Book page 62-63
Footnote numbering differs from book (Fn 1 to 20)

THE SEA-BED DISPUTES CHAMBER 
Section: Part XI, Articles 133-191

 ARTICLES 186-191 
Disputes arising from deep-sea mining activities[27] in the Area are to be settled by compulsory procedures which basically do not give the parties a choice of courts or tribunals.[28] In interpreting or applying provisions related to the sea-bed Area and related Annexes, jurisdiction is to be exercised in such a manner as to ensure that rulings are uniform. The essential device for achieving this goal is the Sea-Bed Disputes Chamber, a special chamber of the Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.[29] This Tribunal elects eleven of its twenty-one members[30] to the Sea-Bed Disputes Chamber[31] for a three-year term; a quorum of seven members is required to constitute the Chamber. [32]The Chamber has jurisdiction in the following cases:  

(1) States parties in dispute may submit cases to a three-member ad hoc chamber formed from the members of the Sea-Bed Disputes Chamber[33] or to a special chamber of the Tribunal for the Law of the Sea;[34]

(2) Contractual disputes, including those involving the plan of work, with respect to in­terpretation or application[35] and financial terms in general and in particular with respect to transfer of technology[36] are to be submitted to binding commercial arbitration (if the parties to the dispute do not agree otherwise).[37] But tribunals for commercial arbitration have no jurisdiction on questions of the interpretation of the Area provisions and the Annexes; such questions must be referred to the Sea-Bed Disputes Chamber.[38] In summary: questions on interpretation of the Convention which are related to the interpretation of Part XI (Activities in the Area) cannot be referred to or decided by commercial arbitration;[39]  

(..) Footnnote-number in book (1)  [27] Art, 1, Subpara. 1(3),   [28] Art. 187; Art. 288, Para . 3; Art. 287, Para . 1,   [29] Art. 287, Subpara. 1(a); Annex VI, Art. 35,     [30] Annex VI, Art. 2,    [31] Annex VI, Art. 35,    [32] Annex VI, Art. 35, Para . 7,

(7)  [33] Art. 188, Subpara 1 (b); Annex VI, art. 36,    [34] Art. 188, Subpara. 1(a); Annex VI, Art.15,   [35] Art. 187, Subpara. (c)(i),   [36] Annex III, Art. 13 (15); Art. 5, Para . 4,  [37] Ibid; Art. 188, Para . 2,    [38] Art. 188, Subpara. 2(a-b); Art. 288, Para . 3,    [39] Ibid; Art. 286,

(14)  [40] Art. 189,    [41] Art. 159, Para . 8,     [42] Art. 159, Para . 10,     [43] Art. 191,    [44] Part. XV, (Art. 289-296); Annex VI, Art. 40,    [45] Art. 153, Para . 2(b); Annex III, Art. 4, Para . 3,    [46] Art. 190, Para . 1,

(3) The Sea-Bed Disputes Chamber has no jurisdiction with regard to the exercise by the Authority of its discretionary powers; furthermore, it does not pronounce itself on the question of whether any rules, regulations, and procedures of the Authority are in conformity with the Convention, nor does it declare invalid any such rules, regulations, and procedures.[40] This limitation of the Chamber's jurisdiction should be regarded in light of the majority requirements for taking decisions on questions of substance in the Assembly[41] and of the possibility for the Assembly to request opinions from the Chamber.[42]  

The Chamber gives advisory opinions at the request of the Assembly or the Council on legal questions arising within the scope of their activities and treats such requests as matters of urgency.[43]

The procedure of the Sea-Bed Disputes Chamber is governed by the provisions applicable for the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.[44] In cases where a natural or judicial person is a party to a dispute, the sponsoring state[45] has the right to participate in the proceedings by submitting written or oral statements.[46]