NILOS Moot Court Competition 2027 (law of the sea)

About the organisers

The Netherlands Institute for the Law of the Sea (NILOS) is a research institute set up in 1984 within the School of Law of Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Since 2013 it has been part of the Utrecht Centre for Water, Ocean and Sustainability Law (UCWOSL). NILOS works to build and sustain expertise in the law of the sea and oceans governance, and to raise awareness of these fields. Its staff practise and teach the law of the sea and international law, including on the Utrecht Master in Public International Law.

About the competition

The NILOS Moot Court Competition welcomes universities from around the world. NILOS describes it as the first moot court to simulate proceedings under Part XV of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the part dealing with settling disputes.

Depending on the case, the moot simulates proceedings before one of:

NILOS says the competition is a chance to debate law of the sea issues and to engage with the many procedural sides of international dispute settlement.

• The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).
• The International Court of Justice (ICJ).
• An arbitral tribunal set up under Annex VII of UNCLOS.

The 2027 edition

The 2027 competition is the fourth edition. Key points from the official page:

• The competition case was expected to be published on 16 September 2026.
• Team registration is open until 16 November 2026.
• The international rounds will be held in person from 14 to 16 April 2027.
• NILOS says further details will be shared in due course, including on its LinkedIn page.

Who can take part

The official page says the competition welcomes universities from all over the world, so you take part as a university team. The page we checked does not set out team size, student eligibility, fees or travel funding. Check the official rules and registration information, or ask the organisers, before you commit.

How to register, step by step

1. Read the 2027 competition case, published by NILOS.
2. Form a team through your law faculty and agree on a coach or faculty contact.
3. Register your team before 16 November 2026 using the registration route NILOS gives on its official page or announcements.
4. Watch the official page and LinkedIn for the rules, written submission deadlines and logistics for the April rounds.
5. If anything is unclear, email nilos.mcc@uu.nl.

Timeline

• 16 September 2026: competition case expected.
• 16 November 2026: team registration closes.
• 14–16 April 2027: international rounds in person.

What to expect

Teams argue a fictional dispute under UNCLOS as if before ITLOS, the ICJ or an Annex VII tribunal. As the page notes, that means arguing the substantive law of the sea as well as procedural questions such as jurisdiction and admissibility in international dispute settlement.

Tips from the source

• Register early; the registration deadline is the key date on this listing.
• Read Part XV of UNCLOS and the rules of the court or tribunal the case is set before.
• Budget for travel: the international rounds are in person, and the page does not mention travel funding.

Contact and official link

Email nilos.mcc@uu.nl. The official page is on uu.nl under the NILOS Moot Court Competition 2027. The source page is short, so treat Utrecht University's page and the official rules as the final word.