Researchers' Activities

She presented her draft article about informal lawmaking in ASEAN. Professor Natalie Klein from UNSW served as a commentator for her article.

The event focused on the theme “Threats from the Global Commons.” She shared her forthcoming article about “Threats to Commercial Shipping During International Armed Conflicts.”

This workshop invited contributors to the APEC OFWG White Paper on Microplastics in Coastal Aquaculture Systems: Development of Regulatory Frameworks, Practices and Mitigation Efforts in APEC Economies to further discuss a mitigation/prevention plan for microplastics in the coastal aquaculture input chain in APEC economies.

Dr. Nilufer Oral was a member of the panellists at the informal plenary meeting.

She also presented in a panel on “SMART Cables” at Submarine Networks 2023, a conference that brings together the telecommunications industry in Singapore, on 28 September 2023.

She presented on “Southeast Asian Approaches to the Protection of Submarine Cables: Problems and Prospects for Cooperation.”

On October 26, 2023, Dita led a session on “Interception,” covering maritime zones, jurisdiction at sea, and grounds for interception under international law. The following day, October 27, 2023, Dita covered “Search and Rescue (SAR) at Sea” module, focusing on the international legal framework and the three phases of emergency set out in the SAR Convention. On both days, Dita also facilitated simulation exercises involving scenarios of smuggling of migrants by sea.

For the full conference programme, click here. To view Prof Beckman’s PowerPoint slides, click here.

Investigative reports have exposed the tragic working conditions experienced by some fishers in Southeast Asia. These fishers often find themselves labouring nearly around the clock with minimal access to essential provisions like food, water, and medical care. The situation is exacerbated by instances where those in need of medical assistance are abandoned at sea. To make matters worse, fishers are susceptible to various forms of abuse, including physical and sexual, inflicted by the vessel’s master or fellow crew members. The inability to leave the vessel compounds the abuses endured by these individuals, particularly considering the prolonged durations fishing vessels spend at sea.

His presentation was on “The Impact of the 2023 High Seas Treaty on Commercial Shipping”. For the abstract of this presentation and his PowerPoint slides, click here.

Prof Beckman delivered the keynote speech in Session 1, which was entitled “South China Sea: International Law Perspectives”.

Dr. Davenport gave a lecture on “Deep seabed mining and submarine cables.” More information on this initiative is available here: https://www.isa.org.jm/deep-dive/

Her presentation is available here.

The theme of the conference was ‘Future of Environmental Law in ASEAN and Beyond.’ On August 17^th, 2023, Dita presented on the topic of ‘Ocean Equity.’

On 9 August 2022, Dita delivered two presentations, covering the status of maritime boundaries in Southeast Asia, the ongoing requests for advisory opinions on sea level rise, and UNCLOS dispute settlement mechanisms in the Southeast Asian context.

TRILA Team co-organised the Junior Scholar Workshop at the University of Indonesia, Faculty of Law.

Dr. Davenport presented on “UNCLOS, IMO and Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships,” in Plenary Session 3 on Maritime Autonomous Surface Vessels.

The theme of this year’s MILOPS was ‘Cooperating to Defend the Rules-Based International Order in the Indo-Pacific.’

The conference, hosted by the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network (APLN) and Verification Research, Training, and Information Centre (VERTIC), focused on managing and mitigating incidents and escalation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Dita Liliansa delivered a presentation titled ‘Regional Cooperation on Fishing Vessel Safety in Southeast Asia” at the 2023 International Marine Economy and Maritime Services Forum in Ningbo, China (17-19 July 2023).

The 26^th Rhodes Academy was attended by 48 students from 29 countries from all regions of the world, including participants from four countries in Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Singapore. CIL sponsored the participation of Taufik Rachmat Nugraha of Indonesia, who is currently an ASEAN Visiting Fellow at CIL.

The only Singaporean participant at the 26^th Academy, Amanda Chong from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, who did Singapore proud by receiving an award for being the top student in the written examination. The top student in the oral examination was Ms. Aliki Gkana from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece.

28 June 2023: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited by Durham University to Speak at the IPDM Annual Conference on “Maritime Security in a Changing World”.

