After two days of hearings, Milei's government is awaiting a decision that will prevent the advancement of oil exploitation
The Argentine representation also recalled that the United Nations recognizes the existence of a sovereignty dispute over the Falklands and that its resolutions urge to avoid unilateral measures that alter the situation while a negotiated solution remains pending. Jurist Marcelo Kohen emphasized that the Tribunal does not need to definitively resolve the sovereignty of the archipelago to order provisional measures aimed at protecting Argentine rights.
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) announced that it plans to issue a ruling next Saturday, November 28, on the request for provisional measures submitted by Argentina to halt the British oil project Sea Lion in the waters surrounding the Falkland Islands. The date was communicated following the conclusion of the hearings in Hamburg, Germany, where the Government of Javier Milei defended Argentina's rights over the natural resources of the South Atlantic.
The president of the body, Maurice Kamga, announced the schedule at the end of the second day of presentations between the delegations of both countries. The reading of the resolution is scheduled for 12 noon in Germany, 8 a.m. in Argentina, although the Tribunal clarified that the date is tentative. If it holds, the judges will have 17 days to deliberate on the Argentine request, formally submitted on October 13.
The legal strategy of the Argentine Government seeks to prevent the United Kingdom from continuing to unilaterally advance with hydrocarbon exploitation. During his final arguments, Ambassador Mario Oyarzábal, Argentina's representative to the Tribunal, requested the suspension of new drilling and infrastructure installations related to Sea Lion, to prevent new authorizations over the disputed continental shelf, to preserve Argentina's rights over the information obtained during exploration, and to ensure the protection of the marine environment.
One of the central arguments of the Argentine delegation was the irreversible nature of oil extraction. Specialist Nico Schrijver warned that drilling could begin on March 21, 2027, before the arbitral tribunal tasked with examining the substance of the dispute is in a position to intervene. "If it is not now, it will never be", he stated during his presentation, calling for urgent intervention to preserve national rights.
For its part, the United Kingdom rejected the request and argued that the body lacks jurisdiction to intervene in a dispute that, according to London, depends on territorial sovereignty. The British delegation also questioned the urgency of the Argentine claim and argued that drilling would not begin before March 2027.
On November 28, the Tribunal could grant the measures requested by Argentina, impose partial restrictions, or reject the request. The decision will not definitively grant Argentina sovereignty over the illegally occupied Falkland Islands by the United Kingdom, but could condition the progress of Sea Lion while the arbitral tribunal is constituted to examine the underlying controversy.
The ruling will represent a decisive instance for the diplomatic and legal strategy promoted by Javier Milei, aimed at defending Argentine natural resources and preventing the United Kingdom from consolidating oil exploitation in Argentine territory by right and history.
