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A. B.; B.S. (Civil Eng’g) (Rutgers)

LL.B. (Hons.) (King’s College London)

LL.M. (Columbia University)

Prof. Gudmundur Eiriksson

Professor and Senior Fellow, Centre for International Legal Studies, JGLS and Advisor, International Office and Global Initiatives

Email geiriksson@jgu.edu.in
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ORCID ID 0000-0001-5478-7126
Key Expertise Public International Law (in particular Law of the Sea, International Criminal Law, International Humanitarian Law, International Institutions).

A. B.; B.S. (Civil Eng’g) (Rutgers)

LL.B. (Hons.) (King’s College London)

LL.M. (Columbia University)

Biography

Gudmundur Eiriksson is Professor and Senior Fellow, Centre for International Legal Studies, and Advisor, International Office and Global Initiatives. He is Professor Emeritus of the University for Peace (since 2018). He is the President of the Arbitral Tribunal in the Dispute concerning the Detention of Ukrainian Naval Vessels and Servicemen (Ukraine v. the Russian Federation) which is being conducted under Annex VII to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. He was until September 2014 Ambassador of Iceland to India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore and South Africa.

He received a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Rutgers College in 1970, an LL.B. (Honours) degree from King’s College London in 1973 (Jelf Memorial Medallist) and an LL.M. degree from Columbia University in 1974. He is a Fellow of King’s College London (since 2016).
 
Professor Eiriksson served as a Law of the Sea Officer in the Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the Law of the Sea from 1974 to 1976 and as a Special Consultant at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea in 1977.

He joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland in 1977, with the rank of Ambassador since 1988, and served as Assistant Legal Adviser (1977–1980), Legal Adviser (1980–1996) and Ambassador to Canada, Nicaragua, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Venezuela and Peru (2003–2005), South Africa (2008–2014, resident in Pretoria 2008–2009 and in New Delhi 2009–2014), India (2009–2014), Singapore (2010–2014), Nepal (2011–2014), Malaysia (2012–2014) and Bangladesh (2013–2014).  He was the first Chairman of the Icelandic National Committee on International Humanitarian Law (2008).

Professor Eiriksson was a Judge at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) from 1996 to 2002 (President, Chamber for Fisheries Disputes 1999–2002), a Judge ad hoc in the M/V “Norstar” Case before the Tribunal (2016–2019) and a Judge ad hoc in the M/T “Heroic Idun” Case (No.2) (Marshall Islands/Equatorial Guinea) before a Special Chamber of the Tribunal (2023–2026). He was appointed as a Judge ad hoc in the M/T “Heroic Idun” Case (Marshall Islands v. Equatorial Guinea), Prompt Release before the Tribunal (2022, discontinued). 
 
He was a Lecturer at the University of Iceland from 1987 to 1996 and a Visiting Professor of Law at the University of New Mexico School of Law from 1994 to 1995. He was Director of International Law and Human Rights Studies and Dean for Cooperative Programmes at the University for Peace in Costa Rica from 2001 to 2003 and Professor and Head of the Department of International Law and Human Rights from 2005 to 2008. He has been a Visiting Professor at the University since 2008. He was appointed Legal Adviser to the Council of the University in 2004. He is on the Visiting Faculty of Symbiosis Law School (Noida, India).

Professor Eiriksson was a member of the United Nations International Law Commission from 1987 to 1996 (Rapporteur 1990; First Vice-Chairman 1993). He was a member of Icelandic delegations in numerous international forums, including the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea (1978–1982) and the Council of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO) of which he was the first President (1984–1988).  He is serving as Observer of Iceland in Working Group III of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). He is a member of the Panel of Conciliators and Arbitrators, Center for Arbitrations, Mediation and Conciliation, Dakar, the Panels of Conciliation and Arbitration under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the India International Panel of Arbitrators for International Arbitration, New Delhi. He has served on the Panel of Conciliators and Panel of Arbitrators, International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, Washington. He is a member of the International Council of Environmental Law and the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law. He is a member of the Icelandic Society of Professional Engineers and the Association of Icelandic Lawyers. He is a life member of the Indian Society of International Law and a member of the Asian Society of International Law, the International Law Association and the American Society of International Law. He is a Member of the Advisory Board of the American Society of International Law International Courts and Tribunals Interest Group, the Advisory Board of the Human Rights Centre at the University for Peace, the International Advisory Board of the Foundation for Post Conflict Development and the Advisory Board of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. He is a Member of the Editorial Board of the Inter-American & European Human Rights Journal/ Revista Interamericana & Europea de Derechos Humanos and the Advisory Board of the Nordic Journal of International Law. 

