Researchers' Activities

Senior Research Fellow Denise Cheong, Research Fellow Nivedita S and Research Associates Manisha Regalla and Annabelle Teo participated in the first-ever  “International Conference on Nuclear Law: The Global Debate” organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 25 to 29 April 2022. This was an in-person conference held in Vienna, Austria which also provided for virtual participation, allowing all members of the CIL Nuclear Team to participate in the event.

Over the week, the conference provided a unique forum for leading global experts from governments, international and non-governmental organisations, industry, academia and civil society to share experiences and discuss topical issues with a view to developing further the various areas of nuclear law and promoting international expertise in this field. The format of the conference included a high-level opening session with opening remarks by the IAEA Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi  and keynote speeches from leading global experts in the nuclear field; a series of topical sessions that addressed key nuclear law issues and round-table discussions that provided the opportunity for focused discussions. Senior Research Fellow Denise Cheong presented as part of the roundtable titled “The Role of Nuclear Law in the Broader Context of Other Areas of Law”. 

Details of the event and Speakers are available on the IAEA’s conference page and programme.

 

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).

For more information, click this link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/arbitrators-for-uk-free-trade-agreements-ftas/arbitrators-for-the-uk-republic-of-singapore-free-trade-agreement-fta

The original writeup was submitted to the OECD’s Public Consultation on Investment Treaties and Climate Change.

Dr Nilufer Oral was invited to give a lecture as part of the Doctoral School Lectures of the University of Milano-Bicocca on rising sea level and international law. This year’s overall theme was “Climate change and law”.

The lectures were targeted at PhD students undertaking a research in law, but are open also to undergraduate students, PhD candidates from other fields and other members of the University’s academic community.

Dr Nilufer Oral was invited by Seoul International Law Academy to give a lecture at their International Law Seminar Series, usually held biweekly to cover current issues in international law. Dr Oral give a lecture titled “Climate Change and the Law of the Sea”. The other panellists in the session were:

Prof Hyun Jung KIM (Yonsei University)

Dr Young Kil PARK (Korea Maritime Institute)

Mr Yuchan OH (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

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’.

To know more about the ICIL Formation II programme, please visit: https://icil.org.tr/formation-program-2nd-year/

Dr Romesh Weeramantry, Head of International Dispute Resolution at CIL, has published an op-ed in the Straits Times entitled “Post-Conflict Ukraine: Russia’s Obligation to Compensate”.

This online seminar was convened by the University of Durham, Centre for Law and Global Justice seminar on 31 Mar 2022.

Danielle Yeow is a member of the steering committee of the US-ASEAN Cyber Dialogue, a collaboration between the CIL, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and NTU’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. The inaugural session of the Dialogue was convened on 22 Mar 2022.

https://www.asil.org/community/international-courts-and-tribunals

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

Dr Tan Hsien-Li gave the opening lecture of the Conference on the Rule of Law: Issues and Perspectives organised by the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Cambodia on 10 March 2022.

The competition took place from 26 February to 4 March 2022. The top 3 teams will represent the Philippines in the international rounds which will run from 25 March to 10 April 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.

To examine, in the light of the relevant provisions of the covered agreements cited by the parties to the dispute, the matter referred to the DSB by the European Union in document WT/DS604/2 and to make such findings as will assist the DSB in making the recommendations or in giving the rulings provided for in those agreements.

CIL Postdoctoral Fellow, Stefanie Schacherer, became an Advisor for the Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network (ARTNET) on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

CIL Postdoctoral Fellow, Stefanie Schacherer was elected Member of the Academic Forum on investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS).

This lecture was part of the Jindal University’s Colloquium on ‘Challenges to Global Governance and Humanities in the 21st Century’.

15 February 2022: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited as a Panelist to Beyond UNEP’s 50th Anniversary: Attaining the SDGs A Symposium in Conjunction with the 5th UN Environment Assembly & UNEP@50 Honoring the Memory of Prof. Charles Okidi Odidi

Research Associates Manisha Regalla and Annabelle Teo participated in the 2022 session of the “Fundamentals of International Nuclear Law”, an online course developed by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD NEA), which was held from 14 to 18 February 2022. Now in its second edition, this course is designed to provide a high-level, introductory review of the central aspects of international nuclear law in a condensed programme.

Over the week, participants from a diverse range of countries and backgrounds learnt about the international nuclear law framework and major issues affecting the peaceful uses of nuclear energy (spanning across nuclear safety, security, safeguards and civil liability for nuclear damage), through attending lectures delivered by leading experts from international organisations, governments and private industry and engaging in panel discussions.

Details of the event and lecturers are available in the OECD NEA’s press release and course programme.