This workshop, whose participants were mostly natural scientists, focused on four current issues and specific case studies on (1) marine plastics, (2) blue carbon, (3) shared fish stocks and fisheries refugia, and (4) marine protected areas, area-based management tools and endangered species. Each session had two specialised trainers: a scientist and a lawyer.

The Keynote focused on the Law-Science to policy interface to protect coral reef systems and emphasised the respective role of science and law to inform policy-making by governments and the importance of underused provisions of international law to protect the marine environment including coral reef systems and associated species. The presentation slides can be viewed here.

The lecture focused on the development of Seabed Mining under the Law of the Sea Convention 1982 Part XI ‘The Area’ and what ‘Space Mining’ can do based on The Area development to ensure the safety and security aspects of future space mining.

Dita Liliansa delivered a presentation titled “Indonesia’s Archipelagic State Concept: History and Development” at the Workshop on Land, Sea, and Archipelago: The Conflict in the South China Sea and New Directions in Geopolitics (Hybrid, 8 June 2023).

The podcast episode can be accessed at the following link: https://cimsec.org/sea-control-434-can-indonesia-stop-the-transit-of-aukus-subs-with-dita-liliansa/

Prof Robert Beckman participated in a Roundtable Discussion on “Securing Digital Connectivity” Global Issues: Global Approach” at the ATxSummit.

The event was a side-line event of the 8^th International Maritime Security Conference 2023, jointly organised by S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and the Australia National Centre for Ocean Resources & Security (ANCORS) on 5 May 2023 in Singapore.

The details of the presentation are available at here. 

It is available in multiple platforms here LinkedIn | Youtube | Facebook | Spotify

The lecture was part of the course ‘Sustainable Ocean Law and Governance,’ taught by Associate Professor Nengye Liu.

1 February 2023: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Speak at the Anthropocene Webinar Organized by ADI-ILA

The Global Ocean Regime Conference is an annual international conference to establish a network with experts in marine policy and the maritime laws including United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea around the world and to share knowledge and discuss about international trend on maritime territories, areas such as the continental shelf, High seas and so on.

The title of the presentation is “Is LOSC ready for new technology? Carbon Capture and Storage in the Asia-Pacific Region”. She explored the extent to which obligations to protect the marine environment under LOSC provide effective regulations for managing the risks posed by CCS, focusing on the Asia-Pacific Region.

Youna Lyons from CIL Ocean Law and Policy Programme was invited to speak to the Plastics Research Network (PlaReNet) Conference, which was held 6-7 December 2022 in a hybrid format; it was co-presented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippines, and Embassy of Japan in Manila.

Dr Dawoon Jung was invited to present on Marine Plastic Pollution at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) Alumni Anniversary Event via Zoom.

For his PowerPoint presentation, click Beckman Powerpoint Session 1 ARF Workshop 30 Nov.

30 November 2022: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited by ILA Hellenic Branch to Speak at the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea @40

Prof Beckman made a presentation in Session 6 on Rules of the Road for Non-Traditional and Cross-Cutting Domains. His presentation was on “Aviation Safety in the South China Sea”. Prof Beckman has participated in 13 of the 14 annual conferences organized by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam on the South China Sea. For a copy of Prof Beckman’s PowerPoint presentation, click: Beckman PowerPoint Da Nang Nov 2022 final.

In Session 5 Voices of the Next Generation, Dr Dawoon Jung presented on “Offshore Renewable Energy Operations and the Protection of the Marine Environment”. Her presentation explored the substantive regulation of environmental challenges caused by offshore renewable energy operations within the UNCLOS legal framework.

15-17 November 2022: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Speak at the Seventh International Conference on the Law of the Sea Hosted by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (MOFA)

They made a presentation titled Development of a Dynamic and Searchable Catalogue of Experts and Expertise in Research on Marine Plastic Pollution in ASEAN +3, which was jointly prepared by them and Cheng Ling Lim.

Youna made a presentation on Identifying Marine Sensitive Areas in the SCS under International Law where she emphasised the development and adoption of scientific and technical criteria under 15 instruments applicable in the South China Sea. She demonstrated their consistency and mutually-reinforcing content and application. The presentation can be downloaded here.

