Compulsory Procedures (UNCLOS Part XV)

Part XV of UNCLOS makes most disputes about the interpretation or application of the Convention subject to compulsory procedures entailing binding decisions, once the parties have failed to settle by their own chosen means. A state declares under Article 287 which of four fora it accepts, ITLOS, the ICJ, an Annex VII arbitral tribunal, or an Annex VIII special tribunal; where the choices do not match, Annex VII arbitration is the default. Article 297 limits and Article 298 lets states opt out of certain categories, such as boundary delimitation and military activities.