Professor Eiriksson has been active in civil society in his country.  He was Chairman of the Board of the Icelandic Opera (1988–1995) and a member of the Opera Chorus (1987–1997), member of the International Board of the Icelandic Red Cross (1985–1993), member of National Championship teams of KR Sports Club (basketball), Chairman and Board Member of KR Basketball Division, National Tennis Champion, Founding Chairman, Icelandic National Tennis Committee, and Board Member, Icelandic Tennis Federation. 
He is the author of The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2000) and numerous articles on the law of the sea, legal education, international criminal law, international organizations, international relations, disarmament and human rights, including annual surveys of the work of the International Law Commission in the Nordic Journal of International Law for the period during which he was a member of the Commission.  A list of his recent publications and lectures is attached.

In addition to the abovementioned institutions, Professor Eiriksson has lectured at the Universities of Cambridge, London, Durham, Lund, Helsinki, Lapland, Stockholm, Ottawa, Oslo, Tromso, Bergen, Hamburg, Utrecht, Georgia (Athens, Georgia), California (Berkeley), Kyoto, Geneva, Hawaii and Kerala, at the Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico City), the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (Lima), the Army Institute of Law (Mohali, India), Gujarat National Law University, South Asian University, ITM Law School, Symbiosis Law School (Noida, India), Amity Law School Delhi, the National University of Advanced Legal Studies (Kochi, India), the Indian Law Institute, New York University (Abu Dhabi), Maharashtra National Law School, Mar Gregorius College of Law and Dalhousie, Duke, Columbia, Reykjavik and Abo Academi Universities.

Professor Eiriksson is a Knight Commander of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon.
 

  • International Criminal Court 
  • Law of the Sea

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Book Review: Gabriela A. Oanta, ed., The Presence of International Organizations in the Evolution of the International Law of the Sea: Thirty Years since the Entry into Force of UNCLOS”, Ocean Yearbook 40, Brill Nijhoff, 2021, pp. 611-616.

Gudmundur Eiriksson and Sandrine Wendkuni De Herdt, “The Contiguous Zone: Taking Stock of the 2022 Nicaragua v. Colombia Judgment of the International Court of Justice", International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law (2026, in publication).

Gudmundur Eiriksson and Michael W. Lodge, “Satya N. Nandan (1935-2020): In Memoriam”, in Aldo Chircop, Scott Coffen-Smout and Moira McConnell, eds., Ocean Yearbook 35, Brill Nijhoff, 2021, pp. xx–xxvii.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “UNCLOS and the Relationships between Law & Power and Power & Principle; Lessons (to be) learned from the South China Sea Arbitration”, in UNCLOS: Solutions for Managing the Maritime Global Commons, India Foundation, 2021.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Introductory Remarks, Panel 1: Evidence in Inter-State Litigation”, in R. Kolodkin, E. Bulatov and E. Fedorov, eds., Evidence before International Courts and Tribunals; Symposium (November 9, 2018) and Round-Table (May 15, 2019) proceedings, International and Comparative Law Research Center, 2020.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Reflections on Forty Years of the Law of the Sea”, in H. Jordan Diamond and Stephen Minas, eds., Stress Testing the Law of the Sea: Dispute Resolution, Disasters and New Challenges. Proceedings of a Conference Co-Sponsored by The Transnational Law Institute, King’s College London and The Law of the Sea Institute, University of California Berkeley Law School, London, 30 September – 1 October 2016, Brill Nijhoff, 2018.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The Decision of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in the Bay Of Bengal Case”, The A38 Blog (6 July 2015)

