Researchers' Activities

27 October 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited by The Permanent Missions of Sweden and Austria to the United Nations to the Annual Interactive Dialogue between the Sixth Committee and the International Law Commission

With the presence of the following Members of the ILC:

Concepción Escobar Hernández: Immunity of State officials from foreign criminal jurisdiction

Pavel Šturma: Succession of States in respect of State responsibility

Nilüfer Oral: Sea-level rise in relation to international law

Patricia Galvão Teles: Protection of persons affected by sea-level rise

Moderated by Helmut Tichy, Legal Adviser of the Austrian Foreign Ministry

The interactive dialogue aims to provide a platform for an informal exchange and discussions between Members of the ILC and the 6th Committee, including visiting Legal Advisers from capitals. Members of the audience are encouraged to ask questions and make comments on the work of the ILC.

This year discussions will focus on the following topics:

Immunity of State officials from foreign criminal jurisdiction:

The Commission had before it the eight report of the Special Rapporteur, which examined the relationship between the immunity of state officials from foreign criminal jurisdiction and international criminal tribunals. Additionally, a mechanism for the settlement of disputes between the forum State and the State of the official was considered. The Commission discussed the reports of the Special Rapporteur and of the Drafting Committee and provisionally adopted several draft articles.

Succession of States in respect of State responsibility:

This year the Commission had before it the fourth report of the Special Rapporteur. It contained a summary of the debate in 6th Committee in previous years, questions related to the impact of succession of States on forms of responsibility such as reparation and an outlook on the future programme of work on the topic.

Sea-level rise in relation to international law:

The consequences of sea-level rise raise a number of important questions relevant to international law. These issues relate to the legal implications of the inundation of coasts and islands upon their baselines and delimitation of maritime zones. The reconstituted Study Group held discussions on the topic and plans to address issues related statehood and the protection of persons affected by sea-level rise.

26 October 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was One of the Invited Speakers at Freshfields’ Public International Law Seminar, Titled “Sea-level rise: what are the implications for international law?”

During this year’s Sixth Committee (Legal) of the United Nations General Assembly, Freshfields hosted its annual Public International Law Seminar. In keeping with Freshfields’ past events, a distinguished panel of speakers was invited to explore a topical question of international law of interest to States, international organisations and businesses, judges, practitioners, and academics.

The subject of this year’s seminar was ‘Sea-level rise: what are the implications for international law?’

Professor Nilüfer Oral (Member of the International Law Commission and Director of the Centre of International Law (CIL) at the National University of Singapore),

Daphne Hong (Director-General, International Affairs Division, Attorney-General’s Chambers of Singapore),

Professor Jean-Marc Thouvenin (Secretary-General of the Hague Academy of International Law and Professor agrégé at the University Paris Ouest Nanterre-La Defense), and

Alexandra van der Meulen (Counsel at Freshfields),

joined Will Thomas QC, head of Freshfields’ public international law group, in an hour-long interactive discussion.

The speakers covered a wide range of issues, including:

• What impact will sea-level rise have on existing maritime entitlements, features and boundaries?
• How will sea-level rise affect the statehood of vulnerable island States?
• Is existing international law ‘fit for purpose’ when it comes to addressing the potential impact of sea-level rise on the global community; or, is material change to the current legal regime necessary?
• What progress has the International Law Commission made in considering these issues?

What is the view of vulnerable, low-lying States?

Listen to Dr Nilüfer Oral as she speaks with Leigh Giangreco at BRILL’s Survival by Degrees on Climate Change, Oceans and Gender.

20 October 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited to Share Her Work on “Climate Change, Oceans and Gender” Through Humanities Matter by Brill Podcast.

Oceans are inextricably linked to the climate. Today, oceans are warming far more rapidly than they have in the past 65 million years, placing the spotlight on the important nexus between climate change and the ocean.

While there’s no doubt that climate change affects all people across the board, its effect is manifold among socioeconomically vulnerable communities, and among women in particular.

In the third episode of our new themed series Survival by Degrees, Prof. Nilufer Oral, Director of the Center for International Law, National University of Singapore, and member of the United Nations International Law Commission, took a closer look at the place of gender in relation to climate change and oceans, in the context of her work “Climate Change, Oceans and Gender”, published by Brill.

4 October 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited to Speak at Macquarie University’s Law and Nature Dialogue Webinar Series, Titled “Towards a New BBNJ Agreement: Negotiating a New Treaty for the Conservation of Marine Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction”

As a step to consolidate its status as a globally leading hub for biodiversity law and governance, the Centre for Environmental Law (CEL) at Macquarie University launched its first ever webinar series “Law & Nature Dialogue” earlier this year. It is planned to welcome a prominent speaker to share their expertise once a month during the semester. Dr Nilufer Oral was the invited speaker in October.

