India has secured continued representation at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) with the election of noted jurist Bimal N. Patel as a judge of the Hamburg-based tribunal for the 2026-2035 term.
Patel was elected during the 36th Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from June 15 to June 19. He will assume office on October 1, 2026, succeeding India’s current representative, Neeru Chadha, whose nine-year term concludes in September.
His election ensures India’s continued presence on the prestigious international judicial body, which adjudicates disputes relating to the interpretation and application of UNCLOS and other maritime agreements.
Strong Mandate from UNCLOS Member States
Patel secured 115 votes out of 168 valid votes cast by member states. The election was held among the 172 signatories to UNCLOS, with seven judicial positions filled for the 2026-2035 term.
Of the two seats allocated to the Asian region, Patel and Vietnam’s Nguyen Lan-Anh Thi emerged victorious. Thailand’s sitting judge, Kriangsak Kittichaisaree, was unsuccessful in his bid for re-election, while Indonesia withdrew its candidate before the vote.
The newly elected judges represent India, Vietnam, Ghana, Tunisia, Russia, Brazil and the Netherlands.
Accomplished International Law Expert
Patel is currently a member of the International Law Commission and serves as Vice-Chancellor of Rashtriya Raksha University. He is also a member of India’s National Security Advisory Board.
An expert in international and maritime law, Patel holds doctoral degrees in International Law from Leiden University in the Netherlands and Jaipur National University.
Government Welcomes Election
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar congratulated Patel on his election.
“Congratulations Dr. Bimal Patel! Sincerely thank UNCLOS member states for their support,” Jaishankar said in a post on X.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the result as a “significant milestone” and thanked member states for placing their trust in India.
India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations said Patel’s election advances India’s longstanding commitment to multilateralism and the rule-based maritime order under the Law of the Sea framework.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Parvathaneni Harish also congratulated Patel and acknowledged the efforts of the Indian diplomatic team that campaigned extensively for his candidature over the past year.
Key Global Maritime Court
Established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is an independent judicial body headquartered in Hamburg.
The tribunal comprises 21 independent judges elected by states parties to UNCLOS and is responsible for resolving disputes related to maritime boundaries, navigation rights, conservation and management of marine resources, marine environmental protection and scientific research.
The tribunal’s composition reflects equitable geographical representation, with judges drawn from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Western Europe and other states, and Eastern Europe.
Patel’s election comes at a time when maritime governance, ocean resources, and international sea routes are becoming increasingly important to global economic and strategic interests, reinforcing India’s growing role in shaping international legal and maritime frameworks.
(With agency inputs)
