DILI, 15 May 2025 (TATOLI) — Timor-Leste today welcomed global legal experts, diplomats, and regional representatives to the Second International Conference themed: “Navigating Challenges: Law of the Sea and Maritime Dispute Settlement”, in Dili, reaffirming the country’s strong commitment to international law and peaceful maritime resolution.
The conference brings together delegates from across the Pacific, ASEAN, the g7+ nations, and the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, highlighting a shared commitment to the rule of law in ocean governance.
In his opening remarks, the President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta, emphasized that international law has been central to Timor-Leste’s national journey—from the fight for self-determination to the assertion of its maritime rights.
“International law is not just an abstract concept,” said Horta at the conference held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MoFAC), in Dili. “International law is the bedrock upon which we built our independence.”
Horta said that Timor-Leste’s experience with international legal mechanisms—most notably the compulsory conciliation with Australia under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)—was hailed as a landmark case for smaller nations navigating maritime disputes with larger powers. The conciliation, initiated by Timor-Leste in 2016, ultimately led to the historic 2018 maritime boundary treaty between the two nations.
Horta acknowledged and honored the lasting legacy of Malta’s 1967 call for a “Constitution for the Oceans,” which ultimately led to the creation of UNCLOS in 1982.
The conference also highlighted the far-reaching implications of ITLOS’s recent advisory opinion on climate change, issued at the request of the Commission of Small Island States, which affirmed that UNCLOS obliges parties to protect the marine environment from climate change-related impacts.
“Our friends from the Pacific no doubt, were particularly delighted given the existential threat they face from global sea rises,” said President Horta. “We look forward with great anticipation to the pending International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on climate change.”
The Head of State said that the conference is a timely opportunity to strengthen legal cooperation, reaffirm commitment to maritime peace, and recognize the shared responsibility to protect the world’s oceans.
Horta concluded his remarks by stressing that the collection efforts can help meet the challenges ahead and secure a more just and stable maritime order. “It is an opportunity to work together to uphold international law and safeguard our oceans.”
ITLOS President, Judge Tomas Heidar, who addressed the conference at the invitation of Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, highlighted ITLOS’s evolving role in maritime dispute settlement and its growing influence in the legal discourse around climate change.
Heidar emphasized ITLOS’s foundational role as the only permanent judicial institution established under UNCLOS. He highlighted the Tribunal’s unique jurisdiction and its vital function in delivering binding judgments and advisory opinions that clarify complex maritime issues.
He presented the 2023 maritime delimitation case between Mauritius and the Maldives, in which ITLOS’s Special Chamber was called upon to define exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf boundaries between the two Indian Ocean archipelagic states.
Judge Heidar described the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea’s 2024 advisory opinion as a “legal milestone” at the intersection of climate change and ocean law.
Heidar concluded his remarks by reaffirming the enduring relevance of UNCLOS, calling it a “living legal instrument” that continues to guide states in resolving complex maritime disputes and navigating pressing global issues such as climate change.
The Dili conference convened legal scholars, diplomats, and policymakers from around the world to discuss current and future challenges in ocean governance, with a focus on legal innovation and regional cooperation.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
