Togo adopts two bills to reaffirm its commitment to the law of the sea and promote the conservation of Atlantic tunas
On Thursday 4 May 2023, the National Assembly of Togo adopted two important bills. The first concerns the privileges and immunities of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the second relates to the conservation of Atlantic tunas.
The first bill authorises Togo’s accession to the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, adopted on 23 May 1997. Togo is a State Party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1985 and a signatory to the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. However, Togo has not ratified it, having nevertheless accepted the jurisdiction of this Tribunal as one of the jurisdictional mechanisms for the settlement of possible disputes related to the interpretation or application of the said Convention.
By acceding to this Convention, the country reaffirms its commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Furthermore, by allowing the Tribunal to enjoy, on Togolese territory, the legal capacity and privileges and immunities attached to the exercise of its functions, accession to the Agreement on Privileges and Immunities offers Togo another definite advantage, namely the benefit of the services of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, in particular the settlement of disputes arising from the delimitation of Togo’s maritime borders.
The second bill authorises Togo’s accession to the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, adopted on 14 May 1966 in Rio de Janeiro. It aims to set up a commission called “International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)”, responsible for ensuring the conservation of tunas and other related species.
By adhering to this convention, Togo ensures the development of industrial tuna fishing, a source of income through the entry of foreign currency.
This membership contributes, among other things, to the creation of tuna canneries and frozen tuna export units, to the creation of jobs with the development of industrial tuna fishing, to the strengthening of international cooperation in maritime fishing for the sustainable management of maritime resources and to fight against illegal fishing.
