UK and Argentina clash over Falklands oil project as Hamburg tribunal starts

Argentina has asked an international tribunal in Hamburg to suspend Britain’s approval of oil drilling near the Falkland Islands, arguing that the Sea Lion project worsens the long-running sovereignty dispute. The case matters because it is the first time substantive issues relating to the islands have been heard by an international tribunal, and the dispute was fought over in the 1982 war.

At the two-day hearing, Argentina said the project breached a 1976 UN resolution against unilateral action while sovereignty remains unresolved, and could increase environmental risks and make a peaceful settlement harder. It seeks urgent measures, including a stop to drilling planned to start in March next year. Sea Lion, led by Navitas and Rockhopper, could triple the islands’ GDP per capita; the islands’ 3,400 residents see it as a chance to secure their economic future. Argentina says the resources belong to its people, while the UK maintains control of the territory.