In her lecture, Nilufer discussed the history and current developments of the negotiation at the United Nations for a new international agreement for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. The lecture reviewed the key topics of marine genetic resources, areas-based management tools including marine protection areas, environmental impact assessment, capacity building, technology development and transfer, and other cross-cutting issues.

1 October 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited to Speak at the Webinar Organized by the University of Trento, Titled “Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise Legal Consequences from the Law of the Sea, Statehood and Affected Persons Perspectives”

The University of Trento, Faculty of Law hosted a webinar, entitled, Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise: Legal Consequences from the Law of the Sea, Statehood and Affected Persons Perspectives on 1 October 2021, via Zoom.

For more information see here and the programme.

3 October 2021: : CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited to Speak at the Marmara Urban Forum (MARUF) at the Session “Habitat Matters: Preserving Biodiversity for Sustainable Ecosystems”

Marmara Urban Forum (MARUF) is a biennial international urban forum organized with the motto of “Cities Developing Solutions” by Marmara Municipalities Union (MMU), which is a local government association in the Marmara Region of Turkey with over 190 members. MARUF strives not only to discuss the challenges that cities face but also to seek solutions to them and multiply good practices at a global scale.

MARUF19, which was organized for the first time on 1-3 October 2019 in Istanbul, attracted over 5440 participants. With the contributions of 66 partners, 50 sessions were held, and different approaches on urban services and urban management were discussed by 250 speakers from 25 countries. MARUF19 hosted plenary sessions, parallel sessions, roundtable meetings, workshops, networking events, exhibitions, field trips, cultural events, booths, film screenings for 3 days.

This year, MARUF21 was organized as a “virtual event” on the theme of “Re-Think, Co-Act” and brought together urban thinkers around passionate debates on how to make cities more liveable, sustainable, resilient, creative, inclusive, innovative, and healthy. It gathered all stakeholders including professionals from cities, national, regional and local governments, private sector, NGOs, universities and other stakeholders that play a crucial role in the design, transformation and governance of cities.

The experts who spoke at this webinar included:

Steven Solomon, Principal Legal Officer, World Health Organization (WHO).

Moderator: Claudio Grossman, Member, United Nations International Law Commission (UN ILC). Professor of Law and Dean Emeritus R. Geraldson Scholar for International and Humanitarian Law, AUWCL.

Patrícia Galvão Teles, Member, United Nations International Law Commission (UN ILC). Professor, Autonomous University of Lisbon. Co-Director, Singapore CIL Academy International Law.

Nguyen Hong Thao, Member, United Nations International Law Commission (UN ILC). Professor Associate in Law, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and National University of Hanoi.

Charles Jalloh, Member, United Nations International Law Commission (UN ILC). Professor of Law, Florida International University.

Nilufer Oral, Member, United Nations International Law Commission (UN ILC). Director, Centre for Intl Law National University of Singapore (NUS).

 

A recording of the webinar can be accessed here: Event Recording

The other speaker at the webinar was Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, United Nations Office of Legal Affairs. Professor Dato’ Dr. Rahmat Mohamad, the Deputy Vice Chancellor and Professor of International Law and Human Rights (UiTM) moderated the webinar.

A recording of the webinar can be assessed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVmIh1HVdC8

The Rhodes Academy of Oceans Law and Policy is an international collegial institution dedicated to fostering a better understanding of the modern law of the sea. Through education on the principles of contemporary oceans law and policy, the Rhodes Academy seeks to promote adherence to the rule of law in the world’s oceans. Founded in 1995, the Academy held its inaugural session in the summer of 1996 and operates on an annual basis.

 

This year’s Rhodes Academy was conducted virtually from 4-14 July 2021. Dr Nilufer Oral was invited to give a lecture on “Climate Change and Law of the Sea” on 9 July 2021. There were 16 lectures plus three question and answer periods at this year’s academy.

 

Please click the link to find out more about the Rhodes Academy: https://marine.unh.edu/academics/rhodes-academy

Dr Nilüfer Oral was invited to speak at the Women and the International Law Webinar organized by the Minerva LAW Network. In this panel session, the current and former women of the International Law Commission discussed their experiences in the Commission and their work on the progressive development of international law and its codification.