10 February 2022: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited as a Speaker to the Two-day Symposium for the Oxford Handbook on Women and International Law Hosted by the Max Planck Institute Luxembourg

This webinar was organised by the U.S.-Asia Law Institute

Research Fellow Nivedita S attended the annual meeting of the OSPAR’s Radioactive Substances Committee (RSC) held from 8 to 10 February 2022. She was part of the delegation of the Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea (ACOPS), a non-governmental organisation with observer status with the OSPAR Commission. Held virtually, the main focus of this meeting was to finalise the fifth periodic evaluation (5PE) and the Radioactive Substances Thematic Assessment for the Quality Status Report 2023. The purpose of such evaluations is to analyse the progress made by Contracting Parties to the OSPAR Convention towards the strategic objective of the OSPAR Radioactive Substances Strategy, which aims to reduce discharges of radioactive substances to the North-East Atlantic either to background values or near zero. Strategic issues that the RSC monitors include floating nuclear power stations. The International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Nuclear Association also attended as observers. For more information on RSC, see https://www.ospar.org/work-areas/rsc.

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).

Research Fellow Nivedita S and Research Associate Annabelle Teo participated in a webinar entitled “Safety, Security and Safeguards Interfaces and Challenges for Novel Advanced Reactors” organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on 3 February 2022. This was the second webinar in a series of webinars on the safety of Novel Advanced Reactors (NARs) (which includes marine-based small modular reactors), following the completion of a high-level mapping of the applicability of the IAEA Safety Standards to NARs.

Having found during the mapping exercise that the implementation of the safety requirements for NARs at the design stage has interfaces with security and safeguards considerations, the aim of the webinar was to discuss the various interfaces, challenges, synergies and conflicts for the safety, security and safeguards (3Ss) of NARs, taking into account their unique characteristics such as new fuel concepts and transportability. This discussion was timely given that many NARs are still at a conceptual or early design stage, thus presenting a unique opportunity for interested stakeholders to promote and pursue a holistic approach that integrates all 3Ss to support the development and deployment of NARs. Additionally, the webinar also provided an overview of the IAEA’s upcoming activities in this area. Details of the event and speakers are available in the webinar programme.

2 February 2022: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Lecture at the LinCEJ Seminar Series of the Lincoln University Law School (UK) on Sea Level Rise and the Work of the International Law Commission

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).

Danielle delivered a guest lecture on 21 Jan 2022 at the NUS Climate Change Law and Policy module convened Visiting Prof Douglas Kysar. Danielle spoke on the negotiations process and her perspectives as a former legal advisor and climate change negotiator.

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)

CIL Research Associate Annabelle Teo participated in various events during the International Conference on the Safe and Secure Transport of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials, which was held virtually from 13 to 17 December 2021. The conference was organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and focused on issues relating to transport safety, transport security and the interface between them, with the objective of supporting Member States in further developing and strengthening their transport safety and security regulatory infrastructures.

Relevant topics covered over the course of the week include: (i) the main transport considerations and challenges for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in realising the prospect of global deployment of SMRs; (ii) the call for enhanced regional networks addressing transport safety and security in a coordinated manner, including within the Asia and Pacific Islands region; (iii) the exchange of good practices and experience, including presentations from ASEAN Member States such as Indonesia and Myanmar on the development of transport regulations and the exercise of regulatory oversight; and (iv) the IAEA’s past work and future plans to promote effective management of the transport safety-security interface. Details of the event and speakers are available in the conference programme.  

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.

8 December 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to be a Panellist at the Book Launch Event of Caroline Foster’s New Book “Global Regulatory Standards in Environmental and Health Disputes: Due Regard, Due Diligence and Regulatory Coherence”

Global regulatory standards are emerging from the environmental and health jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice, the World Trade Organization, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and investor-state dispute settlement. Most prominent are the three standards of regulatory coherence, due regard for the rights of others, and due diligence in the prevention of harm. These global regulatory standards are a phenomenon of our times, representing a new contribution to the ordering of the relationship between domestic and international law, and a revised conception of sovereignty in an increasingly pluralistic global legal era.

However, the legitimacy of the resulting ‘standards-enriched’ international law remains open to question. International courts and tribunals should not be the only fora in which these standards are elaborated, and many challenges and opportunities lie ahead in the ongoing development of global regulatory standards. Debate over whether regulatory coherence should go beyond reasonableness and rationality requirements and require proportionality stricto sensu in the relationship between regulatory measures and their objectives is central. Due regard, the most novel of the emerging standards, may help protect international law’s legitimacy claims in the interim. Meanwhile, all actors should attend to the integration rather than the fragmentation of international law, and to changes in the status of private actors.

The session was chaired by Christina Voigt and panellists include Dr Nilufer Oral, Gleider Hernandez and Geir Ulfstein.

8 December 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to give a lecture at Maastricht University Law School on the topic “Peremptory Norms of International Law and the Environment”

The event was chaired by Dr Craig Eggett.

