Researchers' Activities

CIL Senior Research Fellow Denise Cheong, Research Fellow Nivedita S and Research Associates Manisha Regalla and Annabelle Teo participated in a webinar jointly organised by the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on 7 October 2021. The webinar marked the first step of cooperation between ACE and IAEA since the launch of their multi-year cooperation programme specifically in the field of nuclear power application pursuant to the Practical Arrangements (PA) signed between ASEAN and the IAEA on 17 September 2019. The PA sets out a framework for cooperation in the areas of nuclear science, technology and applications, as well as of nuclear safety, security and safeguards, for five years.

The aim of the webinar was to inform stakeholders of ASEAN and its member states about upcoming nuclear cooperation activities as well as build capacity on global developments relevant to ASEAN’s Civilian Nuclear Energy Programme (CNE Programme) under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) Phase II: 2021–2025. Major topics discussed included an overview of the achievements and/or work that is being planned as part of the CNE Programme and the PA as well as the status and prospects for nuclear power globally and within Southeast Asia, including the status and prospects of new and emerging technologies such as advanced reactors and small modular reactors.

Further details are available at the event website and a recording of the webinar is available here.

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.

3 October 2021: : CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited to Speak at the Marmara Urban Forum (MARUF) at the Session “Habitat Matters: Preserving Biodiversity for Sustainable Ecosystems”

Marmara Urban Forum (MARUF) is a biennial international urban forum organized with the motto of “Cities Developing Solutions” by Marmara Municipalities Union (MMU), which is a local government association in the Marmara Region of Turkey with over 190 members. MARUF strives not only to discuss the challenges that cities face but also to seek solutions to them and multiply good practices at a global scale.

MARUF19, which was organized for the first time on 1-3 October 2019 in Istanbul, attracted over 5440 participants. With the contributions of 66 partners, 50 sessions were held, and different approaches on urban services and urban management were discussed by 250 speakers from 25 countries. MARUF19 hosted plenary sessions, parallel sessions, roundtable meetings, workshops, networking events, exhibitions, field trips, cultural events, booths, film screenings for 3 days.

This year, MARUF21 was organized as a “virtual event” on the theme of “Re-Think, Co-Act” and brought together urban thinkers around passionate debates on how to make cities more liveable, sustainable, resilient, creative, inclusive, innovative, and healthy. It gathered all stakeholders including professionals from cities, national, regional and local governments, private sector, NGOs, universities and other stakeholders that play a crucial role in the design, transformation and governance of cities.

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.

Senior Research Fellow Denise Cheong and Research Fellow S Nivedita participated in the meeting of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) Nuclear Energy Experts Group held this year. This meeting was held virtually from 28 to 29 September 2021. Denise Cheong was invited to present as part of a panel session on the future of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in Asia where she provided the ASEAN context, touching on SMR development and potential deployment within Southeast Asia as well as efforts to foster international and regional cooperation in this area.

Senior Research Fellow Denise Cheong was invited to participate in the CSCAP Non-proliferation and Disarmament Study Group held virtually on 22 and 23 September 2021. Discussions on recent developments in non-proliferation and disarmament included the outlook for the upcoming Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Conference of the Parties to the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (A/CPPNM). Participants were also introduced to the “Nuclear Responsibilities Toolkit” a toolkit designed to help policy communities think, talk, and write about their nuclear responsibilities, and those of others, in a practical manner.

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

The 65th General Conference (GC) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was held in a hybrid format this year from 20 to 24 September 2021. CIL Senior Research Fellow Denise Cheong, Research Fellow Nivedita S and Research Associate Manisha Regalla participated in various virtual side events organised or co-sponsored by the IAEA including events related to (i) Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) which showcased the IAEA Platform on SMRs and their Applications, aimed at providing member states with coordinated support in the development and deployment of this emerging nuclear power technology through ‘one-stop shop’ access to IAEA’s expertise and resources on SMRs; (ii) the new IAEA generic roadmap towards implementing a deep geological repository (DGR), which is based on practices and experiences in a range of national DGR programmes; and (iii) the IAEA Milestones Approach for Responsible Deployment of Nuclear Technologies, which showcased the most up to date guiding materials and practices for countries embarking on or expanding their nuclear power programmes. Details of the events and speakers are available at the event website here and here.

Senior Research Fellow Denise Cheong and Research Fellow Nivedita S attended a webinar organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) entitled ‘Security of Nuclear Material in Transport’ on 30 August 2021.