Researchers' Activities

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.