Conference of the International Law Association held in Athens from June 25 to 28, 2024.

At the conference of the International Law Association (ILA) held in Athens from June 25 to 28, 2024, the ILA Committee on International Law and Sea Level Rise presented its final, fourth report.

This concluded a twelve-year effort on studying and clarifying the issue of sea level rise. During the presentation of the report, Committee Chairman Prof. Dr. Davor Vidas highlighted that the Committee offered a contemporary interpretation of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and recommended that states adopt an international instrument that could enable a broader participation of states, such as a United Nations General Assembly resolution.

Based on the Committee’s final report, the ILA adopted a resolution on June 28, 2024. Vidas emphasized that this resolution should ensure that all actions by island states affected by sea level rise, as well as the activities of international organizations, are guided by the principles of legal certainty, stability, equity, and international cooperation. More details about the Resolution can be found here.

Through its Committee, the ILA has made a significant contribution to the study of this and many other topics in international law, continuing a tradition that dates back to its founding in 1873.