Helga Law Journal - 01.01.2021, Side 93

Helga Law Journal - 01.01.2021, Side 93
Helga Law Journal Vol. 1, 2021 94 Helga Guðmundsdóttir 95 appointments should preferably be chosen from a list of conciliators maintained by the Secretary-General of the United Nations (‘the UNSG’) to which each Party to the Convention may nominate four conciliators.65 The party instituting the proceedings includes in its notification the two appointed conciliators, while the other party (or parties) shall, within 21 days of the notification’s receipt, appoint two conciliators. Should the time expire prior to any appointment, the party instituting the proceedings may either terminate the proceedings or request that the UNSG appoint the conciliators from the aforementioned list within 30 days.66 When all conciliators have been appointed they elect a fifth from the list of conciliators who serves as the Commission’s Chairman.67 Article 4 describes the conciliation procedure, laying down three procedural rules. Firstly, the Commission decides its own procedure unless the parties agree otherwise. Secondly, any State Party to the Convention may be invited to submit its views on the dispute, whether orally or in writing, subject to the consent of the disputing parties. Finally, the conciliators’ majority vote is required for any decision on procedural matters, the report and the recommendations.68 The article does not contain provisions as to how the disputing parties are represented before the Commission, and this is therefore a matter to be decided by the Commission itself or by agreement of the parties.69 In accordance with article 5, the Commission may draw the parties’ attention to any measures which may lead to an amicable settlement of the dispute. There is only one provision on the role of the conciliators – article 6 – which determines that the Commission shall, with the objective of reaching an amicable settlement, hear the parties and examine their claims and objections as well as make proposals.70 The aim of affirming this right to hear the parties was to emphasize the Commission’s right to consider both legal and factual arguments. Article 7 then concerns the Commission’s report, including its record on conclusions on questions of law and fact, emphasizing the Commission’s quasi-judicial element.71 Article 7 furthermore determines that the Commission shall deliver a report within 12 months of its constitution.72 The Commission’s report should include a record of any agreement reached. The Commission’s main objective of the proceedings is to secure a settlement 65 Convention, Annex V, articles 2 and 3(1)(a), (b) and (c). See the list here <treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetailsIII.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXI- 6&chapter=21&Temp=mtdsg3&clang=_en> accessed 23 October 2021. 66 Convention, Annex V, article 3(1)(b), (c) and (e). 67 Convention, Annex V, article 3(1)(d). 68 Convention, Annex V, article 4; ’ Annex V Conciliation (V)’ (n 56) 319. 69 ‘Annex V Conciliation (V)’ (n 56) 319. 70 Ibid 320 71 J. G. Merrills, International Dispute Settlement (2nd ed., Cambridge University Press 1996) 165. 72 Convention, Annex V, article 7. Due to there however not being any sanction should the limit of 12 months be exceeded there is a possibility of the report being delivered at a later period. ‘Annex V Conciliation (V)’ (n 56) 322. the Conference’s seventh session in 1978 and the recourse to a compulsory conciliation procedure was the ‘final and residual means for settling nonjusticiable disputes’, such as those disputes concerning the coastal State’s exercise of its sovereign rights in the EEZ.56 The process is described in Annex V to the Convention, which is divided into two sections. Section 1, articles 1 to 10, lists the provisions governing the conciliation process when the disputing parties have agreed to this recourse pursuant to Section 1 of Part XV. Its provisions apply mutatis mutandis to the compulsory conciliation. Section 2, articles 11 to 14, on the other hand, sets out the provisions which apply only to the conciliation procedure pursuant to compulsory submission to conciliation under Part XV, Section 3, of the Convention. Although the report rendered by the conciliation commission is not binding on the parties to the dispute, the process itself is binding in the sense that a party is obliged to accept the Conciliation Commission’s proceedings.57 In accordance with article 11(1) of the Annex the conciliation procedure may be instituted by any party to a dispute through a written notification to the other party or parties to the dispute.58 The parties so notified are obliged to submit to the proceedings.59 Article 12 specifies that it will not constitute a bar to the proceedings if no reply is provided by the notified party, or if the notified party does not submit to the proceedings.60 Thus, the failure of a party to submit to the proceedings will not be an obstacle to the Conciliation Commission’s work. In accordance with article 13 the Conciliation Commission decides its own competence if there is disagreement thereon.61 The Commission would presumably deal with a respondent’s denial of the allegations of its manifest failure at this stage.62 The constitution of the Conciliation Commission is described in article 3, although the parties may agree to constitute it differently.63 These provisions contain a more comprehensive description than did earlier treaties in order to ensure the continued proceedings rather than risking disagreement on the process itself contributing to the termination of the case.64 In accordance with article 3, each party appoints two conciliators, one of whom may be its national. The 56 Myron H. Nordquist, Satya Nandan, and Shabtai Rosenne (eds), ‘Annex V Conciliation (V)’, UN Convention on the Law of the Sea Commentary 1982 (Martinus Nijhoff Publishers 2013) 325. 57 Ibid 313 58 Convention, Annex V, article 11(1). 59 Convention, Annex V, article 11(2). 60 Convention, Annex V, article 12. 61 Convention, Annex V, article 13. A similar provision does not apply to Section 1 where the recourse to conciliation is not compulsory, but based on agreement, implying the parties’ acceptance of the Commission’s competence. ‘Annex V Conciliation (V)’ (n 56) 327. 62 Roberto Lavalle, ‘Conciliation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: A Critical Overview’, Austrian Review of International and European Law, vol. 2 (1997), at 37. 63 Convention, Annex V, article 3(1). 64 ‘Annex V Conciliation (V)’ (n 56) 312.
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