Dr Nilüfer Oral was invited to Chair a Session at the 28^th ANZSIL Conference which was held from 30 June – 6 July 2021. This year’s theme for the Conference was “Inertia or Innovation? Reshaping International Law for a Complex Future”. Dr Nilüfer Oral chaired the session titled “Binding advisory opinions? Re-shaping procedure and substance in inter-state dispute settlement”

Dr Nilüfer Oral was invited by Kadir Has International Law of the Sea Academy to deliver the inaugural lecture on “Climate Change and an Evolving Law of the Sea”.

Dr Nilüfer Oral was invited by the European Society of International Law Interest Group (ESIL IG) to speak at the ESIL IG Law of the Sea Webinar Series: ‘Current Issues in the Law of the Sea’. Dr Nilufer Oral is the fourth speaker from this series and the topic she covered was “Sea Level Rise and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea: Adapting to New Circumstances’.

 

CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was invited to participate in the Webinar “Work of the International Law Commission on Legal Effects of Climate Change”, organised by the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies (GGS), at KU Leuven. This webinar was part of the webinar series “Women in International Law”, which GGS has launched this year and the series aimed at both reflecting on the role of women in the development of international law and bringing female researchers and practitioners to the front seat of discussions, in their different fields of specialty.

Indian Society of International Law (ISIL) 19^th Summer Course on International Law was conducted from 14 – 25 June 2021. Dr Oral was invited to deliver a lecture on “Law of the Sea – I: Evolution of the Law of the Sea and Concept of Common Heritage of Mankind“.

CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was invited by the Permanent Missions of Côte d’Ivoire, Peru, Portugal, Romania and Turkey to a panel discussion on: “Sea Level Rise and Implications for International Law: A Dialogue with the ILC Study Group”.

Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited by the AEGEAN INSTITUTE OF THE LAW OF THE SEA AND MARITIME LAW to Speak at the E-Conference on World Oceans Day Titled “Peaceful Settlement of Disputes in the Oceans in the 21^st Century”. The Title of Dr Oral’s Presentation was “Sea-level Rise and Implications for Peaceful Settlement of Disputes”

Dr Nilüfer Oral was invited to speak at the launch of book title “Frontiers in International Environmental Law: Oceans and Climate Challenges – Essays in Honour of David Freestone”. As one of the contributors, Dr Nilufer Oral spoke on the topic “Sea level rise as a pressing concern of the international community and the work of the International Law Commission.” 

In celebration of World Environment Day 2021, the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) hosted a series of webinars on environmental law solutions. The webinars took place from Monday 31 May through Friday 4 June. Dr Nilufer Oral was invited to speak at the session on 3 June 2021.

6 May 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited by the University of Essex to Participate at the Essex Public International Law Lecture: A Common But Differentiated Law of International Adjudication   About the lecture Against the ever increasing resort to international courts and tribunals in their multifarious configurations, the lecture addresses commonalities and differences between them. Based on the characterizing features of their discernible mandate, three major adjudicative clusters are portrayed. Namely, a) traditional inter-state and investor-state litigation; b) international human rights litigation; c) international criminal litigation. The law of international adjudication is divided up between procedural law stricto sensu – intended as the set of rules strictly governing the conduct of proceedings –, and the body of principles and tenets which provide for the contents and boundaries of the powers and duties concerning the adjudicative decision-making process – i.e., non- liquet, ne ultra/ne infra petita, jura novit curia.  While the commonalities of strictly procedural law throughout different forms of international adjudication are fall well into chartered territory, the lecture will focus on the different modulations of the latter set of principles in relation to each of the three mentioned adjudicative contexts.   About the speakers Professor Attila Tanzi Attila M. Tanzi is Chair of International Law at the University of Bologna and Associate Member of 3VB Chambers. His recent Concise Introduction to International Law (2019) and treaties on international law in Italian (6th ed. 2019), testify to his characterisation as a PIL generalist. His fields of specialization include international procedural law, environmental law, investment law, the law of the sea, jurisdictional immunities, and the law of international organisations. A Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, Conciliator at the OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration Chairman of the Implementation Committee of the of the UNECE 1992 Convention on Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. He has been Visiting Professor at Queen Mary University of London, Université Paris II-Panthéon Assas, University of Vienna and Université Paris Nanterre and formerly visiting fellow, inter alia, at the Max Planck Institute Luxembourg for International, European and Regulatory Procedural Law. He is going to give a special course at The Hague Academy of International Law on The Principle Iura Novit Curia in International Judicial and Arbitral Proceedings next summer. He serves as Counsel in inter-state litigation and as an arbitrator in investor-states disputes.   Dr Nilüfer Oral Nilüfer Oral is Director of the Centre of International Law (CIL) at the National University of Singapore and is a member of the law faculty at Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey. She is member of the UN International Law Commission and Co-chair of the Study Group on Sea-level rise in relation to international law. She served as climate change negotiator for the Turkish Ministry (2009 – 2016). She has also appeared before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. Nilufer Oral is a Distinguished Fellow of the Law of the Sea Institute at Berkeley Law (University of California Law Berkeley); Senior Fellow of the National University of Singapore Law School; and Honorary Research Fellow at University of Dundee. She is a member of the IUCN-WCEL Steering Committee. She was elected to the IUCN Council 2012-2016 and served as the Co-chair of the WCEL Specialist Group on Oceans, Coasts and Coral Reefs. Dr. Oral is the series editor for the International Straits of the World publications (Brill); member of the Board of Editors of the European Society of International Law Series; Board of Editors of the International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law; Associate Editor of the Research Perspectives in the Law of the Sea (Brill); Board of Advisors for the International Law Studies Journal and International Advisory Board, and Chinese Journal of Environmental Law (Brill). She has published numerous articles edited several books, and has spoken at many international conferences.   About the Essex Public International Law Lecture Series The Essex Public International Law lecture series is founded, hosted and co-chaired by Dr Meagan Wong and Dr Emily Jones based in the School of Law. This is a weekly lecture series featuring judges of international courts and tribunals, leading academics, and practitioners of international law from governmental service, international organizations, and private practice from across the globe. The series prides itself on building on two important intellectual traditions of international law: formalism and international legal practice, and international legal theory including postcolonial and feminist perspectives.

