Current Affairs - Awards and Honours - Discussion

Bimal N. Patel was elected as a judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for the 2026–2035 term during the 36th Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He secured 115 votes out of 168 valid votes cast and won one of the seats allocated to the Asian region. His nine-year term will begin on October 1, 2026, succeeding Neeru Chadha. ITLOS, headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, is an independent judicial body responsible for resolving disputes related to maritime boundaries, navigation rights, marine resources, and the interpretation of international maritime law.