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Satya N. Nandan’s role in Drafting the Informal Single Negotiating Text: Aspects of the Preparatory Work for UNCLOS”, in Michael W. Lodge and Myron H. Nordquist, eds., Peaceful Order in the World’s Oceans: Essays in Honor of Satya N. Nandan, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2014, pp. 37–50.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The Bay of Bengal case before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea”, in Lilian del-Castillo Laborde, ed., Liber Amicorum Judge Hugo Caminos: Law of the Sea – From Grotius to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2014, pp. 512–528.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Recent Developments in the Law of the Sea”, Seminar on Recent Developments in International Law (A Tribute to the Late Professor R. P. Anand), Faculty of Legal Studies, South Asian University and Centre for International Legal Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 11 February 2013. ://southasiacanteen.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/speakers-note-his-excellency- gudmundur-eiriksson-on-recent-developments-in-the-law-of-the-sea/

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Dispute Settlement under UNCLOS”, in AALCO, Verbatim Record of the Legal Experts Meeting to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), New Delhi, 5 March 2013, pp. 23–30.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Challenges in the Law of the Sea”, in “Panel I: Challenges in International Law and the United Nations (Conference Proceedings: The Challenges We Face: A Conference Honoring Professor Richard N. Gardner’s Retirement from Teaching)”, Columbia Journal of Transnational Law, 2012, Vol. 50, pp. 555–558.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Relationships in fisheries governance”, Océanis, 2009, Vol. 35, pp. 107–108.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Strategies to combat terrorism and human rights: the judicial role”, in Juan Carlos Arjona and Christina Hardaga, eds., Terrorismo y derechos humanos, Fontamara, 2008, pp. 425–432.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The Developing Relationship Between Law and Politics in the United Nations Human Rights Council”, in Ola Engdahl and Pål Wrange, eds., Law at War: The Law as it Was and the Law as it Should Be; Liber Amicorum Ove Bring (International Humanitarian Law Series; Vol. 22), Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2008, pp. 101–104.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The state of international law: some reflections on the Judgment of the International Court of Justice in the Genocide Case and on the contributions of Professor Louis Sohn”, Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law, 2007, Vol. 35, pp. 538–544.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The University for Peace”, in Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, 2007.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Complementary International Standards: The Legally Binding Option”. High Level Seminar on Racism and the Internet and Complementary International Standards. Geneva, 16–27 January 2006. Expert Report submitted during the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Working Group of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.

High Seas Task Force, Closing the Net: Stopping Illegal Fishing on the High Seas. Final Report of the Ministerially-Led Task Force on Illegal, Unreported or Unregulated Fishing on the High Seas. Governments of Australia, Canada, Chile, Namibia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, WWF, IUCN and the Earth Institute at Columbia University, 2006. (Judge Eiriksson was closely associated with the Task Force since its establishment as Coordinator of its Expert Group on Legal Questions.)

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Commentary on articles 23 to 27 and 115 to 123”, in P. Chandrarsekhara Rao and Ph. Gautier, eds., The Rules of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea: a Commentary, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2006.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Democracy in the year 2054 – the supporting role of the international community”, in Ruedi Baur, curator, “Le lointain n’existe plus”, Abstract, 2005, No. 20.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “An Interview with Gudmundur Eiriksson. A Supplement to the Position Papers by John Norton Moore & William L. Schachte Jr. and Doug Bandow”, interviewed by Katherine Hill and Zachary Wales, Journal of International Affairs, 2005, Vol. 59, pp. 43–51. (The interview contains Judge Eiriksson’s comments on papers by United States scholars on the question of whether the United States should become a Party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.)

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The Case of Disagreement Between a Coastal State and the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf”, in Myron H. Nordquist, John Norton Moore and Tomas H. Heidar, eds., Legal and Scientific Aspects of Continental Shelf Limits (Proceedings of 27th Annual Conference of the Center for Oceans Law and Policy, University of Virginia School of Law, Reykjavik, 25–27 June 2003), Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2004, pp. 423–429.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Settlement of Disputes II; International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea”, in United Nations, DOALOS/UNITAR Briefing on Developments in Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea 20 Years after the Conclusion of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, United Nations, 25–26 September 2002, accessed at http://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/convention_20years/briefingmaterial.htm