More on the lecture at the link: Jus Cogens and Environmental Law – events – Maastricht University

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

On 2–3 December 2021, Research Fellow Charalampos Giannakopoulos participated in the 2^nd TRICI-Law Conference on “Interpretation of CIL: Methods, Interpretative Choices and the Role of Coherence”, which was co-organised with the PluriCourts Centre and the University of Groningen’s Department of Transboundary Legal Studies.

Senior Research Fellow Denise Cheong and Research Fellow Nivedita S were invited to participate in the Tenth Meeting of the Working Group on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). They participated remotely in this three-day hybrid meeting which was held in Geneva, Switzerland from 1 to 3 December 2021.

Matters discussed included (i) the cases pertaining to nuclear power plants including the planned construction of units and lifetime extension of such plants pending before the Espoo Implementation Committee; (ii) the proposed modifications to the reporting template for the European Union for the implementation of the Espoo Convention on EIA and the Kyiv Protocol on SEA, which includes a component to assess whether EIA/SEAs contribute to achieving sustainable development goals; and (iii) the work being done to identify synergies and possible cooperation activities in marine regions (in particular, regional seas frameworks that include provisions on environmental assessments).

The meeting included a seminar on sustainable infrastructure, which discussed among others, good practices relating to the use of EIA/SEA in the context of infrastructure development plans and projects. As part of this discussion, the potential link between taxonomy-related assessments and the EIA and SEA processes was also considered. The meeting brought together representatives from state parties to these treaties and representatives from intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations and academia.

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

26 November 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was One of the Speakers at the Roundtable Discussion on the Outcomes of COP26 and the Road Ahead to COP27 and the Global Stocktake

This session provided a brief overview of developments during the Glasgow Climate Summit, and the speakers addressed the question of “where next” in terms of preparation for COP27 and the Global Stocktake.

The speakers were:

Dan Bodansky – Professor of Law, Arizona State University

David Freestone – Professor of Law, George Washington University

Saleemul Huq – Director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD)

Selam Kidane Ababe – Climate Change Legal Adviser and PhD Candidate

Stephen Minas – Associate Professor of Law, Peking University

Petra Minnerop – Associate Professor of International Law, Durham Law School

Nilüfer Oral – Director of the Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore

Lavanya Rajamani – Professor of International Environmental Law, University of Oxford

Linda Siegele – Climate Change Legal Adviser and Phd Candidate

Amir Sokolowski – Associate Director, Carbon Disclosure Project, CDP

Christina Voigt – Professor of Law, University of Oslo

25 November 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited to Speak at the Climate Change and Law Seminar Organized by the Kadir Has University.

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

Senior Research Fellow Denise Cheong and Research Fellow Nivedita S were invited to participate in the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency’s (NEA) Working Party on Nuclear Liability and Transport (WPNLT) during its annual meeting held on 23 and 24 November 2021. This virtual meeting brought together representatives from member countries of the OECD NEA, intergovernmental organisations and industry as well as independent experts. The WPNLT is one of three working parties that fall under the purview of the NEA’s Nuclear Law Committee. Its main objectives are to examine issues relating to the interpretation and application of international nuclear liability instruments to nuclear transport and to find practical solutions through information exchange and the sharing of relevant experience.

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.

Adjunct Senior Research Fellow Danielle Yeow was invited to speak on 12 November 2021 at the webinar titled “Climate Change Related Disputes and their Resolution through Arbitration/ADR“. This webinar was part of the conference series “Make Climate Action Everyone’s Business Forum” hosted by the International Chamber of Commerce.

The CIL Nuclear Law and Policy Team participated in an international conference entitled “International Conference on a Decade of Progress after Fukushima-Daiichi: Building on the Lessons Learned to Further Strengthen Nuclear Safety” organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 8 to 12 November 2021. The week-long conference provided a platform where international safety experts and other leaders could look back on the lessons learned and results of actions undertaken at the national, regional and international levels following the accident and discuss ways for further strengthening nuclear safety.  The conference covered a range of topics under three broad themes – “International Perspective; Learning Lessons” and “Path Forward”. Topics covered included emergency preparedness and response; radiation safety; international cooperation; leadership and management for safety; communication and trust building; post-accident recovery; international legal instruments for safety and facing new challenges.  

As part of the conference, a special session was held by IAEA Director-General on the safety related aspects of handling ALPS (advanced liquid processing system) treated waters at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). This session provided an update from key officials from the IAEA and Japan about recent progress and planned future activities including plans on the review that the IAEA will conduct on Japan’s activities related to the treated water discharge. On the topic of international legal instruments, the effectiveness of the international legal instruments for safety, in particular, the Convention of Nuclear Safety (CNS) and the Vienna Declaration on Nuclear Safety (which was adopted after the accident to strengthen implementation of the CNS), can be further enhanced. Discussions centred around the peer review mechanism established by the CNS in the form of national reports on the implementation of a state’s obligations under the CNS for “peer review” in review meetings held every three years. Details of the events and speakers are available in the event’s programme.