Researchers' Activities

CIL Research Fellow Ms Ranyta Yusran participated in the AsianSIL Regional Conference – ‘International Law and a Dynamic Asia’ on 14-15 June 2016 in Hanoi, Viet Nam. The Conference was jointly organised by AsianSIL, the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam. At the Conference, Ranyta presented her paper on ‘The ASEAN Convention against Trafficking in Persons, Especially in Women and Children: Is It Up to the Task?’ in a panel on ‘ASEAN after 2015’, chaired by the dean of the NUS Law Faculty. Within the same panel, Asst Prof Tan Hsien-Li, CIL’s ASEAN Integration through Law Director, also presented her paper on ‘The ASEAN Community: Its Ambitions, Laws and Dispute Settlement Mechanisms’. To download Ranyta’s presentation, click here.

CIL Director Professor Robert Beckman was invited to participate in the EU-DAV High-Level Workshop: Maritime Security and Development: International Cooperation and European – Asian Experience Sharing, which was held on 8-9 June 2016 in Ha Long, Vietnam. The Workshop was jointly organised by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and the European Union. Prof Beckman was unable to attend, but his PowerPoint presentation was distributed to participants and presented by another speaker. His presentation was entitled ‘UNCLOS Dispute Settlement Regime & Philippines v China Arbitration’. He has submitted a draft paper to the organisers on the same topic. To view the draft paper, click here.

CIL Director Robert Beckman attended the 2016 IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, the 15th annual Asia Security Summit, organised by the International Institute for Security Studies, which was held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore from 3-5 June 2016. Prof Beckman participated in a panel discussion on ‘Managing South China Sea Tensions’, together with defence officials from China, Vietnam and the European Union.

CIL Director Robert Beckman and CIL Non-Resident Fellow Captain J Ashley Roach participated in the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum Workshop on Maritime Boundaries, which was held at the Hanoi Hilton Opera Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam from 31 May to 3 June 2016. The full title of the Workshop was the EAMF International Law and Best Practices in Maritime Boundary Delimitation and Provisional Arrangements of a Practical Nature. The Workshop was organised by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) and the US Department of State. CIL and the Australian Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) were supporting organisations. Prof Beckman and Captain Roach each made two presentations at the Workshop. CIL Research Associate Christine Sim attended the Workshop as an observer.

CIL Research Fellow Ranyta Yusran and CIL Research Associates Shaun Kang and Elsa Sardinha participated in the 13th Annual Asian Law Institute Conference – ‘Asian Perspectives on Legal Globalisation’ on 19-20 May 2016 in Beijing, China. The Conference was jointly organised by Peking University and the Asian Law Institute. At the Conference, Ranyta Yusran spoke at a panel on ‘International Law and Human Rights’ and delivered a presentation entitled ‘No Longer Taboo and Yet Still Awkward: Human Rights in ASEAN’. To download her presentation, click here. Shaun Kang and Elsa Sardinha spoke at a panel on ‘International Law and Globalisation’. Shaun delivered a presentation on ‘The Exodus of Rohingya People and Malaysia’s International Obligations towards Refugees’ and Elsa Sardinha delivered a presentation on ‘The Right to Regulate: Towards a New Regulatory Paradigm under Recent Free Trade Investment Chapters? A Dissection of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Canada-EU (CETA) and Singapore-EU (SEUFTA) Free Trade Agreements’. To download Shaun’s presentation, click here. To download Elsa’s presentation, click here.

CIL Senior Research Fellow Dr. Hao Duy Phan was invited to speak at an international conference on ‘Maritime Boundaries and the Law of the Sea’ on 19 May 2016 in Dili, Timor-Leste. Hao Duy Phan delivered a presentation on ‘UNCLOS Dispute Settlement Mechanisms and the Timor Sea’. The Conference was organised by the Government of Timor-Leste. More than 500 international and local participants attended the Conference. To download Hao Duy Phan’s presentation, click here.

