Compulsory Conciliation of the Long-Running Timor Sea Boundary Dispute between Timor-Leste and Australia

Abstract

In April 2016, Timor-Leste initiated compulsory conciliation proceedings against Australia under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This is the first time a Conciliation Commission has been constituted for the purpose of aiding the settlement of a maritime boundary dispute under UNCLOS. This brief comment considers possible arguments about the competence of the Commission and the admissibility of the Timor-Leste's claim.