The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has announced the election of Advocate Thembile Elphus Joyini to serve as a judge on the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

According to a statement released on Thursday, Joyini's term in office will begin from October 2023 to 2032.

The department has labelled Joyini as a seasoned diplomat, who served in New York as Counsellor for Legal Affairs and is currently Acting Chief State Law Adviser at DIRCO.

The father of two served as a Commissioner at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) from 1999 to 2001 and arbitrated many cases.

Joyini also acted as a Judge of the High Court in Pretoria in 2019, presiding over several cases and penning 12 judgments.

“He has considerable experience in both domestic and international law. The African Union endorsed his candidature. Therefore, his election is also a victory for the continent, with a massive interest in implementing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), under which ITLOS was established.

“The department congratulates Advocate Joyini and wishes him success.”

The ITLOS is an independent judicial body established by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

It deals with disputes relating to the delimitation of maritime zones, navigation, conservation and management of the living resources of the sea, protection and preservation of the marine environment and marine scientific research.

Source: South African Government News Agency