Researchers' Activities
30 June 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Chair a Session at the 28th ANZSIL Conference Which was Held from 30 June – 6 July 2021.
Dr Nilüfer Oral was invited to Chair a Session at the 28th 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”
28 June 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited by Kadir Has International Law of the Sea Academy to Deliver the Inaugural Lecture on Climate Change and the Ocean.
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”.
24 June 2021: CIL Director 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 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’.
21 June 2021: 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.
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.
16 June 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited to Deliver a Lecture at the Indian Society of International Law Summer Course, titled “Law of the Sea – I: Evolution of the Law of the Sea and Concept of Common Heritage of Mankind”
Indian Society of International Law (ISIL) 19th 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“.
15 June 2021: 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”
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”.
8 June 2021: CIL Director 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 21st Century”
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 21st Century”. The Title of Dr Oral’s Presentation was “Sea-level Rise and Implications for Peaceful Settlement of Disputes”
8 June 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited to Speak at the Launch of Book title “Frontiers in International Environmental Law: Oceans and Climate Challenges – Essays in Honor of David Freestone”.
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.”
3 June 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited to Speak at the Webinar Titled “United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as a Living Instrument: Solutions for the 21st Century”
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
| 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. |
12 April 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited by the University of Miami School of Law to Speak at their “International Law & COVID-19 SYMPOSIUM”
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
9 April 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited by Jindal Society of International Law to Give a Lecture Entitled: “International Law Commission – A Catalyst for the Development and Codification of International Law”
The recording of the lecture was telecasted live on YouTube :
25 March 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Speak at ASIL 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting: “Reconceiving International Law: Creativity in Times of Crisis.”
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
24 March 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Speak at CNA’s Virtual Conference on “High Seas Resources, Ocean Security, and the Great Powers”.
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:
19 February 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited By Lauterpacht Centre For International Law To Give a Lecture On ‘Climate Change and The Law of the Sea: A Test For International Law’
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
4 February 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Participated at Harry & Jane Scheiber Lecture in Ocean Law & Policy Organized by UC Berkeley School of Law
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?
3 February 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Spoke Alongside With CIL’s IAP Member Professor José E. Alvarez at the U.S.-Asia Law Institute Event “US-Asia Relations in the Biden Administration”
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
11 December 2020: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Gave a Lecture at the STL Law & Sustainability Colloquium on “REGIME DIVERGENCE OR CONVERGENCE? LAW OF THE SEA AND CLIMATE CHANGE”
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.
9 December 2020: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Participated at the Land-to-Ocean Leadership Programme Seminar on Science, Society and Ocean Governance
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
3 December 2020: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Speak at the Fifth International Conference on the Law of the Sea
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
1 December 2020: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Participated at the Global Stakeholders’ Consultation on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Implications for Toxics and Human Rights
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
28 November 2020: CIL Director Nilüfer Oral Speaks at Fourth Brazilian Congress of the Law of the Sea
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.
18 November 2020: CIL Director Nilüfer Oral Speaks at Conference on Pandemics and International Law
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.
17 November 2020: CIL Director Nilüfer Oral Speaks at Panel Organised by Permanent Mission of Colombia to the UN and the Independent International Legal Advocates
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.
10 November 2020: CIL Director Nilüfer Oral Speaks at Closing Address of The Public International Law Year in Review
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.