On 18 May 2016, CIL Research Associate Hadyu Ikrami participated in the International Seminar on the Establishment of a Regional Convention against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (IUUF) and Its Related Crimes. The Seminar took place in Bali, Indonesia, and was organised by the Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs. It was attended by approximately 120 participants from 13 countries. The speakers of the Seminar were representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), European Union (EU), Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) of the West African Countries, as well as representatives of the governments of Thailand, Australia, the Philippines and the United States. Another speaker was a New Zealander official who delivered a presentation on how Interpol has assisted New Zealand in combatting IUU fishing.

CIL Director Robert Beckman participated in the 11th Japan-Singapore Symposium, which was held in Tokyo, Japan on 25-26 April 2016. Prof Beckman made a presentation on ‘Security Outlook in the Asia-Pacific: Roles of Maritime Nations’.

CIL Director Robert Beckman and CIL Research Assistant Anjali Sugadev attended the Third Hamburg International Environmental Law Conference 2016 in Hamburg, Germany from 15-16 April 2016. Professor Beckman gave an invited presentation on ‘Submarine Cables & Pipelines under UNCLOS’. To view his presentation, click here. Ms Sugadev participated in the conference and was a member of the Working Group on ‘Ocean Bed Pipe and Cable Systems’. [View photo]

CIL Director Robert Beckman and Research Assistant Anjali Sugadev attended the annual Plenary Meeting of the International Cable Protection Committee in Hamburg, Germany from 12-14 April 2016 (view photo). At the open session of the plenary, Professor Beckman gave an invited presentation on ‘Potential Impact of BBNJ Negotiations on Cable Industry’. To view his presentation, click here. Ms Sugadev presented a paper on ‘India’s Practice on Cable Repairs: An Appraisal’. To view her presentation, click here.

CIL Research Fellow Dr Zhen Sun and Research Assistant Anjali Sugadev participated in the DEHUKAM International Workshop – “Legal Status of Submarine Cables, Pipelines and ABNJ” on 7-8 April 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. The Conference was jointly organized by the Ankara University Research Center of the Sea and Maritime Law, Center for Oceans Law and Policy, University of Virginia and the International Cable Protection Committee. At the Conference, Dr. Sun spoke at a panel on the Law of the Sea and delivered a presentation on “Submarine Cables in the Sargasso Sea – Lessons for the Prep-Com”. To download her PowerPoint presentation, click here. Anjali Sugadev spoke at the second session of the panel on “Submarine Pipelines, Cables and ABNJ under the Law of the Sea, especially UNCLOS” and gave a presentation on “Cables and Pipelines under UNCLOS: Similarities, Differences and Gaps”. To download her PowerPoint presentation, click here.

CIL Senior Research Fellow Youna Lyons was invited by the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines as a resource speaker at the 8th ASEAN Regional Forum Inter-sessional Meeting on Maritime Security, held 6-7 April 2016, in Makati City, Philippines. She made a presentation on ‘Marine Environmental Governance in Southeast Asia: A Review of Status and Gaps’. To download her presentation, click here.

CIL Senior Research Fellow Dr Tan Hsien-Li presented a paper and presentation on ‘The Legalization and Institutionalization of ASEAN: Conceptualizing a New Pattern in Asian Regionalism’ at a workshop on Regional and Constitutional Structures in Tension, which was held at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, from 4-5 April 2016. The workshop was organised by the University of Geneva, Global Studies Institute (supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation), iCourts of the University of Copenhagen, and the Institute for Global Law and Policy at Harvard Law School.

CIL Senior Research Fellow Youna Lyons was invited by the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) – Singapore to participate in the 1st Meeting of the CSCAP Study Group on Marine Environmental Protection, which was held on 3-5 April 2016 at the Marco Polo Ortigas Hotel in Manila, Philippines. She made a presentation on ‘Challenges to the Marine Environment and Gaps in Regional Cooperation’. To download her presentation, click here.