This virtual meeting is a process of preparing for the white paper output of an APEC OFWG project on microplastics in coastal aquaculture and food security. To contribute to this white paper, CIL researchers Youna and Yulu will collaborate and coordinate with Mei Lin, Adjunct Associate Professor Joseph Chun from Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Law (APCEL), NUS, and Associate Professor ‪Karina Yew-Hoong Gin, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, NUS.

2-3 November 2022: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Speak at the 2022 Yeosu Academy of the Law of the Sea

The title of her presentation is “the Law of the Sea and Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS): focusing on the protection of the marine environment”.

11 October 2022: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Speak at the IMO-WMU Joint Academic Conference Title “Protecting the Ocean – Moving Forward at 50: London Convention & Stockholm Declaration”

17 October 2022: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited by Berkeley Law to Give the Harry & Jane Scheiber Lecture in Ocean Law & Policy.

Youna Lyons, Cheng Ling Lim and Yulu Liu were invited to present on the ongoing project to develop a regional research network in the region of East Asian Seas, at the the 4^th Meeting of the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) Working Group on Marine Litter. The meeting was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, 10-11 October 2022 in a hybrid format and it was attended by delegations of COBSEA member states and observers.

The online conference was organized by the Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and the Faculty of Law of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) of Indonesia and held via zoom.

The title of the conference was “International Symposium on Ocean Governance, Environmental Rights and Sustainable Development in the Anthropocene”.

Yulu Liu and Cheng Ling Lim and Youna Lyons from CIL Ocean Law and Policy Programme presented at the 7th International Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC), held in Busan South Korea, 18-23 September 2022. 

12-16 September 2022: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited to Speak at the ITLOS Workshop for Legal Advisors in Hamburg

It was held over two days on Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 September as an online meeting. Day Two of the Seminar was moderated by Gillian Grant, the Chair of the Legal Committee of the IMO. Prof Beckman spoke in Panel 5: Operating MASS: Legal issues related to communication and enforcement.

The Programme, co-organised by the Republic of Singapore Navy and S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, introduced various aspects of maritime security for maritime practitioners. The course’s participants are navies, coastguards, and other maritime practitioners from around the world. Prof. Beckman delivered a lecture about the international law of the sea while Dr. Dang presented about Vietnam’s measures against IUU Fishing.

Youna Lyons was invited to observe the 49th GESAMP annual session held at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) headquarters in London, United Kingdom, from 5 to 9 September 2022, on the delegation of Advisory Committee on the Protection of the Sea Advisory Committee (ACOPS).

Yulu Liu also attended the workshop of GESAMP WG 40 (as a representative of ACOPS) to develop a risk assessment framework for land and sea-based sources of marine litter and microplastics, which was held in Busan, South Korea from 26-30 October.

The Workshop introduced the results of the Common Fisheries Resources Analysis of skipjack tuna in the South China Sea, a joint research initiative implemented by scientists from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Viet Nam with support from the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.

Senior Research Fellow Dr. Tara Davenport was invited to participate (online) in the Expert Group Meeting on Enforcement Related Issues in Deep Sea Mining organized by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the Secretariat of the International Seabed Authority (ISA)

The Workshop was organised by the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies and S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University.

The Conference was organised by the United Nations Environment Programme, Viet Nam Administration of Seas and Islands – Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Australian Centre for Ocean Resources and Security – University of Wollongong, Centre for International Law of Sea and Maritime Law – National University of Viet Nam in Hanoi.

Prof Beckman was one of 10 speakers in Session III. In his presentation he argued the COC should contain a “non-prejudice” clause similar to that in Article VII of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty. He argued that such a clause would enable the parties to cooperate on matters of common interest without being seen as either acquiescing to or recognizing the legitimacy of the sovereignty and maritime claims of other States or as renouncing or giving up their own sovereignty claims and maritime claims in the South China Sea.

Senior Research Fellow Dr. Tara Davenport gave an online lecture on 19 July 2022 submarine cables and pipelines at the Kadir Has International Law of the Sea Academy held in Turkey from 18 to 29 July 2022.

