UNCLOS Tribunal Awards Reparations in Malta v. São Tomé and Principe Case [1]
On December 18, 2019, the UNCLOS Article VII Tribunal ordered São Tomé to pay compensation to Malta in the (approximate) amount of 13,051,507.61 USD (not counting post-award interest) in the Duzgit Integrity Arbitration [3] (Malta v. São Tomé and Príncipe). According to an UNCLOS press release [4], the case involved a dispute between the above parties concerning the 2013 arrest by São Tomé of a vessel flagged under Maltese colors while the Maltese ship was in São Tomé’s waters attempting to make a cargo transfer with another ship (and resulting measures taken by São Tomé). In a previous award [5] in 2016, the Tribunal found that, although the arrest was legitimate, São Tomé’s subsequent treatment and sanctions imposed by São Tomé were incompatible with Article 49 of the Convention and that Malta was entitled to claim reparation.