Researchers' Activities
CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Speak at the Conference “Immunity of State’s Officials from Foreign Criminal Jurisdiction” Organized by Washington College of Law from 19 – 20 February 2024
More about the event at the link: https://www.wcl.american.edu/news-events/news/experts-examine-state-responses-to-new-un-articles/
6 – 9 February 2024: Research Fellow Nivedita S Attends OSPAR’s Radioactive Substances Committee (RSC) Meeting
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.
Daniel Pakpahan participated in the HKIAC Tribunal Secretary Training Programme
CIL Research Associate Daniel Pakpahan attended the first Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) Tribunal Secretary Training Programme for 2024, held in Singapore at Allen & Overy LLP.
CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Speak at the Security and the Formation and Application of International Law: A One Day Symposium in Honour of Marie Jacobsson on 24 January 2024
The purpose of this symposium is to explore the interplay between international law, policy and concrete decisions in the field of security.
CIL’s participation in the 47th session of the UNCITRAL Working Group III (ISDS reform)
CIL has been an official observer to Working Group III since 2017, when the Working Group’s mandate began.
Rashmi Raman and Celine Lange spoke at the annual Human Rights Day Seminar
Rashmi moderated Panel 2 (“A safe place to live and earn a living – The UDHR and Migrants’ Rights”) and Celine was a panelist for Panel 1 (“Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”).
5 December 2023: Head of Nuclear Law and Policy, Denise Cheong Presents at the 2023 DILA + APOLIA International Conference
She was part of a panel on “Developing International Norms Addressing the Disposal of Nuclear Waste and Nuclear Governance at the International and Domestic Levels” where she gave a presentation on “Nuclear Governance and the Discharge of ALPs-treated Water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station”.
Dr Tan Hsien-Li participated in the Direct Interface on ASEAN Economic Community Post-2025 Vision
Dr Tan Hsien-Li participated in the Direct Interface on ASEAN Economic Community Post-2025 Vision with the ASEAN High Level Task Force on Economic Integration, hosted by the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for the ASEAN Economic Community, HE Satvinder Singh, in Jakarta on 29 November 2023.
CIL ASEAN Law and Policy team research trip to the ASEAN Secretariat
Dr Tan Hsien-Li, Chan Sze-Wei and Yvette Foo of the ASEAN Law and Policy team made a fruitful research trip to Jakarta from 27-28 November 2023 for meetings with the ASEAN Secretariat’s Legal Services and Agreements Directorate and ASEAN Resource Centre, the Singapore Permanent Mission to ASEAN and Indonesian research colleagues in the field of ASEAN.
CIL co-organises In-person Meeting on Investment Treaties and Climate Change for ASEAN-Plus Government Officials with OECD and UCL
On 24 November 2023, the Centre for International Law (CIL), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and University College London (UCL) jointly organised an in-person, closed-door, off-the-record meeting on investment treaties and climate change for ASEAN-Plus government officials in Singapore. This in-person meeting was a follow up to a virtual meeting held on 25 May 2023, which focused on the investment treaty regime, its impact on high-carbon and other investment incentives, and its interaction with policies designed to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Following an introductory presentation of the Paris Agreement and key recent climate developments, the in-person meeting proceeded to discussion of whether investment treaties can contribute to addressing climate change, and how to ensure that investment treaties do not hinder the achievement of climate goals.
Dita Liliansa presented at the “UNSW International Law Junior Workshop
She presented her draft article about informal lawmaking in ASEAN. Professor Natalie Klein from UNSW served as a commentator for her article.
Charalampos Giannakopoulos at inaugural conference of the Sustainability in Arbitration and Investment Law (SAIL)
Under the question “Is the World Without Investment Arbitration, a World With(out) Justice?”, the conference sought to map out different paradigms of international investment regulation in a post-reformed ISDS, and also a post-ISDS, world. Dr Giannakopoulos participated in the discussion with a presentation entitled “Justice in ISDS and the Search for Community”, which addressed the question of ISDS’ “audience” in the system’s current and potentially reformed state.
Dr Tan Hsien-Li presented at EU-ASEAN Business Council roundtable on ASEAN economic integration
It was a closed-door engagement session with the EU-ASEAN Business Council, PwC Singapore, Leiden University, and representatives of private sector entities active in ASEAN on 23 November 2023 in Singapore.
Dita Liliansa spoke at the Maritime Security Roundtable organised by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra
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.”
8-9 November 2023: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Speak at the 2023 Symposium on Global Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance
More about the event at the link: https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/the-symposium-on-global-maritime-cooperation-and-ocean-governance-2023-concluded-in-sanya-301984180.html
A recording of the event at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MxFoz22S7I
Liu Yulu participated at workshop on Microplastics Distribution in Coastal Aquaculture Input Systems and Developing a Mitigation Plan towards Seafood Safety
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.
Ayelet Berman presented at the Reconstructing the Legal Framework for Global Health Governance in the Post-Pandemic Era symposium
At the event, Dr. Berman presented on The WHO Pandemic Agreement and International Health Regulations (IHR): Implementation Challenges and Approaches.
Danielle Yeow invited to speak at the Public Law Conference 2023 “The Public Law Conversation on Sustainability”
Ms Indranee Rajah SC, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development delivered the closing address. Brochure PILC Portal (301023)
Dr Nilüfer Oral spoke at the Informal Plenary of the General Assembly on Existential Threats of Sea-level Rise Amidst the Climate Crisis
Dr. Nilufer Oral was a member of the panellists at the informal plenary meeting.