COVID-19 has upended our reality in many ways, exposing systemic failures and highlighting injustices.  At the same time, it has provided an opening to consider new approaches. The International Law and COVID-19 Symposium, hosted by the University of Miami School of Law International and Graduate Law Programs and Human Rights Clinic, in collaboration with the Human Rights Society, Health Law Association, and University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review —will examine the impact of COVID-19 on international law.  In particular, the symposium will focus on intersections of COVID-19 with human rights and public health, including state obligations towards vulnerable populations, rights restrictions to protect public health, environmental aspects, reactions by international and regional human rights bodies, and public health responses.

 

A recording of this session, entitled “COVID-19 and Human Rights Law”, is available at:

https://echo360.org/media/122fa347-f362-48d5-a9ec-df08c5962ea3/public

The recording of the lecture was telecasted live on YouTube :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld_NIh5XS9o

As part of its 2021 Annual Meeting (March 24-26), the American Society of International Law invited members and colleagues from around the world to participate in a special series of sessions focusing on regional issues of international law and policy that will be affected by the new Biden-Harris Administration.

Annual Meeting Theme:

In these extraordinary times, dramatic shifts in global health, the global economy, and geopolitical power structures are forcing human beings to adapt and evolve. These shifts require us to revisit the operation of the legal, political, and conceptual structures of our international order, and to examine the possibility — and perhaps necessity — of creating new norms, tools, and paradigms.

Today’s health, economic, and racial justice crises are having a profound impact on the rule of law, human security, and the environment; human rights and gender equality; international business and trade; and virtually all other aspects of society. These effects are being exacerbated by the differing approaches that governments, international organizations, and private actors have taken toward international problem-solving. Although some may hope for a return to “normalcy” in all these areas, the current moment offers both the challenge and the opportunity to reconsider and potentially to reshape international law and international institutions.

The 2021 Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law provided a forum to think critically and creatively about all fields of international law. Sessions presented a broad range of perspectives on innovative ways to address emerging issues, to improve global governance, and to tackle international problems.

Session Tracks:

• International Human Rights, Humanitarian Law, and Criminal Justice
• Transnational Litigation, Arbitration, and Dispute Resolution
• International Trade, Investment, and Finance
• International Organizations, Global Governance, and Global Health
• Security, Foreign Relations, and Use of Force
• Environment, Sea, Space, and Sustainable Development

Dr Nilufer Oral spoke at the session titled “We Are All Climate Change Lawyers Now” on 25 March 2021. This session is part of the Environment, Sea, Space, and Sustainable Development Track at the ASIL 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting.

