External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met international jurist Bimal N Patel and congratulated him on his recent election as a Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).
Glad to meet Prof. Dr. Bimal N. Patel today.
Congratulated him on his recent election as a Judge of the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea @ITLOS_TIDM. Wished him the best for a successful tenure. pic.twitter.com/T45bt0gcu7
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 10, 2026
Countries that are signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) elected Patel, who will join the tribunal in September.
With Patel’s election, India will continue to have representation on the tribunal after Neeru Chadha completes her nine-year term in September.
Neeru Chadha is currently serving as the tribunal’s Vice President.
Bimal N Patel currently serves on the UN International Law Commission and is Vice Chancellor of Rashtriya Raksha University in Gujarat. He is also a member of the National Security Advisory Board of the National Security Council Secretariat.
India’s UN Mission said Patel’s election advances India’s longstanding commitment to multilateralism and the Law of the Sea.
Indian diplomats had campaigned at the UN since last year for Patel’s election.
Of the seven ITLOS seats contested this year, two were allocated to the Asian region and were won by Patel and Vietnam’s Nguyen Lan-Anh Thi.
Bimal N Patel secured 115 votes out of 168 valid votes in the election, which took place during the 36th Meeting of States Parties to the Law of the Sea Convention.
Based in Hamburg, Germany, ITLOS comprises 21 judges who adjudicate disputes concerning seas and oceans and interpret the law of the sea.
Jaishankar had earlier thanked UNCLOS member states for their support following Patel’s election and wished him a successful tenure.
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