The Faculty at the Rhodes Academy is comprised of leading experts in the law of the sea, including current and past judges from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). The Faculty in 2022 included two current ITLOS judges, Albert Hoffman of South Africa, the current President and Judge Tomas Heider of Iceland as well as two former Presidents of ITLOS – Rudiger Wolfrum of Germany and Vladimir Golitsyn of the Russian Federation.

The title of his presentation was “Reduction of Emissions from Commercial Shipping: The Global Context and Singapore Initiatives”.

Dawoon made a presentation on “New Technology and Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS): How Does UNCLOS Evolve to Regulate the Impacts of MASS on the Marine Environment?”.

She made a presentation on ‘Enforcement of Coastal State Jurisdiction over Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone,’ and provided a case study on Indonesia.

Youna, Cheng Ling and Yulu’s presentation was on intervention policies and regulations on single-use plastics restrictions in the ASEAN +3 region and their effectiveness.

Prof Beckman spoke on the role of the dispute settlement system in clarifying ambiguous provisions and responding to technological developments.

Prof Beckman made a presentation in Session 3, Navigational Regimes and Enforcement of Coastal State Jurisdiction.

The title of her presentation was “A Quest for Meaning: Interpretation of Article 73(3) of UNCLOS by Indonesian Supreme Court”

She spoke in Session 6 on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing alongside Prof. Natalie Klein (University of New South Wales) and Ms. Francesca Caonero (Global Maritime Crime Programme, Latin America and the Caribbean, U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime).

The competition took place virtually from 10 to 14 May 2022. They evaluated and scored the oral pleadings of the participants during the International Rounds.

The Conference was organised by the Centre for Public Policy Research of India in collaboration with Monash University and support from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to support ASEAN-Australia-India Indo-Pacific Cooperation.

This regional consultation was organised on 20 April 2022 via Zoom by COBSEA as part of the project ‘Reducing marine litter by addressing the management of the plastic value chain in South-East Asia’ (SEA circular). COBSEA member States, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, RO Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam participated to the consultation.

She was also invited to grade memorials submitted by the teams, which pleaded the RV Vilhelmina case before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

Maria Pia Benosa of the CIL Ocean Law and Policy Team joined a panel discussion on legal and technological developments relating to unmanned vessels at the 2022 ASIL Annual Meeting in Washington, DC from 6-9 April, 2022 themed ‘Personalizing International Law’.

CIL organized a panel on ‘Emerging Challenges to 1982 UNCLOS and International Law,’ on 18 March 2022

The online meeting was framed to compare and review approval process and framework for Marine Scientific Research under international law and in practice, in the context of the development of the Philippines capability in MSR.

The online meeting held on Zoom, invited experts from a different disciplines involved in plastic pollution to assist with the establishment of baselines and offers a multidisciplinary assessment of marine plastics in the ASEAN Member States.

CIL Research Associate Maria Pia Benosa recently completed the inaugural course of the Basel Winter Arbitration School 2022 (Arbitration Lab) at the Law Faculty of the University of Basel from 6-11 February 2022. Joined by both in-person and online participants from over 15 countries, Arbitration Lab featured lectures on key areas relevant to ocean law and policy such as dispute resolution under Annex VII of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Human Rights at Sea Arbitration Initiative. Basel Arbitration Lab, which aims to provide an overarching platform for a wide range of arbitration practice areas, is a pioneering initiative of Prof. Anna Petrig (University of Basel) and Prof. Yarik Kryvoi (British Institute of International and Comparative Law).

1 February 2022: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited as a Panelist to Webinar on “Successes and Failures of UNCLOS” Hosted by Volterra Fietta Law Firm.

This was the inaugural seminar in Volterra Fietta’s seminar series to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (referred to as UNCLOS).

22 December 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Give a Lecture at the Marine Law and Policy Research Centre of the Istanbul Bilgi University, Titled “International Law Consequences of Climate Change and Sea Level Rise”

More about the event at: International Law Consequences of Climate Change and Sea Level Rise, 22 December 2021 | Marine Law and Policy Research Center (bilgi.edu.tr)

13 December 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Speak at the Event

“Looking Ahead to the CBD COP15: Opportunities and Challenges Posed by Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs)” Organized in Conjunction with the Asian Environmental Law Congress

The IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) and the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL), in partnership with the Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Law (APCEL) and the Centre for International Law (CIL) at the National University of Singapore are pleased to organize this webinar on ‘Sharing lessons and progress in identifying Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures’.