Panelists include:

• Carmen Gonzalez, Loyola University Chicago School of Law
• Sailesh Mehta, Red Lion Chambers
• Nilufer Oral, UN International Law Commission
• Hermann Ott, Client Earth
• Margaret Young, University of Melbourne Law School
• Rob Verchick, Loyola University New Orleans

This event was a timely discussion about the legally binding instrument on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) currently under negotiation at the UN and its security implications. In recent years, heavy high seas fishing and the race for deep-sea living resources have emerged as geopolitical concerns. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea provides no robust governance for these resources, raising the spectre of contested or depleted commons. As a new US administration eager to tackle challenges with more multilateralism settles into office, how will this new dimension to UNCLOS intersect with well-publicized concerns about Chinese fishing and genetic experiments? And how might the BBNJ treaty offer new tools for responsible oceans management and encourage more cooperative engagement among the great powers?

 

Other speakers at the conference include:

Dr. Catherine Blanchard, Lecturer, University of Utrecht

Dr. James Kraska, Charles H. Stockton Professor of International Maritime Law, U.S. Naval War College

 

The event is moderated by:

Mr. Cornell Overfield, Analyst, Strategy and Policy Analysis Program, CNA

 

A recording of the event can be accessed at the link:

https://vimeo.com/529164383

Recent scientific information presents an alarming diagnosis of the multiple adverse consequences of climate change on the ocean: levels of  ocean acidification not seen in millions of years, changes in ocean chemistry, warming temperatures and deoxygenation threating marine life, in particular coral reefs; and rapidly melting glaciers and ice sheets challenging the survival of some island States and threatening  existing maritime boundaries and entitlements.  

There are two different applicable international regimes, one for the ocean and the other for climate change.  Yet neither has a clear mandate for the ocean-climate nexus. The 1982 United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea, often referred to as the Constitution for the oceans, negotiated before climate change emerged on the international agenda, makes no reference to climate change. The 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, with a clear mandate for atmospheric climate change, limits the role of the ocean to serving as sink or reservoir for greenhouse gases.  The 2015 Paris Agreement added little more other than a preambular reference to ocean ecosystems.

The lecture delivered by Dr Oral examined how these two principal legal regimes can meet the test for international law in providing a dialectic and evolutive response to the pressing challenges of the climate-ocean nexus.

 

A copy of the presentation can be assessed at the link: https://www.lcil.cam.ac.uk/sites/www.law.cam.ac.uk/files/images/www.lcil.law.cam.ac.uk/Image/events/nilufer_oral_presentation_190221.pdf

A recording of the lecture is available at: https://www.lcil.cam.ac.uk/friday-lunchtime-lecture-series-recordings

The law of the sea is a scholarly discipline that straddles many aspects of general international law and of its specialized branches including environmental law, human rights law, the law of international courts and tribunals. The law of the sea is also an expanding field for practice, not limited to university research and teaching, but including advocacy in international and domestic courts, counselling for governments, international organizations governmental and non-governmental, and private entities, working as judges and registry member for international courts and arbitration tribunals.

 

UC Berkeley School of Law is pleased to invite Professor Tullio Treves to speak at this year’s Harry and Jane Scheiber Lecture Series. Prof Treves is Professor Emeritus at the State University of Milan and Public International Law Senior Consultant at Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP (Milan office). He served as Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea from 1996 to 2011. Within the Tribunal, he was the President of the Seabed Disputes Chamber, including in the proceedings for the delivery, on 1 February 2011, of an Advisory Opinion upon the request of the Council of the International Seabed Authority. He has chaired the Tribunal’s Committee of the Whole for the drafting of the Rules of the Tribunal. From 1973 to 1982, he was a member of the Italian delegation to all sessions of the Third United Nations Conference on Law of the Sea.

 

Dr Nilufer Oral and Lt. Cmdr. Joel Coito were both invited to give their comments at the lecture titled “The Law of the Sea: A Multi-Faceted Discipline and a Promising Field for Practitioner”.

 

A recording of the Berkeley Law Scheiber Lecture on 4 Feb is now available on their website at: https://www.kaltura.com/index.php/extwidget/preview/partner_id/1368891/uiconf_id/41443412/entry_id/1_f6recvt2/embed/iframe?

The Trump presidency has had a consequential impact on the United States’ international relations and its role in international institutions. Hallmarks of President Trump’s Asia policy included labelling China as a hostile power, abandoning the Trans-Pacific Partnership, using trade sanctions even against allies such as Australia, Japan, and South Korea, and dallying with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Professors José E. Alvarez and Nilufer Oral discussed the impact Trump has had on U.S.-Asia relations and the constraints President Biden will face as he tries to strengthen ties with key Asian allies and partners while maintaining pressure on China.

