The Arctic Sunrise Arbitration (Netherlands v. Russia)

On 4 October 2013, the Kingdom of the Netherlands instituted arbitral proceedings against the Russian Federation under Annex VII to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The dispute concerns the boarding, seizure, and detention of the vessel Arctic Sunrise in the exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation and the detention of the persons on board the vessel by the Russian authorities. The Permanent Court of Arbitration acts as Registry in this arbitration.

 


Case information

Name(s) of Claimant(s) The Netherlands (State)
Name(s) of Respondent(s) The Russian Federation (State)
Names of Parties -
Case number 2014-02
Administering institution Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)
Case status Concluded
Type of case Inter-state arbitration
Subject matter or economic sector Law of the sea
Procedural rules - Other -
Treaty or contract under which proceedings were commenced

Multilateral treaty
UNCLOS

Language of Proceeding English
Seat of Arbitration (by Country) Austria
Arbitrator(s), Conciliator(s), Other Neutral(s)

Judge Thomas A. Mensah (President)
Mr. Henry Burmester
Professor Alfred Soons
Professor Janusz Symonides
Dr. Alberto Székely

 

Representatives of the Claimant(s)

Agent
Prof. Dr. Liesbeth Lijnzaad
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands


Co-Agent
Prof. Dr. René Lefeber
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands

 

Counsel
Prof. Dr. Erik Franckx
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium 


Advisers
Mr. Marco Benatar
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium

 

Ms. Anke Bouma
Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, the Netherlands

 

Mr. Tom Diederen
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands

 

Mr. Peter Post
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands

 

Ms. Annemarieke Vermeer
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands

Representatives of the Respondent(s)

The Russian Federation has not appointed an agent or any other representatives. By Note Verbale dated 27 February 2014 addressed to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Russian Federation indicated its “refusal to take part in this arbitration.”

Representatives of the Parties
Number of Arbitrators in case 5
Date of commencement of proceeding 04 October 2013
Date of issue of final award 10 July 2017
Length of Proceedings 3-4 years
Additional notes -

Documents

Notice of Arbitration
Notification and Statement of Claim dated 4 October 2013
Written submission
Video 30
Memorial of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Witness Statements
Supplementary Written Pleadings on Reparation for Injury
Annexes and Appendices to Supplementary Written Pleadings
Second Supplemental Written Pleadings
Third Supplemental Written Pleadings
Annex N-45
Annex N-48
Annex N-49
Letter from the Kingdom of the Netherlands dated 30 October 2015, setting forth further information on the Updated Pleading on Reparation
Fourth Supplemental Written Pleadings of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Appendices 1 to 14
Letter from the Kingdom of the Netherlands setting forth its comments on the Expert Report of Mr. Larsen
Letter from the Kingdom of the Netherlands setting forth its comments on the Expert Report of Mr. Potter
Procedural Documents
Procedural Order No. 1 (Terms of Appointment)
Procedural Order No. 2 (Rules of Procedure; Initial Procedural Timetable)
Rules of Procedure
Procedural Order No. 3 (Greenpeace International’s Request to File an Amicus Curiae Submission)
Procedural Order No. 4 (Bifurcation)
Tribunal's questions to the Netherlands
Tribunal's questions to the Netherlands
Questions Posed by the Arbitral Tribunal to the Netherlands pursuant to Article 25 of the Rules of Procedure
Letter from the Tribunal setting out additional instructions for Mr. Potter
Award or other decision
Award on Jurisdiction
Award on the Merits
Award on Compensation
Press Release
Press Release of 21 March 2014
Communiqué de presse du 21 mars 2014
Press Release of 7 November 2014
Communiqué de presse du 7 novembre 2014
Press Release of 5 December 2014
Communiqué de presse du 5 décembre 2014
Press release of 18 February 2015
Communiqué de presse du 18 février 2015
Пресс-релиз от 18 февраля 2015 года (неофициальный перевод)
Press Release of 24 August 2015
Communiqué de presse du 24 août 2015
Пресс-релиз от 24 августа 2015 года (неофициальный перевод)
Press Release of 18 July 2017
Communiqué de presse du 18 juillet 2017
Пресс-релиз оm 18 июля 2017 года (неофициальный перевод)
Other
Note Verbale from the Russian Federation to the PCA dated 27 February 2014
Expert Terms of Appointment of Mr. Allan Larsen
Expert Terms of Appointment of Mr. Iain Potter
Expert Report of Mr. Allan Larsen
Expert Report of Mr. Iain Potter
Image
Photograph of the Arbitral Tribunal
Photograph of the Arbitral Tribunal and the PCA Registry
Transcript/Minutes
Hearing transcript day 1
Hearing transcript day 2