A three-day regional work-shop on the International Tribunal For the Law of The Sea (ITLOS) got uder way, yesterday, at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.

The workshop, which was organised by ITLOS, the International Foundation for the Law of the Sea, in collaboration with the Jamaican Government, is expected to raise awareness of the advantages, which the tribunal can offer in settling disputes relating to the Law of the Sea.

Insight into procedures

President of the Tribunal, Judge Rudiger Wolfrum, while address-ing the opening ceremony, said the purpose of the workshop was to provide government experts working in the maritime field with insight into the procedures for the settlement of disputes.

Meanwhile, Senator Anthony Hylton, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, who officially opened the workshop, said the exercise would provide useful insights and guidance to states in the region on the mechanisms available for the settlement of disputes.

"It is anticipated that more states will opt to use the tribunal in resolving such critical issues as the delimitation of the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf," he said.