 

A recording of the online event can be accessed at the link: https://usali.org/institute-news/event-recording-us-asia-relations-in-the-biden-administration

When the 1982 United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea was adopted, climate change was not an issue of concern for the international community. Consequently, the Convention does not make mention to climate change or its consequences. When the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted a decade later, the adverse consequences of climate change on the ocean and marine environment were not fully understood. However, in recent years scientists have discovered that climate change is having significant adverse impacts on the ocean, such as ocean warming, deoxygenation, chemistry change, ocean acidification and sea level rise.

 

Dr Nilüfer Oral’s lecture examined the existing frameworks in relation to protection of the marine environment under the 1982 UNCLOS and climate change under the 1992 UNFCCC regime. The lecture will identify the gaps within each regime, the gaps between the two regimes and how synergies may be developed to address the important climate risks to the health of the ocean.

 

The session is moderated by Stephen Minas, Associate Professor at Peking University School of Transnational Law.

The Land-to-Ocean Leadership Programme is a three-year research and capacity-building programme sponsored by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM) and the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure of Germany.

 

The Programme aims to promote land-to-ocean leadership opportunities in the broader context of implementing the Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in recognition of the interconnectivity of Land-to-Ocean-flows. In order to develop governance and sustainable management options that are practically oriented yet responsive to dynamic processes, the programme will foster a better understanding of the interconnected character of terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems flowing from source to sea.

 

The main purpose of this interactive seminar is to engage with a wider expert group to provide comments on the four PhD candidate research projects. A further objective is to provide an update on the progress made with their research programme to date. This event is organized by the World Maritime University and supported by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management and the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure.

 

For more info on the seminar and the programme, please visit the website:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UEQ8aE1V8SW1u06LCPQ_RBfgXE7JidjM/view

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea held the Fifth International Conference on the Law of the Sea from December 3 to 4, 2020. The International Conference on the Law of the Sea has been held since 2016 to discuss the latest trends and progress in the research on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which regulates the peaceful usage of the sea and fair and effective utilization of its resources, and on the jurisprudence of relevant international organizations.

 

The theme for this year’s conference is Regional Cooperation and Marine Environmental Protection under the UNCLOS Regime. The first session of the conference covered the topic on “Duty of Cooperation under the UNCLOS Regime”. Dr Oral spoke on “The duty to cooperate under Part XII of UNCLOS and the protection and conservation of biological diversity beyond national jurisdiction”.

 

Other speakers who spoke alongside with Dr Oral include Amb. Markiyan Kulyk (ITLOS), Prof LEE Seok-Woo (Inha University), Judge Oscar Cabello Sarubbi (ITLOS) and Prof KIM Hyun Jung (Yonsei University).

 

This conference is co-organised with International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea and The Korean Society of International Law. For more information on the conference: https://www.icls.or.kr:43722/main/index.php

From 7 to 18 December 2020, The new United Nations Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights, Marcos Orellana, will hold an institutional visit to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

 

In view of his upcoming visit to the IMO, the Special Rapporteur, Dr  Marcos A. Orellana, invited stakeholders of the mandate, including civil society organizations, defenders of human rights and academics, to an online, focused stakeholders’ consultation on the IMO and implications for toxics and human rights.

 

Dr Oral was one of the experts invited to participate in the consultation, which aimed to inform the Special Rapporteur’s in preparation of his visit. It assessed and analyzed the work of the IMO in order to identify current issues and areas of improvement, as well as good practices.

 

More info at: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Environment/ToxicWastes/Pages/SRToxicWastesIndex.aspx

Dr Oral spoke at the Fourth Brazilian Congress of the Law of the Sea (IV Congresso Brasileiro de Direito do Mar), which was held online from 26 to 28 November. The event was co-organised by the Center for Studies in Law of the Sea (CEDMAR) at University of São Paulo and the Brazilian Academy of International Law (ABDI).

 

Dr Oral spoke on THE CURRENT STATE OF NEGOTIATIONS ON MGRS FOR THE BBNJ AGREEMENT.

Dr Nilüfer Oral spoke at the online conference titled Pandemics and International Law: The Need for International Action, on 18 November. The event was  co-organised by Washington College of Law and its Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law; the Centre for International Law; the Vietnamese National University, Hanoi, School of Law; the Autonomous University of Lisbon; the Florida International University College of Law; and the WCL chapter of the International Law Student Association.

 

Dr Oral spoke alongside Professor Patrícia Galvão Teles, Professor Claudio Grossman, Professor Charles C Jalloh and Professor Nguyễn Hồng Thao. The event was moderated by Professor Claudia Martin.

