On 27 May 2026, the ITLOS Special Chamber rendered its judgment in M/T Heroic Idun (No. 2). Brought by the Marshall Islands against Equatorial Guinea, the case concerns the lawfulness of the latter’s arrest and detention of the vessel and its crew. At first glance, the case appears to fall squarely under UNCLOS, as it revolves around…

Introduction On 4 March 2023, the Implementing Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) under the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was adopted after nearly two decades of negotiations. As the third ‘child’ of UNCLOS, the Agreement acquires from its parents…