To commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), a side event was organized by the Permanent Mission of the Philippines and co-sponsored by several other Missions, including the Permanent Mission of Eritrea to the UN.
In her remarks, H.E. Sophia Tesfamariam, Eritrea’s Permanent Representative to the UN, underscored Eritrea’s deep-rooted respect for the rule of law and peaceful dispute resolution in international conflicts.
Addressing diplomats, legal scholars, and experts, Eritrea celebrated the PCA’s pivotal role in upholding international law and fostering global peace. Eritrea’s Permanent Representative highlighted the PCA’s indispensable contribution to peace through legal resolutions and congratulated the PCA for its 125 years of service to justice.
Eritrea’s representative began by affirming that respect for the rule of law is a cultural heritage deeply embedded in Eritrean society, tracing back to customary laws that have been passed down orally for centuries and even codified as early as the 14th century. “Respect for the law is a core part of Eritrea’s cultural heritage,” She stated, “And seeking legal resolutions to disputes has always been a natural course of action for Eritrea.”
The Eritrean delegation highlighted two landmark cases that demonstrate the country’s commitment to peaceful dispute resolution: the Eritrea-Yemen Maritime Dispute and the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Dispute.
Eritrea’s decision to take its maritime dispute with Yemen over the Hanish Islands to the PCA in the mid-1990s was a clear testament to its commitment to resolving conflicts through international legal mechanisms. The countries submitted their claims to the PCA for impartial arbitration.
The arbitration, which began in 1996, resulted in two key rulings. The first, issued in 1998, divided the group of islands between the two nations. A subsequent ruling in 1999 delimited the maritime boundaries. Eritrea peacefully accepted both rulings, setting an example for the peaceful resolution of territorial and maritime disputes.
The second case discussed was the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Dispute, which arose following the two countries’ bloody conflict in the late 1990s. The Algiers Agreements signed in 2000 paved the way for a neutral Boundary Commission, administered by the PCA, to deliver a final and binding resolution.
In 2002, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) issued its delimitation decision. After unsuccessful attempts to physically demarcate the border, the EEBC resorted to virtual demarcation by placing the boundary coordinates on maps in 2007. Eritrea honored the ruling, underscoring its belief in peaceful and lawful resolutions, even in the wake of a violent conflict.