On the occasion of the inter-sessional period in the negotiations of an international legally binding agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction – BBNJ, Dr Nilüfer Oral spoke at an online panel discussion on ‘A Dispute Settlement Mechanism for the BBNJ Instrument’. The event was organised by the Permanent Mission of Colombia to the United Nations and the Independent International Legal Advocates.

Dr Nilüfer Oral was invited to speak at the online closing address of the Public International Law Year in Review on 10 November. The event was co-organised by Essex Court Chambers, Essex Court Chambers Duxton (Singapore Group Practice), Fietta LLP, Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP, and The Sydney Centre for International Law.

Dr Oral spoke on ongoing negotiations for a legally binding agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Other panellists were Sir Michael Wood, Rodman Bundy and Dr Emily Crawford. The event was moderated by Jackie McArthur and Ryce Lee. At the end of the webinar, Professor Vaughan Lowe QC of Essex Court Chambers, and the University of Oxford, rounded off the session by giving the closing remarks.

Dr Nilüfer Oral chaired the online Informal BBNJ Intersessional High Seas Treaty Dialogue on Marine Genetic Resources, with Ms Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, who is the ex-Director of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea under the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs. The topic of the November dialogue was marine genetic resources, and the event was co-hosted by the Kingdom of Belgium, the Principality of Monaco, the Republic of Costa Rica, in collaboration with the High Seas Alliance.

CIl Director Nilüfer Oral, Co-Chair of the International Law Commission (ILC) Study Group on Sea Level Rise in Relation to International Law with Professor Bogdan Aurescu, participated in an online informal interaction between ILC members and delegates of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Sixth Committee.

The session was chaired by Ambassador Milenko E Skoknic Tapia, Chair of the Sixth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly at its 75th session.

At the online side event of International Law Week, CIL Director Nilüfer Oral presented on sea-level rise and the law of the sea. Dr Oral and Professor Bogdan Aurescu, Co-Chairs of the International Law Commission’s Study Group on Sea-Level Rise in Relation to International Law, provided insights into the Study Group’s first issues paper published in February 2020, which covered issues of possible legal effects of sea-level rise on baselines and outer limits of maritime spaces measured from baselines, on the status of maritime features and on maritime delimitation effected either by treaty or adjudication. At the event, Dr Oral and Professor Aurescu spoke about how they approached the need to preserve legal stability, security, certainty and predictability.

CIL Director Nilüfer Oral spoke at an International Council of Environmental Law (ICEL) side-event briefing on strengthening cooperation for international environmental law on 27 October 2020. The event was cohosted by ICEL, the Permanent Missions of Costa Rica and France to the United Nations, the Observer Mission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to the United Nations, and the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL).

At the online event, distinguished scholars of international environmental law presented their expertise on options for opportune ‘next steps’ in the progressive development of international environmental law and organisation, to provide essential foundation for attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. Besides Dr Oral, other speakers included Professor Chikosa Banda from the University of Malawi, Professor Sergio Ugalde from the University for Peace (Costa Rica), Professor Christina Voigt from the University of Oslo, and Dr Lucien Chabason from the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations. The session was moderated by Professor Nicholas A Robinson from Pace University (New York).

The Norway-Singapore Science Week, which took place from 26 October to 6 November, is an important platform for developing and enhancing research and academic cooperation in key areas of interest to Norway and Singapore. During the Science Week, 70 professors, researchers, institution representatives and company executives presented and discussed research and technology development in the field of sustainable urban development, decarbonisation and ocean space.

A member of the organising committee, Professor Robert Beckman assisted in organising and co-chairing a webinar on Ocean Policy on 6 November 2020, Friday. The other co-chair was Professor Tore Henriksen, Director of the Norwegian Center for Law of the Sea, UiT, the Arctic University of Norway.

The Ocean Policy session covered two topics. The first topic, ‘Sea-Level Rise: Connecting Singapore to the Arctic’, was focussed on the impact of climate change in the Arctic on sea-level rise in Singapore and Southeast Asia. The speakers were Professor Benjamin Horton, Director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore; Dr Kristin Richter of Norwegian Research Center in Bergen, Norway; and CIL Director, Dr Nilüfer Oral. Dr Oral spoke about the implications of sea-level rise for international law and policy, in particular for maritime entitlements of States.

The second topic in the session was ‘Biodiversity in the Marine Environment of the Arctic’ and was focussed on the global challenges in protecting and preserving the marine environment. The speakers were Associate Professor Vito De Lucia of UiT, the Arctic University of Norway, and CIL Senior Research Fellow Youna Lyons. In her presentation, Youna Lyons compared the regimes governing the marine environment in the Arctic Ocean with those governing the marine environment in ASEAN and the South China Sea.

