On 21 October 2025, Prof Robert Beckman participated in the “International Conference: Territorial and Maritime Boundaries in a Changing World: Challenges and Opportunities” at the Pan Pacific Hotel, Hanoi. Prof Beckman made a presentation in Session 4 on International Cooperation in Managing and Resolving Maritime Issues. The title of his presentation was “The Role of ASEAN in Developing a Code of Conduct (COC) and Prospects for South China Sea Governance.” Prof Beckman traced the history of the negotiations between China and ASEAN on the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the ongoing negotiations to agree on a Code of Conduct (COC). He argued that if even if it is not possible to reach agreement on a COC, it will still be possible for the ASEAN member States and China to enhance cooperation under the 2002 DOC. However, he argued that the 2002 DOC should be supplemented with a strong “without prejudice” clause. A summary of his presentation is available here.