I. PROCEDURAL HISTORY

A. Commencement of the Arbitration

1. This challenge arises out of a dispute between the Republic of Mauritius (“Mauritius”) and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the “United Kingdom” or the “UK”) under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (the “Convention”), to which Mauritius and the United Kingdom (together, the “Parties”) are party.

2. Mauritius is represented by its Agent, Mr. Dheerendra Kumar Dabee SC, Solicitor-General of Mauritius, and its Counsel, Sir Sydney Kentridge QC, Professor James Crawford SC, Professor Philippe Sands QC, Miss Alison Macdonald, and Mr. Andrew Loewenstein.

3. The United Kingdom is represented by its Agent, Mr. Christopher A. Whomersley, Deputy Legal Adviser at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (the “FCO”), its Deputy Agent, Ms Susan Dickson, Legal Counsellor at the FCO, and its Counsel, Sir Michael Wood KCMG, Professor Alan Boyle, and Mr. Samuel Wordsworth.

4. By Notification and Statement of Claim dated 20 December 2010, Mauritius commenced arbitration proceedings against the United Kingdom pursuant to Article 287 of the Convention and in accordance with Article 1 of Annex VII of the Convention.