Continental Shelf (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya/Malta) - Hearing to open on 26 November 1984 at 3 p.m.

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INTERNATIO C OU AR LT OF JUSTICE
Peace Palace, 2517 KJ The Hague. Tel. 92Cables:Intercourt. The Hague

Telex32323
Communiqué

ufutmnrsdisrreleoss

No. 84/37
19 November1984

Continental Shelf (LibyanArab JamahiriyalMalta)

-earingto open on26 November 1984
at 3 p.m.

The following informatiionmade availableto the pressby the Registty
of the InternationalCourtof Justice:

The Courtis to hold publicsittingn,in the GreatHall ofJusticeof
the PeacePalace,beginningon Monday,26 November 1984, at3 p.m.in the
Continental Shelcfase (Libyan Arabamahiriya/Malta). It will be hearing
argument concerning the delimitat ofothe continentalshelf asbetwecn
thosetwo States,which is the underlying issuien the presendispute.

The case is beforethe Courtby virtueof a SpecialAgreementconcluded
betweenthe LibyanArab Jamahiriyaand Malta on 23 May 1976and notified
jointlyto the Courton 26 July 1982.

The oral proceedingshich are to open on 26 November984 were preceded
by a writtenstagein which the LibyantlrabJamahiriyaand Malta each filed
threewritten documents,namelya Mernoriala, Counter-Memoriaalnd a Rsply,
withinthe prescribed time-limits T.he documentation whichhe Parti~shave
submittedto the Courtin order to substantiateeheirclaimsis very
voliminous(some3,400pages) .

In the courseof the written proceedings,he GovernmentofItaly
submittedan application for permissit on interveneconsideriiithat
it had an interestof a legalnature whichmight be affectcdby tlidtcision
in the case,but after hearing the argumenots Italyad of the Parties
the Courtdecided,in a Judgmentdeiiveredon 21 March 1984, thatTtaly's
requestcouldnot be granted. Since the Court did not include upon the Bench any Judge of the
nationality of the Parties, each of them has chosen a Judge ad hoc in
accordance with Article 31 of the Statute. The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya chose

Mr. E. Jiménez de Aréchaga and Malta, Mr. J. Castaceda. Each made the
solemn declaration required by Article 20 of the Statute and sat in the
proceedings concerning the Italian Application for permission to intervene.
Since then, Mr. J. Castaceda has resigned for health reasons. Malta has
appointed a new Judge ad hoc, Mr. N. Valticos, whose curriculum vitae

is appended as an Annex to this communiqué. He will make the solemn
declaration required by Article 20 of the Statute at the hearing on
26 November 1984. There will be no need for Mr. Jiménez de Aréchaga to
renew his solemn declaration.

.ri
Under the terms of Article 1 of the Special Agreement concluded by

the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and Malta on 23 May 1976, the Court is required
to decide the following question:

"What principles and rules of international law are applicable
to the delimitation of the area of the continental shelf which

appertains to the Republic of Malta and the area of continental shelf
which appertains to the Libyan Arab Republic, and how in practice such
principles and rules can be applied by the two Parties in this
particular case in order that they may without difficulty delimit
such areas by an agreement as provided in Article III."

Article III reads as follows:

"Following the final decision of the International Court of

Justice the Governement of the Republic of Malta and the Government
of the Libyan Arab Republic shall enter into negotiations for
determining the area of their respective continental shelves and
for concluding an agreement for that purpose in accordance with the 'cc
decision of the Court."

NOTE FOR THEPRESS

1. The public sitting will be held in the Great Hall of Justice of
the Peace Palace. Members of the press will be entitled to attend it
after presentation of a press identification card or an admission card,

which may be obtained upon application. The tables reserved for them are
situated on the far left of the public entrance to the courtroom.

2. Photographs may be taken before the opening and during the first

few minutes of the sitting. Fi.lming for cinema or television purposes is
however subject to special authorization. 3. In the Press Room, located on the ground floor of the Peace Palace
(Room 5), the oral proceedings will be relayed through a loudspeaker.

4. Members of the press may use only the public telephones in the
Post Office in the basement of the Palace.

5. Mr . C. Poux, First Secretary of the Court (telephone extension 2331,
or, in his absence, &. Noble (extension 248) will be available to deal
with any requests for information by members of the press. Annex to Press Communiqué 84/37

Curriculum vitae of Mr. Nicolas Valticos

Born on 4 August 1918

Greek nationality

Studied law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Paris, Ph.D. in Law,

1948 (with award of two prizes for his doctoral thesis).

Barrister at Law in Athens (Greece), 1941.

Chief of Section at the Commission administering Relief in Greece (under

the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross) (1942-1945).

Joined the International Labour Office in 1949. In 1955 appointed Chief of
the Application of Conference Decisions Division. In 1964 appointed Chief
of the International Labour Standards Department. From 1976 to 1981 I

Assistant Director-General, Adviser for International Labour Standards.

Member and Chairman of various international arbitral tribunals and
commissions of enquiry.

Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Geneva
(1972-1981). Member of the Institute of International Law, Secretary-General
since 1981. Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

Doctor honoris causa of the Universities of Athens (Greece), Leuven

(Belgium) and Utrecht (Netherlands).

Corresponding member of the Academy of Athens.

Award of the Professorship Henri Rolin of international law (Belgium) for

1979-1980.

Member of the Council of the International Institute of Human Rights. Member
of the American Society of International Law, of the Société française de e

droit international, of the International Law Association and of the Greek
Society of International Law.

Has given many lectures, in particular at The Hague Academy of International
Law (twice), at the International Institute of Human Rights (Strasbourg),

at the International Seminar for Diplomats (Salzburg, Austria), at the
Institute of High International Studies, Paris, at the Graduate Institute
of High International Studies, Geneva, and at various universities and
societies in Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Poland, Rumania,
Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United States.

Has published a great many studies, articles and books on questions of
international law, human rights, civil law and labour law.