The Government of Maldives has responded to the points made by the Government of Mauritius over the maritime boundary delimitation case at the International Tribunal for the Laws of the Sea.
The case was submitted by the Government of Mauritius after the International Court of Justice ordered the British Government to handover the Chagos islands to Mauritius, with the latter declaring its own Exclusive Economic Zone around the archipelago.
According to the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS), a 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone can be declared by any stated around their natural inhabited land area. The area would be free for the state to exploit its natural resources without any contest or obstruction.
Currently the Maldives is set to lose a 95,828 square kilometer area of prime ocean real estate if the Maldives loses the case to Mauritius.
While the Government of Maldives initially stated that the International Tribunal for the Laws of the Sea had no jurisdiction to arbitrate and pass a verdict over the case, they latter accepted the case in January 2021. According to the Attorney General’s Office, on 25th November 2021 the Government of Maldives responded to the points made by the Government of Mauritius at the International Tribunal for the Laws of the Sea.
The Attorney General’s Office also stated that the Government of Maldives responded after careful consideration, analysis and advice from the relevant state authorities including the cabinet. They stated that their response was made with consideration to uphold the sovereignty of the nation.
Local experts in hydrography and geology were also involved in developing the response by the Government of Maldives. The statement by the Attorney General’s Office stated that the experts in relevant areas were summoned to protect the interests of the Maldives, which heavily depends on marine resources as a source of income. They also estimated that the next hearing would be held in 2022.