The webinar participants concluded that there was scope for continued collaboration in researching issues of common interest, given that Singapore is an Observer in the Arctic Council. A collaboration between the CIL and the Norwegian Center for Law of the Sea at UiT resulted in the co-edited book Governance of Arctic Shipping published in 2017.

CIL Director Nilüfer Oral was invited to speak at the 2020 Seoul Academy of International Law Lectures. Dr Oral delivered an online lecture on the law of the sea.

CIL Director Nilüfer Oral spoke on the panel on climate change and the law of the sea, at the American Bar International Law Association (ABILA) International Law Weekend. The panel explored how international law, especially the law of the sea, should account for sea-level rise, including regarding issues such as baselines and maritime entitlements, status of features, protection of the marine environment, and statehood of low-lying States and the rights of their nationals.

The panel was moderated by Aimee-Jane Lee from Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. Other speakers on the panel were Professor David Freestone from George Washington University, Ms Nicola Swan from Chapman Tripp, and Ambassador Nguyễn Hồng Thao from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam.

At an online event titled ‘Legal Implications of Pandemics: A Ten-Month Assessment’ on 16 October 2020, CIL Director Nilüfer Oral presented the topic ‘Is There a Need for Convention?’ The event was co-organised by the Permanent Missions of Chile, Portugal, Sierra Leone, Turkey and Vietnam, and moderated by Ambassador Francisco Duarte Lopes, Permanent Representative of Portugal. Speakers were members of the International Law Commission, which besides Dr Oral, included Professor Patrícia Galvão Teles, Professor Claudio Grossman, Professor Charles C Jalloh and Ambassador Nguyễn Hồng Thao.

CIL Director Nilüfer Oral spoke on ‘International Law and IUU Fishing’ at a webinar on ‘Fishing on the High Seas and Marine Protected Areas’ on 13 October 2020. The webinar was organised by the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law, in partnership with the Inter-American Institute on Justice and Sustainability. Globally renowned experts at this webinar provide perspectives on cooperation and legal responses for enforcement of international marine protection in exclusive economic zones.

The challenges of international illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing on the high seas is one of the most urgent issues for the global community seeking to protect marine reserves and the integrity of exclusive economic zones. IUU fleets that cross protected boundaries create problems for environmental security, international governance, and the livelihoods of local communities that depend on their marine resources.

On 9 October 2020 CIL Director Nilüfer Oral spoke at an online conference, UN at 75: Effective Multilateralism and International Law, which was jointly organised by the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations and the German Federal Foreign Office. The conference examines the evolution of international law since the UN’s establishment in 1945, the achievements of the UN in advancing international law, and its future in supporting multilateralism.

Dr Oral presented on ‘United Nations in International Law at 75: The Role of the General Assembly and Its Subsidiary Organs (ILC, Sixth Committee) and the Importance of Academia’.

At the online UN side event The Role of the Ocean in Climate Change and Sea Level Rise on 8 October 2020, CIL Director Nilüfer Oral spoke on ‘Ocean Acidification: A Conundrum for International Law?’ The event was organised by NGO Sustainability Inc and co-hosted by the UN Permanent Missions of Kenya, Portugal and Sri Lanka, the UN Division of Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, and UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

On 1 October 2020, CIL Director Nilüfer Oral delivered an online lecture on sea-level rise and the law of the sea at the annual ITLOS-Nippon Capacity-Building and Training Programme. The programme helped participants, who were junior to mid-level government officials and researchers from mainly developing countries, to develop their legal skills and deepen their practical knowledge of dispute settlement in the law of the sea under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

CIL Director Nilüfer Oral was a panellist at the webinar ‘Galapagos at Risk: International Marine Protection, Challenges and Legal Options’ on 17 September 2020. The webinar was organised by the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law, in partnership with the Inter-American Institute on Justice and Sustainability. Globally renowned experts at this webinar provided perspectives on cooperation and legal responses for enforcement of international marine protection in exclusive economic zones.

CIL Director Nilüfer Oral presented a paper titled ‘First Issues Paper on Sea Level Rise in Relation to International Law: Key Issues and Gaps’ at the UN Diplomacy Clinic organised by New York University’s Law Faculty on 10 September 2020. Dr Oral is the Co-Chair of the International Law Commission’s Study Group on Sea Level Rise in Relation to International Law.