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The New Law of the Sea”, in Ármann Snævarr et al., eds., Afmælisrit til heiðurs Gunnari G. Schram sjötugum, Almenna bókafélagið, 2002¸ pp. 179–188.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Comments on the origins and purposes of ITLOS”, in Myron H. Nordquist and John Norton Moore, eds., Current Marine Environmental Issues and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2001, pp. 57–62.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The special chambers of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea”, in P. Chandrasekhara Rao and Rahmatullah Khan, eds., The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea: Law and Practice, Kluwer Law International, 2001, pp. 93–108.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea , Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2000. (Reviewed by: Bernard H. Oxman, American Journal of International Law, 2001, Vol. 95, pp. 731–734; Robin Churchill, British Year Book of International Law, 2001, Vol. 72, p. 394; Myron H. Nordquist and Daniel Sansom, International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law, 2003, Vol. 18, pp. 147–150; Alan Boyle, International and Comparative Law Quarterly, 2001, Vol. 50, pp. 741–742; and ASIL Newsletter, January 2001.)

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Prompt Release of Vessels and Crews in Accordance with Article 292 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea”, 2000, Cuardernos de Derecho Pesquero, Vol. 1, pp. 19–34.

Policy: New Institutions, Challenges and Opportunities, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1999, pp. 111–131.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The Special Chambers of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea”, Indian Journal of International Law, 1998, Vol. 38, pp. 429–446.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The Work of the International Law Commission at its 48th Session”, Nordic Journal of International Law, 1997, Vol. 66, pp. 369–392.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The Role of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes”, Indian Journal of International Law, 1997, Vol. 37, pp. 347–355.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The Work of the International Law Commission at its 46th Session”, Nordic Journal of International Law, 1995, Vol. 64, pp. 59–128.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The Work of the International Law Commission at its 47th Session”, Nordic Journal of International Law, 1995, Vol. 64, pp. 169–201.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The Work of the International Law Commission at its 45th Session”, Nordic Journal of International Law, 1994, Vol. 63, pp. 245–300.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Future Challenges for International Management of Ocean Resources”, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 1994, Vol. 29, pp. 552–555.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The Legal and Political Position of NAMMCO”, in Report of the Inaugural Meeting of the Council of NAMMCO, App. III (10 September 1992).

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The Work of the International Law Commission at its 43rd Session”, Nordic Journal of International Law, 1992-1993, Vol. 61/62, pp. 319–372.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The Work of the International Law Commission at its 44th Session”, Nordic Journal of International Law, 1992-1993, Vol. 61/62, pp. 373–388.

Anna Gudrun Bjornsdottir and Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Samningur Sameinuðu þjóðanna um réttindi barnsins (e. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child)“, Úlfjlótur, 1993, Vol. XLVI, pp. 145-150.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The Law of the Sea, Ocean Management and Confidence-building”, in United Nations, ed., Naval Confidence-building Measures, United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs, Disarmament Topical Paper No. 4, 1990, pp. 127–136.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The Work of the International Law Commission at its 42nd Session”, Nordic Journal of International Law, 1990, Vol. 59, pp. 204–227.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “The Work of the International Law Commission at its 41st Session”, Nordic Journal of International Law, 1989, Vol. 58, pp. 287–320.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Mannréttindamál á vettvangi Sameinuðu þjóðanna (e. Human Rights under the auspices of the United Nations)”, Proceedings, Icelandic Red Cross Colloquium on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Reykjavík, 19 February 1983, Icelandic Red Cross, 1983.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Alþjóðlegar stofnanir (e. International Organizations)”, in Hulda Olafsdottir, Maður og stjórnmál (Proceedings, Líf og Land Conference, 12 June 1982), Líf og Land, 1982.

Gudmundur Eiriksson, “Some Thoughts on Regional Marine Arrangements in the Developing World”, in Douglas M. Johnston, ed., Regionalization of the Law of the Sea (Proceedings, Law of the Sea Institute, Eleventh Annual Conference), Ballinger Publishing, 1978, pp. 95–102.
Email geiriksson@jgu.edu.in
ORCID ID 0000-0001-5478-7126
Key Expertise Public International Law (in particular Law of the Sea, International Criminal Law, International Humanitarian Law, International Institutions).
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