Background

At the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP CBD 14) in 2018, Parties adopted Decision 14/8 on ‘protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures’ (OECMs), containing scientific and technical advice for OECMs. The decision defines an ‘other effective area-based conservation measure´ as:

“a geographically defined area other than a Protected Area, which is governed and managed in ways that achieve positive and sustained long-term outcomes for the in situ conservation of biodiversity, with associated ecosystem functions and services and where applicable, cultural, spiritual, socio–economic, and other locally relevant values.“

OECMs are expected to complement protected areas across landscapes and seascapes and enable the improved recognition and support for areas that are effectively and equitably managed as well as to achieve the long-term in situ conservation of biodiversity. OECMs are also referenced in Target 3 of the latest draft of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework . It is expected that many CBD Parties will consider OECMs in addition to protected areas to achieve this target, if it is agreed by CBD COP15 in Kunming, China, in 2022. This raises the need to advance the discussion about the legal and regulatory framework for OECMs to ensure that they deliver the outcomes required by CBD parties.

Aims and Objectives

This webinar aimed to generate knowledge sharing and discussion about the legal and policy basis and aspects of OECMs, addressed how laws and policies enable the recognition of OECMs, the associated challenges, and how they addressed to enable the long-term conservation of biodiversity within OECMs. The objectives included the introduction of the CBD guidance for OECMs, a number of country case studies and the facilitation of a discussion among participants to develop an understanding of the opportunities and challenges posed by OECMs, the diverse approaches that may be considered for developing the legal and policy frameworks to support their recognition and their role in delivering biodiversity outcomes in the long-term.

More about the event at: https://law.nus.edu.sg/apcel/events/oecm13dec21/

8-9 December 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Moderate at the Informal Intersessional BBNJ High Seas Treaty Dialogues

Day 1 of the December High Seas Treaty Dialogues picked up on October discussions related to Implementation, Compliance and Dispute Settlement, it also focused on the relationship between the Institutional Arrangements under the future BBNJ agreement and relevant legal instruments frameworks and relevant global, regional, subregional and sectoral bodies. Day 2, which is moderated by Dr Nilufer Oral, focused on Marine Genetic Resources, including questions on the Sharing of Benefits and Transfer of Marine Technology.

10 December 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Speak at 2nd World Environmental Law Congress – High-level Judicial Segment on A Critical Decade for Environmental Law

This hybrid event reaffirmed, further developed, and advanced the 2016 IUCN World Declaration on the Environmental Rule of Law and the 2018 Brasilia Judicial Declaration on Water Justice, in light of the Marseille Manifesto and outcomes of the 2021 IUCN World Conservation Congress (September 2021), the recognition of a right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment by the United Nations Human Rights Council (October 2021), the Kunming Declaration of CBD COP 15 (October 2021), and the outcomes of UNFCCC COP26 in Glasgow (November 2021).

The High-Level Judicial Event included discussions on the following topics:

• Climate Change, Biodiversity and the Environmental Rule of Law
• The Water Crisis and the 2018 Brasília Declaration of Judges on Water Justice
• Judicial Education on Climate Change and Biodiversity Law

Dr Nilufer Oral spoke at the session: Judges and the Oceans Crisis

More about the event at the link: https://www.iucn.org/commissions/world-commission-environmental-law/events-wcel/upcoming-events/role-judges-environmental-law-2030-and-beyond

1 December 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Speak at the Sixth International Conference on the Law of the Sea Hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea and organized by Korea Society of International Law (KSIL) and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the Sixth International Conference on the Law of the Sea from November 30 to December 1, 2021 together with the Korean Society of International Law and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). 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) and to provide a venue for the judiciary and academia to share their invaluable insights on ways to develop the law of the sea.

