Guterres urges ocean protection as sea tribunal marks 30 years

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for countries to protect the oceans in a video message on 25 September 2026 marking the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea’s 30th anniversary in Hamburg, Germany. He credited the tribunal with helping nations settle international disputes peacefully over three decades. [1]

Guterres highlighted the tribunal’s 2024 advisory opinion on climate change, saying it affirmed that states must protect the marine environment from its impacts. He linked the tribunal’s wider work to efforts to conserve the oceans and use them sustainably. [1]

Maritime boundaries, sustainable fisheries and seabed activities were among the subjects he identified in the tribunal’s caseload. Its rulings, he said, interpret and apply the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. [1]