Ghana has reached a historic milestone in international law and diplomacy following the election of Dr. Sylvia Ama Adusu as a judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) — a victory that resonates far beyond the country’s own borders.
Dr. Adusu’s election marks the first time an African woman has been chosen to serve on the Hamburg-based tribunal since its founding in 1996 under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). For a court that has operated for nearly three decades without African female representation, her appointment represents a meaningful shift — one that strengthens the presence of women within international judicial institutions while amplifying African perspectives in global conversations about ocean governance.
Dr. Adusu arrives at ITLOS with a résumé few can match. A former Chief State Attorney and former Head of the International Law Division at Ghana’s Attorney-General’s Department, she brings more than three decades of experience in international law, treaty negotiations, and maritime affairs. Her most notable contribution came in 2017, when she played a key role in Ghana’s successful defence during its landmark maritime boundary dispute with neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire before ITLOS — a case that tested her expertise in precisely the kind of disputes she’ll now help adjudicate from the bench.
Her candidature also carried the weight of continental backing, having received the endorsement of the African Union — a signal of broad support across Africa for her command of maritime law and international dispute resolution.
Understanding ITLOS and Its Role
ITLOS is composed of 21 independent judges elected by the states that are party to UNCLOS. The tribunal handles some of the most consequential disputes in international law — maritime boundaries, marine environmental protection, navigation rights, fisheries, and the sustainable use of ocean resources. Judges serve nine-year terms, with elections structured to ensure equitable geographical representation and diversity across legal systems.
What the Role Actually Involves
As a judge, Dr. Adusu’s responsibilities will span a wide range of maritime legal matters. Her work will include:
Adjudicating boundary disputes between nations over territorial waters, exclusive economic zones (EEZs), and continental shelves
Interpreting and applying UNCLOS, the treaty governing how states use the world’s oceans
•Ruling on cases tied to marine environmental protection, including pollution disputes and ecosystem conservation
•Resolving conflicts over fisheries and marine resources to ensure compliance with international sustainability law
•Handling disputes involving navigation rights and maritime security, including the movement of vessels through international waters
Issuing advisory opinions on law-of-the-sea questions when requested by authorized international bodies.
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One important distinction sets ITLOS judges apart from typical diplomatic appointments: despite being nominated by Ghana, Dr. Adusu does not represent her home country once seated on the bench. She is required to act independently, impartially, and strictly in accordance with international law — a principle central to maintaining the tribunal’s credibility as a neutral arbiter of global maritime disputes.
Beyond personal achievement, Dr. Adusu’s election carries strategic significance for Ghana, particularly given the country’s growing interests in offshore oil and gas, fisheries, and maritime trade. Having an African voice — and an African woman’s voice — on a tribunal that shapes how the world manages ocean resources gives the continent stronger representation in decisions that will increasingly affect coastal economies, environmental policy, and resource disputes for years to come.
Her appointment is also expected to resonate well beyond legal circles, potentially inspiring a new generation of African women to pursue careers in law, diplomacy, and global governance — fields where representation from the continent, and particularly from women, has historically lagged.