Researchers' Activities

Senior research fellows Youna Lyons and Vu Hai Dang were invited to participate in the Asia-Pacific Regional Consultation Meeting under the Ad Hoc Open-Ended Expert Group (AHEG) on marine litter and microplastics established by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA). The consultation meeting was held online from 26 to 27 August 2020 and hosted by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the government of Japan. At the meeting, about 100 representatives from the AHEG Asia-Pacific Group Member States, UNEP and NGOs exchanged views on existing measures and potential options to deal with the marine plastic pollution issue.

Senior Research Fellow Denise Cheong and Research Associate Nivedita S attended the International Atomic Energy Agency’s webinar on ‘Responsibilities and Functions of a Nuclear Energy Programme Implementing Organization (NEPIO)’.

Senior Research Fellow Denise Cheong and Research Associate Nivedita S participated in the Ninth Meeting of the Working Group on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

On 6 August 2020, the Embassy of Vietnam in Singapore held a ceremony to officially present the decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam to nominate Emeritus Professor Robert Beckman, Head of Ocean Law and Policy of CIL, as an Arbitrator under Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Her Excellency Tao Thi Thanh Huong, Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary of Vietnam to Singapore, along with all Heads of Section of the Embassy, attended the event.

At the ceremony, Ambassador Huong presented the decision to Professor Beckman, emphasising that this is the first time in history that Vietnam has nominated a foreign national to this important position. This proves not only the recognition of the knowledge and experience of the nominee but also his impartiality to and support of the peaceful resolution of disputes based on international law.

Postdoctoral Fellow Neha Mishra has been awarded the 2020 University of Melbourne Chancellor’s Prize for her doctoral thesis, ‘When Data Flows Across Borders: Aligning International Trade Law with Internet Policy Objectives’. The prestigious prize is awarded for scholarly excellence, international recognition and impact of the research, and the University of Melbourne confers the annual award to six PhD graduates from different disciplines. Dr Mishra was supervised by Professors Tania Voon and Andrew Mitchell.

The CIL Nuclear Law and Policy Team attended NBP Conversations: Philippines Nuclear Energy Market Update held on 29 July 2020 and hosted by Nuclear Business Platform, an industry-led platform.

The CIL Nuclear Law and Policy Team attended OECD Nuclear Energy Agency’s online discussion panel on ‘The Role of Nuclear Energy During COVID-19 and Beyond’ on 24 June 2020. COVID-19 has underlined the importance of electricity reliability and resilience during major disruptions. With governments considering a broad range of options for economic recovery and job creation, there is scope within stimulus packages to support energy systems that fulfil both these criteria, while meeting long-term environmental goals and energy security. It was in this context that the panel discussion explored the role that nuclear energy can play in the post COVID-19 recovery, while also supporting the path towards an energy future which is truly sustainable and environmentally responsible.

The online panel discussants included René Neděla, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic; Agneta Rising, Director General, World Nuclear Association; Brent Wanner, WEO Senior Energy Analyst, International Energy Agency (IEA); Juan Garin, Policy Analyst, OECD Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs; Julia Pyke, SZC Director of Financing, EDF Energy; and Atte Harjanne, Member of the Finnish Parliament & Helsinki City Council. The conversation was moderated by OECD NEA Director-General, William D Magwood, IV.

Assistant Professor Tan Hsien-Li spoke at an international conference organised by Renmin University’s Human Rights Center on ‘Human Rights Protection under Law-based Pandemic Prevention and Control: The Role of Proportionality Principles’ on 20 June.

Assistant Professor Tan spoke on ‘From SARs to COVID-19: Reflections on ASEAN’s Collective Response to Public Health Crises’. Given that proportionality is a firm legal principle that has substantively different meanings in public law and public international law, and that the COVID-19 pandemic is still propelling different facets of governance, political, public health and legal strategies of containment, she discussed whether proportionality was a good tool with which to examine the ongoing phenomenon. Apart from the fact that proportionality has been rejected as a tool of judicial reasoning by some jurisdictions, socio-cultural contexts on law, politics and governance also differ widely on how proportionality might (or might not) be used.

The CIL Nuclear Law and Policy Team participated in OECD NEA (Nuclear Energy Agency) WebChat with HE Michał Kurtyka, Poland’s Minister of Climate and 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24) President on 15 June 2020.

Dr Nilüfer Oral, CIL Director, and Robert Beckman, Head, CIL Ocean Law & Policy, were invited to attend the online Adoption Ceremony of the Model Agreement between Singapore and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on 11 June 2020. Disputes referred to the ITLOS can now be heard in Singapore under the agreement signed by Minister for Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam and ITLOS President, Judge Jin-Hyun Paik.