Dr Tara Davenport presented in a panel on “How Politics, Economics and the Environment Shape the Global Communications network,” in the Singapore Symposium 2023
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.
Dr Tara Davenport participated in conference on “Undersea Cables, Geoeconomics, and Security in the Indo-Pacific: Risks and Resilience”
She presented on “Southeast Asian Approaches to the Protection of Submarine Cables: Problems and Prospects for Cooperation.”
Dita Liliansa participated at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Training Programme on “Responding to Smuggling of Migrants (SOM) by Sea
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.
CIL NUS-UNSW Sydney Workshop on Addressing the Human Rights of Fishers in Southeast Asia, 25 October 2023
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.
20 October 2023: Head of Nuclear Law and Policy, Denise Cheong Presents at Asia Pacific Nuclear Energy 2023
This event was co-organised by the Centre for Strategic Energy & Resources, an independent think-and-do tank and non-profit organisation that seeks to provide thought leadership on issues related to energy transition and sustainability. Denise presented as part of the session on “Global Perspectives on nuclear energy and its implications for Asia Pacific”.
Dr Tan Hsien-Li presented at “The EU and International Diplomatic Law and Politics: Views from the Outside” Workshop
The workshop was organised by the T.M.C Asser Institute, the University of Groningen and in close cooperation with the Centre for the Law of EU External relations (CLEER) on 20 October, Den Haag.
Emeritus Prof Robert Beckman participated in an International Forum on Ocean Governance and National Implementation in Taipei
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.
3 October 2023: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Invited to Speak at the Istanbul Arbitration Week
At this year’s event, Nilufer was one of the speakers for the opening fireside chat on “Building the Foundations for Turkey’s Future in International Arbitration and International Dispute Settlement”.
Chan Sze-Wei attended the 38th ASEAN Roundtable
The event opened with a Keynote by ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn, followed by panels on “Forces of Fragmentation”, ASEAN economic integration, regional flashpoints and “ASEAN in the age of multipolarity”.
Prof Robert Beckman presented at “Navigating Complexities: Building Regional Trust and Stability in the South China Sea” Conference, Jakarta
Prof Beckman delivered the keynote speech in Session 1, which was entitled “South China Sea: International Law Perspectives”.
Danielle Yeow spoke at the 2nd Annual Symposium on Cyber and International Law
Many thanks to the Washington College of Law and partner institutions for the collaboration; as well as the expert speakers and participants for their contributions to the robust and thought provoking dialogues.
CIL co-organises the Sixth Intersessional Meeting of UNCITRAL Working Group III (Investor-State Dispute Settlement Reform) with UNCITRAL and the Singapore Ministry of Law
The full programme and informal documents prepared for the Sixth Intersessional Meeting of Working Group III are available here.
CIL Side-Event at the Sixth Intersessional Meeting of UNCITRAL Working Group III (Investor-State Dispute Settlement Reform), Singapore: “Practical Tools for the Avoidance of Investor-State Disputes: an UNCITRAL Working Group III Priority”
The panel was moderated by Professor N. Jansen Calamita, Head, Investment Law & Policy, at CIL. Discussants on the panel were Ms Young Shin Um, Senior Deputy Director, International Dispute Settlement Division, Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Korea, and Ms Lai Thị Vân Anh, Deputy Director General, Department of International Law of the Ministry of Justice of Viet Nam.
Dr Tara Davenport – ISA E-Learning Platform Deep Dive
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/
Dr Tara Davenport – ISA Webinar on Effective Control, 1 Sept 2023
Her presentation is available here.
Getting the Most Out of the Singapore Convention in Investor-State Disputes
The webinar was livestreamed on Facebook, and the video recording of the event is available here.
Dita Liliansa at Fifth Montevideo Environmental Law Programme Regional Meeting and Third ASEAN Environmental Law Conference
The theme of the conference was ‘Future of Environmental Law in ASEAN and Beyond.’ On August 17th, 2023, Dita presented on the topic of ‘Ocean Equity.’
Dita Liliansa invited as Lecturer at the 2023 Airlangga Summer School
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.
CIL Researchers at the Asian Society of International Law, 9th Biennial Conference in Indonesia
TRILA Team co-organised the Junior Scholar Workshop at the University of Indonesia, Faculty of Law.
Dr Tara Davenport presented at the 14th Cooperation Forum: Co-operative Mechanism on Safety of Navigation and Environmental Protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore
Dr. Davenport presented on “UNCLOS, IMO and Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships,” in Plenary Session 3 on Maritime Autonomous Surface Vessels.
Railla Puno presented at the 2023 IUCN Academy (Themed: Future-Proofing Law in a Time of Environmental Emergency)
Railla Puno delivered a presentation online based on working paper “Oceans and Climate Change: Synergy and Conflict in International Law”
Dita Liliansa at the 34th Annual International Military Law and Operations Conference (MILOPS)
The theme of this year’s MILOPS was ‘Cooperating to Defend the Rules-Based International Order in the Indo-Pacific.’
Dita Liliansa at the 2nd Conference on Preventing Dangerous Maritime Incidents and Escalation in the Asia-Pacific, in Bangkok
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 presented at the 2023 International Marine Economy and Maritime Services Forum in Ningbo, China
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).