Dispute settlement and the law of the sea: The UN convention regime

Following the election of members of the new International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in August 1996, this article outlines the provision made for the settlement of disputes under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and related instruments against the background of the earlier regime of dispute settlement under international law. It goes on to review the progress made in bringing the new system into operation and to evaluate the contribution which it is likely to make.