The Eritrea-Yemen Arbitration Awards 1998 and 1999

With a Foreword by Tjaco T. van den Hout, Secretary-General, Permanent Court of Arbitration


The Eritrea-Yemen Arbitration (1998-1999) is in more than one respect one of the most significant international arbitrations of the end of the twentieth century. It solved the problem of ownership of the southern islands of the Red Sea, the solution of which had been awaited since the end of the First World War. With its recognition of a ‘traditional fishing regime’ and crystallization of the criteria for maritime delimitation, it also made a significant contribution to the development of international law. In the recent case concerning Maritime Delimitations and Territorial Questions between Qatar and Bahrain the awards were cited by the International Court of Justice.



This unique bi-lingual edition brings together in both English and French the two awards rendered in the Eritrea-Yemen Arbitration. In a succinct yet thorough introduction, Jean-Pierre Queneudec, Professor emeritus at the University of Paris I, has distilled the essence of the awards and their contribution to international legal discourse.