Annex VII Arbitration

Annex VII arbitration is the default compulsory dispute-settlement procedure under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Where parties to a dispute have not agreed on a forum under Part XV, Article 287(3) deems them to have accepted arbitration under Annex VII. A five-member tribunal is constituted, with each party appointing one arbitrator and the remainder agreed or appointed by the ITLOS President. The South China Sea arbitration (Philippines v. China, award 12 July 2016) was conducted under Annex VII. Its awards are binding and final on the parties to that dispute.