Doha, Qatar: The 12th Conference of the Advisory Board on the Law of the Sea (ABLOS), held under the auspices of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and the International Association of Geodesy (IAG), opened Tuesday in Doha.

The two-day conference is being held from October 7 to 8 under the theme "Is UNCLOS Fit for Purpose in Modern Times? Achievements, Challenges and Future Pathways."

The gathering brings together leading experts, academics, and representatives from international and regional marine and ocean affairs bodies to examine gaps in the current legal regime and propose future pathways of reform.

In his opening remarks, HE Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Standing Committee on the Convention on the Law of the Sea, said that Qatar's convening of the conference underscores the strong and fruitful cooperation between the Standing Committee and ABLOS, which began in 2012 following the Committee's participation in the ABLOS working meeting and annual conference held in the Korean capital, Seoul. He noted that Qatar had previously hosted the conference in October 2017.

HE Dr. Al Hammadi emphasized Qatar's long-standing partnership with ABLOS, which encompasses not only regular attendance at ABLOS meetings and conferences but also substantive support in promoting the Board's scientific work. He cited, for example, that with ABLOS' approval, the Standing Committee translated the ABLOS "Guide on the Technical Aspects of the Law of the Sea (TALOS)" into Arabic. This, he said, fills a gap in Arabic-language scholarly resources and provides practitioners and researchers across the Arab world with a valuable scientific reference.

He further stressed that upholding the rule of law internationally is of significant importance to the State of Qatar, particularly with regard to its vital interests such as sovereignty and sustainable development. He reiterated Doha's support for initiatives aimed at promoting respect for international law.

Dr. Al Hammadi also noted that at the previous ABLOS meeting in Brazil, Qatar had the honor of proposing the main theme for this year's conference. He remarked that the challenges under discussion cannot be resolved overnight, as they require sustained effort over many years. He affirmed the commitment to push forward on reform pathways.

The opening ceremony was attended by distinguished figures including President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea HE Judge Tomas Heidar, Director of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) Rear Admiral Luigi Sinapi, and President of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) Dr. Richard Gross.

MENAFN07102025000063011010ID1110161039