Jugement Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea

Cabinet has taken note of the Judgment of the Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) of 28 April 2023, establishing a binding international maritime boundary between Mauritius and Maldives in the Chagos Archipelago region. The Judgment is of great significance as it constitutes further recognition of Mauritius as the only State which has sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia. It has also confirmed that archipelagic baselines can be drawn from Blenheim Reef for the purpose of establishing the exclusive economic zone of Mauritius and given significant weight to Blenheim Reef in the delimitation of the maritime boundary between Mauritius and Maldives.