Kingston, Jamaica – 20 July 2026 – It is with profound sadness that I learned of the passing of Judge Alonso Gómez-Robledo Verduzco of Mexico on 16 July 2026.
Judge Gómez-Robledo was a distinguished Mexican jurist and scholar whose career was devoted to public international law and the law of the sea. He served as a Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea from 2014 to 2023 and was the first Mexican national appointed to the Tribunal.
Alongside his judicial service, Judge Gómez-Robledo pursued a longstanding academic career as a researcher at the Institute of Legal Research of the National Autonomous University of Mexico and as a professor of international law. Through his teaching, scholarship and public service, he contributed to the study and understanding of international law, including the legal framework established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
On behalf of the International Seabed Authority, and on my own behalf, I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, to the Government of Mexico, and to his colleagues and friends in the international legal and academic communities.
His memory will remain with us.
Leticia Carvalho
Secretary-General
International Seabed Authority