M. Andrew Loewenstein, avocat, Foley Hoag LLP, membre du barreau du Massachusetts, Boston (Etats-Unis), Mme Diem Huang Ho, avocate, Foley Hoag LLP, Paris (France), M. Yuri Parkhomenko, avocat, Foley Hoag LLP, Washington D.C. (Etats-Unis), Mme Anjolie Singh, membre du barreau indien, New Delhi (Inde), 6 13 octobre 2020, apres-midi comme conseils ; Mme Shiu Ching Young Kim Fat, Ministre conseillere, Bureau du Premier ministre, comme conseillere ; M. Scott Edmonds, International Mapping, Ellicott City (Etats-Unis), M. Thomas Frogh, International Mapping, Ellicott City (Etats-Unis), comme conseillers techniques ,· Mme Lea Main-Klingst (Allemagne), comme assistante. Les Maldives soot representees par : M. Ibrahim Riffath, Attorney General, comme agent ; et Mme Khadeedja Shaheen, Attorney General adjointe, Mme Salwa Habeeb, Senior State Counsel au Cabinet de !'Attorney General, comme representantes ; M. Payam Akhavan, LL.M., S.J.D. (Harvard), professeur de droit international ; maitre de recherche au Massey College et professeur invite a la faculte de droit de l'Universite de Toronto; membre du barreau de l'Etat de New York et du barreau de l'Ontario; membre de la Cour permanente d'arbitrage, M. Alan Boyle, professeur emerite de droit international, Universite d'Edimbourg; membre du barreau d'Angleterre et du pays de Galles, cabinet Essex Court Chambers (Royaume-Uni), M. Jean-Marc Thouvenin, professeur a l'Universite Paris-Nanterre ; secretaire general de l' Academie de droit 7 DELIMITATION DE LA FRONTIERE MARITIME ENTRE MAURICE ET LES MALDIVES international de La Haye ; membre associe de l 'Institut de droit international ; membre du barreau de Paris, cabinet Sygna Partners (France), Mme Naomi Hart, doctorat (Cambridge); membre du barreau d' Angleterre et du pays de Galles, cabinet Essex Court Chambers (Royaume-Uni), comme conseils et avocats ,· M. John Brown, consultant en droit de lamer, Cooley LLP (Royaume-Uni), comme conseiller technique ,· Mme Justine Bendel, doctorat (Edimbourg), Ecole de hautes etudes internationales de Vienne (Autriche), M. Mitchell Lennan, LL.M., Universite de Strathclyde (Royaume-Uni), Mme Melina Antoniadis, LL.M., avocate, barreau de !'Ontario (Canada), comme assistants. 8 OPENING OF THE ORAL PROCEEDINGS - 13October 2020 p.m. Opening of the Oral Proceedings [ITLOS/PV.20/C28/1/Rev.1, p. 1--4] THE PRESIDENT OF THE SPECIAL CHAMBER: Good afternoon and welcome. The Special Chamber of the Tribunal formed pursuant to article 15, paragraph 2, of the Statute of the Tribunal meets this afternoon to examine the preliminary objections raised by the Maldives in the Dispute concerning delimitation of the maritime boundary between Mauritius and Maldives in the Indian Ocean. Today's hearing takes place in exceptional circumstances. The past few months have been difficult for all States and the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has been significant. The work of the Tribunal, like that of many other institutions, has been affected by the pandemic. In light of travel, social distancing and other restrictions put in place by governments worldwide in response to the pandemic, the Tribunal has had to adapt its working methods so as to ensure the continued fulfilment of its mandate. The Tribunal has recently amended its Rules to allow for new ways of working. On 25 September 2020, the Tribunal amended article 74 of its Rules to add a new paragraph which provides that, as an exceptional measure, for public health, security or other compelling reasons the Tribunal may decide to hold a hearing entirely or in part by video link. The Tribunal also amended article 112 of its Rules to add a new paragraph to provide that the reading of the Tribunal's Judgment in a case may take place by video link when necessary for public health, security or other compelling reasons. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Special Chamber has decided that the hearing on the preliminary objections raised by the Maldives will take place in a hybrid format, with a mix of virtual and in-person participation. The following judges are present with me in the courtroom of the Tribunal: Judge Jesus, Judge Yanai, Judge Bouguetaia, Judge Heidar and Judge ad hoe Schrijver. On the other hand, Judge Pawlak, Judge Chadha and Judge ad hoe Oxman are participating in the hearing by video link. Today's hearing is the first in the history of the Tribunal to take place with the participation of some Judges, Agents and Counsel by video link. The sitting of the Special Chamber will be accessible to the public by webstream and any interested person can follow our proceedings today either in the original language from the floor or through the interpretation to the other official language of the Tribunal.