In a landmark initiative to clarify legal obligations tied to climate change and its effects on the ocean, the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (COSIS) submitted a formal request for an advisory opinion from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on December 12, 2022 . The request focused on two critical legal questions under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) . First, what are the state parties'...