This year, the conference was held under the theme of “Law of the Sea for the Next Generation: Challenges from New Technologies and Environmental Crises.” As Special Rapporteur Georg Nolte has duly put in his report to the International Law Commission in 2008, treaties change over time to adapt themselves to new situations and even evolve in some cases to meet the needs of the international community. UNCLOS is no exception. The convention, also referred to as “the Ocean Charter,” covered every aspect of the ocean, at least by the standards at the time of its conclusion. However, it has confronted a number of unexpected challenges during the last four decades. New marine technologies such as uncrewed maritime vehicles or autonomous maritime weapons have opened up new ways to explore the sea and conduct maritime activities, the strategic and legal implications of which were not accounted for when the states struck the deal for the convention. Also, environmental crises like global heating have shaken the very foundation of the convention, such as baselines or jurisdictional zones. The objective of this year’s conference was to deliberate on how the law of the sea has evolved in the course of addressing challenges since the conclusion of UNCLOS and whether such evolution has been a step in the right direction to ensure a healthy and resilient ocean for our future generation.

Dr Oral spoke at the session: “UNCLOS as the Nexus of Marine Protection Norms”

More information about the conference at this link: International Conference on the Law of the Sea | ICLS

24 November 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Moderate at the Detroits Straits International Symposium on 24 November 2021

Straits (Détroits) spaces are particularly salient given the growing importance of the maritime economy, an intensification of human migration and the pressing need to adopt ecological approaches for the management of seas, oceans or coastlines. Reconciling environmental, technical, sociological, maritime, logistical or legal issues, particularly those that arise in areas of cooperation, tensions and conflicts, demands strongly interdisciplinary approaches. In particular, such studies must integrate the operational expertise of actors who contribute to the management of straits. The Symposium, compared different straits and high-lights the diversity of practices and disciplines underpinning this emerging field, will reveal the richness and innovative nature of the straits research context. This inaugural meeting was expected to spur the development of new collaborations apt to favour the production of empirical and operationally grounded studies employing novel methodologies

On 15-16 November 2021, CIL Research Associate Maria Pia Benosa took part in the celebrations for the 82^nd Founding Anniversary of the Philippine Department of National Defense, themed “DND@82: Kapayapaan at Kaunlaran: Pamanang Hatid sa Sambayanan” (Peace and Progress: A Legacy for the Nation), which included a special webinar on the National Defense Act of 1935.

8 November 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Speak at the Launch of the “Research Handbook on Ocean Acidification Law and Policy”.

The Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations, together with the Marine & Environmental Law Institute of Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, Centre for International Law at the National University of Singapore, and the University of Sydney, have the honor to invite you to a panel and book launch for the Research Handbook on Ocean Acidification Law and Policy Edited by David L. VanderZwaag, Nilüfer Oral, Tim Stephens.

CONCEPT

The United Nations General Assembly has recognized and reaffirmed that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, including the adverse impacts on the ocean. In addition to sea level rise and ocean warming, ocean acidification is a threat to the health of the oceans and the millions who depend upon its resources for their livelihoods. Ocean acidification as a term was first coined in 2003 and is a phenomena that has only recently come to the attention of scientists and the international community.

The Research Handbook on Ocean Acidification Law and Policy (Edgar Elgar 2021), edited by three recognized experts in the fields of climate change and the law of the sea, is the first book to undertake scholarly legal analysis of the different aspects of ocean acidification. The Research Handbook investigates the limitations and opportunities for addressing ocean acidification under global governance frameworks, including multilateral environmental agreements, law of the sea and human rights instruments, and also describes regional and national approaches and challenges in responding to ocean acidification.

The book launch took place as States met at COP26/CMA 3 in Glasgow at a critical time.

The panel discussed challenges for climate change and the ocean and possible ways forward.

Panelists:

David Vanderzwaag, Professor of Law and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Ocean Law and Governance, Marine and Environmental Law Institute, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, Canada,

Nilufer Oral, Director, Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore and United Nations International Law Commission member

Tim Stephens, Professor of International Law and Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, University of Sydney Law School, Australia

Clement Yow Mulalap, Legal Adviser, Permanent Mission of the Federated States of Micronesia to the United Nations

 

 

CIL Research Associate Maria Pia Benosa took part in the 2021 Malaysia Ministry of Defense and Security (MiDAS) and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) (“MiDAS-KAS) Conference from 2-3 November 2021, on the theme “Towards a Peaceful Sea: Maritime Security Amidst Contemporaneous Challenges”.

