The final judgment in the maritime boundary delimitation case between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire was delivered by an ad hoc special chamber (the Chamber) of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on 23 September 2017. The decision addressed important legal questions relating not only to maritime boundary delimitation but also to …
On 29 January 1819, Stamford Raffles, accompanied by William Farquhar and a small entourage arrived in Singapore. His objective was to establish a port and trading station for the East India Company. This is the beginning of the story of modern Singapore. Our founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, held this view. Speaking to …
This paper examines the role of international human rights institutions and their designs, by bringing to bear evidence from the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). It draws attention to the distinction between the protective and the promotional design aspects of this institution, showing that the AICHR is, by design, not a protective mechanism. …
High Seas Governance: Gaps and Challenges identifies gaps and challenges to the existing legal regime in the protection and preservation of the marine environment of the high seas, including sensitive marine areas. The gaps identified in the book include the failure of liability and compensation schemes to cover pollution of the high seas and the …
The Centre for International Law (CIL) at the National University of Singapore hosted a two-day workshop on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and shipping on 13–14 November 2018. The workshop was co-organised with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). The objective of the workshop was to bring together legal and industry experts to discuss …
Report of the International Workshop on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Shipping Read More »
The United Nations (UN) and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are natural partners. This is reflected in the charters of both organisations. In the case of the United Nations, Article 52 of its charter makes references to the role of regional arrangements or agencies in the maintenance of international peace and security. As …
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) was established in 1949. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was created in 1967. From 1967 to 1978, relations between the PRC and ASEAN were difficult. During that period, the PRC sought to export communism to the ASEAN member states by supporting local communist insurgencies. Beijing also appealed …
This article summarises and discusses the main issues addressed at the conference hosted by the Centre for International Law at the National University of Singapore in March 2018 on ‘Climate Change and the Law of the Sea: Adapting the Law of the Sea to Address the Challenges of Climate Change‘. The conference covered topics including …
In May 2013, Singapore was accepted as an Observer to the Arctic Council. This new opportunity for Singapore is the result of the Singapore government’s wide range of interests in the consequences of the annual reduction in the geographic scope of ice cover in the Arctic Ocean, including the rise of sea levels and an …
CIL Guide to Arctic Issues for Arctic Council Observers (November 2018) Read More »
Deng Xiaoping had visited Singapore twice in his lifetime. In 1920, Deng was 16 years old. He was one of the 84 students from Sichuan province going to France to participate in a work cum study programme. His ship, Lebon, stopped over in Singapore for two days. Deng was shocked by the way the British …
