CIL Dialogues is the re-imagination of the existing blog of the Centre for International Law (CIL) of the National University of Singapore (NUS). The editorial team’s approach to CIL Dialogues reflects two shared commitments. First, we share a generalist perspective of international law, viewed as raising shared foundational questions across specialised fields, institutions, regions, and inquiries. Secondly, we are appreciative that CIL Dialogues is not based in (the virtual space of), or associated with institutions in the ‘Western European and Others States Group’. The blog will therefore be interested in international law broadly conceived and seek to be attentive to regional perspectives to questions of universal and general relevance, particularly relating to Asia Pacific, as well as the views and voices that may have been traditionally excluded. More...
Featured Symposium ...
Reflecting on ASEAN Members’ Disputes at the World Trade Organisation Part 4: The Impact of the WTO on ASEAN’s Dispute Settlement Mechanisms by Yvette Foo Introduction Over the past three instalments of this series, it was argued that the ASEAN Member States have become more committed to relying on dispute settlement to resolve trade-related conflicts. …
A Regional Network of Sandboxes for Post-COVID 19 Recovery of Marine Tourism in Southeast Asia by Vu Hai Dang[1] Introduction Before COVID-19, Southeast Asia was a well-known destination for world travellers. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), in 2018, six Southeast Asian countries were among the world top 50 in attracting the …
Reflecting on ASEAN Members’ Disputes at the World Trade Organisation Part 3: DS496, 2015 by Yvette Foo Introduction DS496, 2015: Indonesia — Safeguard on Certain Iron or Steel Products (DS496) is the third, and as of the date of this blog post, last WTO case between two ASEAN Member States. This was a trade dispute …
Reflecting on ASEAN Members’ Disputes at the World Trade Organisation Part 2: DS371, 2008 by Yvette Foo DS371, 2008: Thailand — Customs and Fiscal Measures on Cigarettes from the Philippines (DS371) is the second dispute between two member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that was brought before the Dispute Settlement Body …
Rethinking law in ASEAN’s rules-based order by Dr Tan Hsien-Li By the end of 2021, the ASEAN Charter would have been in force for 13 years pursuant to Indonesia’s ratification in 2008. Yet what is supposed to be ASEAN’s ‘constitutional’ breakthrough has been to many, in the years since, underwhelming when compared to the initial …
Rethinking law in ASEAN’s rules-based order by Dr Tan Hsien-Li Read More »
Reflecting on ASEAN Members’ Disputes at the World Trade Organisation Part 1: DS1, 1995 by Yvette Foo The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established amid regional conflict and strained relations. ASEAN’s first five member states (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand) in 1967 agreed to join together to increase regional solidarity in …
Ten conclusions of the CIL roundtable on “ASEAN and Myanmar: Balancing the ASEAN Charter and Non-Interference in the Internal Affairs of Other States” held on 25 March 2021 By Tommy Koh ?? This afternoon I moderated an important discussion on the crisis in Myanmar. The webinar was organised by the Centre for International Law of …
Immunities and Criminal Proceedings (Equatorial Guinea v. France) Judgment of 11 December 2020 by Tutku Bektas* Introduction On 11 December 2020, the International Court of Justice handed down its judgment on the case between Equatorial Guinea and France concerning the immunity of the Second Vice-President of Equatorial Guinea, Mr. Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue and the …
The 2020 US Presidential Election: A Quest For Understanding by Professor Tommy Koh Introduction The United States of America is a very complicated country. Although I have spent over 20 years of my life in that country, I am frequently surprised and puzzled by events in that country. This essay is an attempt to understand the …
The 2020 US Presidential Election: A Quest For Understanding by Professor Tommy Koh Read More »
Government Responsibility to Remediate Mercury-Contaminated Sites, a Philippine Perspective by Amiel Ian Valdez On 8 July 2020, the Philippines became the 123rd party to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (‘the Convention’), following its Government’s deposit of the instrument of ratification. For a country with a history of abandoned mine sites and sizable Artisanal and Small-scale …
The ‘Enrica Lexie’ Incident Award and Exclusive Flag State Jurisdiction by Arron N Honniball Sugeesh at Malayalam Wikipedia / CC BY, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Enrica_Lexie.jpg Introduction On 21 May 2020 the Arbitral Tribunal (UNCLOS, Annex VII) in respect of the ‘Enrica Lexie’ Incident (Italy v. India), PCA Case No. 2015-28, furnished its Award. Once Italy and India agree …
COVID-19 and Shipping: New Global Regulations and a New Normal by Robert Beckman COVID-19 has caused many serious problems for the global supply chain and the world’s economy. Fortunately, although maritime trade has slowed, it has continued. The Singapore port and many other major ports have remained in operation, and have allowed visits by commercial …
COVID-19 and Shipping: New Global Regulations and a New Normal by Robert Beckman Read More »
Reproduced from the Business Times For Business Times – Dr Tan Hsien-Li, Co-Director (Teaching) for CIL’s ASEAN Law and Policy Programme, reflects on ASEAN’s collective response to public health crises. As the COVID-19 crisis was intensifying in the region in February and March, commentators from the media and academia noted that ASEAN was slow to …
Digital Trade in the Time of COVID-19 by Neha Mishra The COVID-19 outbreak has caused a systemic shock to global trade. The World Trade Organization (WTO ) has predicted that global trade will fall between 13% and 32% in 2020. In a period of few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has already significantly disrupted global supply …
Neha Mishra writes about Digital Trade in the Time of COVID-19 Read More »
The World Health Organization and COVID-19: How Much Legal Authority Does the WHO Really Have to Manage the Pandemic? by Ayelet Berman 1. Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has placed the World Health Organization (WHO) in the defendant’s seat. It has been accused—mostly by the US but also by other countries—of having been unduly influenced by …
A reflection on shipping and pandemics: From 14th century quarantines to the 2005 International Health Regulations by Nilüfer Oral The globalization of trade is not a new phenomenon, with historic examples as the silk route between the 2nd and 14th centuries. It should not be surprising that global trade and increased human mobility also brought …