The Arbitral Tribunal Commences Hearing on Jurisdiction and Admissibility \

On Tuesday, 7 July 2015, the Arbitral Tribunal commenced the hearing on jurisdiction and admissibility in the arbitration submitted by the Republic of the Philippines against the People’s Republic of China under Annex VII to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The hearing is taking place in the Peace Palace, the headquarters of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Netherlands. The Arbitral Tribunal has decided not to open the hearing to the public. However, after receiving written requests from interested States, and having sought the views of the Parties, the Arbitral Tribunal has permitted the Governments of Malaysia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, the Kingdom of Thailand and Japan, to send small delegations as observers.

The hearing will end on or before 13 July 2015. More details about the hearing, including photographs, will be published at that time.