On 27 May 2026, the Rio Course on Regional and International Dispute Settlement (Rio CRIDS) was honored to welcome Prof. Rafael Zelesco, adjunct professor at the Brazilian Naval War College. The course is held by the FGV Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme and directed by Prof. Paula Wojcikiewicz Almeida.

In his lecture, moderated by Prof. Paula Wojcikiewicz Almeida, Prof. Zelesco presented an overview of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). He began by outlining the legal framework of the tribunal, which is based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a treaty that codifies the law of the sea. One of the tasks of UNCLOS is to divide the ocean. Some of the subjects that appear in the convention include maritime spaces, high seas, underwater mining and pollution control. He illustrated these provisions in light of case law from the ITLOS, in particular the Virginia G case, which concerned the right of a coastal to regulate bunkering activities in its exclusive economic zone.

Prof. Zelesco also presented the dispute settlement mechanisms under UNCLOS and the procedure of the ITLOS. In 2024, the ITLOS gave a landmark advisory opinion on climate change, after a request submitted by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law. The ITLOS agreed with the Commission that anthropogenic GHG emissions can constitute marine pollution. Therefore, when creating technology that uses GHG, states must use best available science, adopt international rules and standards, respect available means and capabilities, and exercise due diligence (environmental impact assessment).

We extend our sincere thanks Prof. Zelesco for this engaging and informative session. We look forward to further collaboration.