Ghanaian jurist Dr Sylvia Ama Adusu has been sworn in as a judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), making history as the first African woman to serve on the international maritime court. Dr Adusu took the oath alongside four other newly elected judges during a public sitting of the Tribunal in Hamburg, Germany, yesterday. They will serve nine-year terms that run until 2035.
The other newly appointed judges are George Rodrigo Bandeira Galindo of Brazil, Slim Laghmani of Tunisia, Lan-Anh Thi Nguyen of Vietnam and Bimal N. Patel of India. At the ceremony, the five judges made the solemn declaration required under Article 11 of the Statute of the Tribunal, pledging to perform their duties impartially and conscientiously. The judges were elected during the 36th Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to serve nine-year terms beginning October 1, 2026.
Historic election
Dr. Adusu’s election in June this year made her the first African woman to be elected to the ITLOS bench. She received 130 votes out of 169 cast during the 36th Meeting of States Parties to UNCLOS, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Her election came after Ghana’s nomination and the endorsement of her candidacy by the African Union.
Dr. Adusu, a former Chief State Attorney and the former head of the International Law Division at the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, has over three decades of experience in legal practice and international law. She holds a PhD in International Law from the University of Lancaster in the United Kingdom, where her research focused on the delimitation and conservation of marine resources under UNCLOS, particularly in the context of cooperation regarding Gulf of Guinea resources.
Maritime experience
Her experience in the law of the sea includes significant involvement in prominent cases representing Ghana before international tribunals. She was a member of Ghana’s legal team in the “ARA Libertad” case, which involved Argentina and Ghana before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).
Additionally, she served as counsel in Ghana’s maritime boundary dispute with Côte d’Ivoire before the tribunal and was part of the negotiating team for the maritime boundary. The Ghana-Côte d’Ivoire case focused on the delimitation of the maritime boundary between the two countries in the Atlantic Ocean and was heard by ITLOS in Hamburg. Dr. Adusu has also represented Ghana in international legal proceedings, including those before the International Court of Justice concerning a request for an advisory opinion on climate change.
ITLOS
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) is an independent judicial body established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Tribunal has jurisdiction over disputes arising from the interpretation or application of the convention, as well as other matters covered by agreements that confer jurisdiction on ITLOS.
Its mandate includes resolving disputes relating to maritime boundaries, navigation, the conservation and management of living marine resources, the protection and preservation of the marine environment, and marine scientific research. On September 17, 2017, ITLOS concluded a dispute between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire concerning the delimitation of their maritime boundary in the Atlantic Ocean.
