Researchers' Activities

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It was organised by the World Maritime University and Stockton Center for International Law at the U.S. Naval War College and supported by the Transport General Authority of Saudi Arabia.

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Joel Ong presented on highlights from his recent journal article published in the Carbon & Climate Law Review, entitled ‘Decarbonizing International Shipping at the IMO: Are Alternative Fuels The Way Forward?‘ in Session 1: Shipping and GHGs at the IMO, on the developments on ammonia and methanol as alternative fuels at the International Maritime Organization after the 2023 adoption of the Revised GHG Strategy.

Joel Ong, Visiting Scholar, Visiting Researcher Programme with CLIMA – Centre for Climate Change Law and Governance, Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 27-31 May 2024, https://jura.ku.dk/clima/news/2024/joel-ong-jie-hao/

Her presentation discussed the applicability of IMO regulations in regard to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fishing vessels and possible ways forward.

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Joel Ong presented on ‘An Introduction to Maritime Law Careers in Singapore’.

Her article is readily accessible via open access at: https://brill.com/view/journals/apoc/8/2/article-p287_006.xml. She also participated in the ‘Special Sessions on the Newport Manual on the Law of Naval Warfare’ on May 17, 2024.

She delivered introductory remarks for Session 4 on “Non-Traditional Maritime Security Issues: Combating Piracy, Illegal Fishing and Human Trafficking,” focusing on the forced labor and trafficking aspects of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Joel Ong presented his key findings and research on climate change and shipping at the IMO, entitled: ‘Developments, Barriers, Prospects of Mitigating Shipping’s Impact on Climate Change at the IMO: A Diachronic Approach’.

She discussed the progress and prospects of protecting the human rights of fishers in Southeast Asia, and how law of the sea and international human rights law can better interact.

Joel Ong presented on ‘Maritime Cybersecurity: Implications of Digitalisation and Decarbonisation’.

This visit fostered a deeper understanding of MPA’s work, and how Singapore manages maritime traffic through one of the busiest straits in the world, the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, and in its port waters.

It examines how the International Maritime Organization (IMO) – the United Nations specialized agency responsible for safe, secure and efficient shipping and the prevention of ship-source pollution – attempts to regulate shipping emissions, and why it is important to examine the implications of alternative fuels development to climate change and reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping.

Participants discussed the mapping of regional biogeography in the Indian Ocean, as well as explored ways forward for IORA member states regarding the implementation of area-based management tools in the BBNJ Agreement.

As a member of the Committee nominated by the ILA Singapore Branch, Dita will contribute to the Committee’s work for the next 4 (four) years, focusing on the jurisdiction of states for the purpose of protecting people at sea.

This expert working group meeting invited participants from academia, government and industries to set the stage for the next steps towards the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-4), and to discuss the establishment of a working group on extended producer responsibility (EPR) to enhance waste management in ASEAN member states.

The panel discussed various legal issues in Southeast Asia and lessons/best practices on regional maritime cooperation.

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