29 October 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited by the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO) to a Virtual Informal Discussion on “Why it is Urgent to Register and Publish Maritime Zone Information in View of Rising Seas”

Climate change has proven to be a phenomenon that poses immeasurable risks and impacts to every nation on earth, affecting billions of people in a multitude of ways. While the effects of climate change are global, the impacts on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are particularly acute, especially on low-lying island nations who face the dangers of sea-level rise.

Pursuant to article 5 and article 7 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), with some exceptions, the outer limits of maritime zones are measured from the low-water lines along the coast as marked on large-scale charts officially recognized by the relevant coastal States (also known as normal baselines) or from straight baselines. Therefore, such baselines are important factors for establishing the maritime zones of a state.

Pursuant to UNCLOS, States are required to deposit charts or lists of geographical coordinates of points concerning baselines, outer limits of maritime zones and maritime boundaries with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. UNCLOS does not explicitly address the impact on baselines or outer limits of maritime zones from loss of land territory resulting from sea level rise. Shifting of the low-water line landward and variations of other features used to draw baselines could affect the area over which States have maritime entitlements, as well as the basis on which maritime boundaries were delimited. This, as stated in the Report of the Secretary-General on oceans and the law of the sea A/75/70, has potential consequences for coastal States’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction in those areas, including sovereign rights to explore, exploit and conserve living and non-living resources, as well as on the rights and freedoms of other States.

Based on considerations of stability and certainty of international law as well as equity and fairness, several island states have committed to keep maritime zones fixed once they are delineated in accordance with the UNCLOS.

In 2021, in their Declaration on Preserving Maritime Zones in the face of Climate-Change related Sea-level rise, the Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) proclaimed that the maritime zones of PIF Members, as established and notified to the Secretary-General of the United Nations in accordance with UNCLOS, and the rights and entitlements that flow from them, shall continue to apply, without reduction, notwithstanding any physical changes connected to climate change-related sea-level rise.

Additionally, in the 2021 Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Leaders Declaration,

members of the alliance expressed their will to see the continuity of maritime zones and the rights and entitlements that flow from them without reduction once such maritime zones are established and notified to the UNSG, notwithstanding any physical changes connected to climate change-related sea-level rise.

Similarly, on its 78th Conference, the International Law Association (ILA) took the position that baselines determined in accordance with UNCLOS should not be required to be recalculated should sea-level change affect the geographical reality of the coastline in the interest of legal certainty and stability.

Noting the low number of Member States who have submitted deposits of maritime zone information, AALCO, PIF and AOSIS is seeking to discuss the importance of submitting such information as well as address the relationship between climate change-related sea-level rise and maritime zones.

Program

The discussion will address following issues:

1. Process in UNCLOS to deposit baselines/outer limits, and status of deposits
2. Legal implications of deposit, including updating
3. Potential issues with deposits
4. Contested outer limits
5. Adding observations to deposit
6. Overcoming technical barriers to deposit

Speakers:

• H.E. Walton A. Webson, Chair of AOSIS
• H.E. Roy S. Lee, Permanent Representative of AALCO to the United Nations
• Professor Bogdan Aurescu, Co-Chair, ILC Working Group on Sea-Level Rise and International Law, ILC member
• Professor Nilufer Oral, Co-Chair, Working Group on Sea-Level Rise and International Law, ILC Member
• Professor Charles Jalloh, ILC member
• Prof Clive Schofield, World Maritime University

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.

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.

Dita Liliansa, CIL Research Associate, spoke at the ARIEL Webinar on Ocean Governance in Southeast Asia: Regional Approaches and National Action, 29 September 2021, organised by Asian Research Institute for Environmental Law (ARIEL). The webinar discussed various aspects of regional ocean governance for the protection of marine environment in Southeast Asia.

21 September 2021: CIL Research Associate Dita Liliansa at RSIS Roundtable on Defining Maritime Security: Regional Divergence and Commonalities.

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

Prof Robert Beckman gave lectures to officers from the 20 contracting parties to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Countering Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).