Clipperton Island case
The Clipperton Island case was an arbitration between France and Mexico over the sovereignty of Clipperton Island. The dispute was adjudicated by the King of Italy in 1931, who awarded the island to France. The case forms an important precedent in international law, particularly in matters of territorial sovereignty and the role of arbitration in resolving disputes between nations.
Impact on international law[edit]
An important result of the Clipperton Island case was that the first nation to discover and prove unclaimed land exists has claim to said territory.[28][29] This means that the occupation of a territory is not always a requirement for making a claim on it.[30][31] Nations wishing to make a claim on territory are required to exercise exclusive authority on the territory.[17][32] Although the levels of exclusive authority are interrupted on a case-by-case basis, with uninhabitable areas such as Clipperton having a much lower bar than territory with a native population.[21][33][34] France's continued claims of sovereignty over the island, even when Mexico made claims, was an important part of the arbitration going in their favor.[31] As a further result of this ruling, nations which make claims on territory do not forfeit said territory when it is unoccupied or not actively developed.[35]