CIL Senior Research Fellow Dr Hao Duy Phan was invited to participate in the International Workshop entitled ‘Cultural Heritage Law and the Built Environment: Preserving Outstanding Universal Value in Asia’s Historic Cities’ on 17-18 March 2016 in Singapore. The Workshop was organised by the Centre for Asian Legal Studies, National University of Singapore. Hao Duy Phan moderated the session on ‘Global Trends in Urban Heritage Conservation’.

CIL Research Fellow Junianto James Losari taught an International Investment Law course in the Masters Programme on Trade, Investment, and Competition at the Universitas Pelita Harapan, Indonesia, which was held on 23-26 February 2016 in Jakarta, Indonesia. In his lecture, James provided an overview of international investment law with some specific discussions on Indonesia’s recent investment policies. This was the fourth time that CIL was invited to teach this course. CIL’s past participation included the course being co-taught by James and Associate Professor Michael Ewing-Chow. [View photo]

On Monday, 22 February 2016, CIL Research Fellow Junianto James Losari was the guest lecturer at a workshop to advise Indonesian government officials from the Ministry of Trade, the Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board, the Central Bank of Indonesia, and various other institutions on cross-cutting issues between Trade in Services and Investment. The workshop was organised by the Ministry of Trade’s Centre for Advocacy and the EU-Indonesia Trade Cooperation Facility at the Ministry of Trade in Jakarta, Indonesia. In his lecture, James highlighted the need for Indonesian government officials to clarify their policy objectives both in trade and investment before the process of negotiating or drafting free trade agreements (FTAs). Furthermore, he noted the potential overlap of commitments made under trade in services chapter and investment chapters in FTAs that requires different institutions to cooperate and coordinate closely to prevent inconsistency. For further details about the workshop, click here: http://www.euind-tcf.com/taking-a-closer-look-at-the-investment-provisions-in-regional-trade-agreements/
[View photo]

CIL Director Robert Beckman participated in a conference hosted by the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS) in Hainan, China from 17-19 January 2016. The conference was the Second Conference on the Partnership for Regional Peace: Operationalising ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in Southeast Asia under a project headed by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Indonesia and the NISCSS to try to find a resolution to the issues in the South China Sea. Prof Beckman served as the Co-Chair of the Working Group on Legal Principles, one of four working groups established under the project.

Following the 16th Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on the Coastal and Marine Environment (AWGCME), CIL Director Robert Beckman, CIL Global Associate Captain J Ashley Roach and CIL Senior Research Fellow Youna Lyons were invited to address members of the AWGCME, together with invited representatives of Singapore government agencies, at a seminar held on 10 June 2015 in Singapore, on issues under UNCLOS and other international legal frameworks governing the protection of the coastal and marine environment. As the Designated Resource Persons at the seminar, Professor Beckman made a presentation on ‘Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs)’ (download in PDF), Captain Roach made a presentation on ‘Access-Benefit Sharing Scheme for Marine Genetic Resources in areas beyond National Jurisdiction’ (download in PDF) and Ms Lyons made a presentation on ‘Prioritisation and the Protection of Sea-Space’ (download in PDF). To view the Agenda, click here.

CIL Senior Research Fellow Dr Tan Hsien-Li presented a paper and presentation on ‘Reputational Risks in the Post-Charter ASEAN: Rules-based Reformation or Rhetorical Repetition’ at a symposium organised by the New Zealand Centre for Public Law and the International Law Association (New Zealand Branch), on International Organisations and the Rule of Law: Perils and Promise, which was held at the Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Law from 7-8 December 2015.

CIL Senior Non-Resident Fellow, retired Navy Captain J. Ashley Roach addressed the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on Regional Confidence Building and the Law of the Sea, which was held in Tokyo, Japan on 4 December 2015, and convened by the Division of Maritime Security of the Japanese Foreign Ministry. The seminar was co-chaired by Japan, Vietnam and India. Captain Roach suggested that the ARF members review carefully the Award on the Merits in the Philippine-PRC arbitration expected by mid-June 2016, and the Final Report of the International Law Association’s (ILA) Committee on Baselines under the International Law of the Sea (chaired by Captain Roach) expected to be adopted at the ILA’s biennial conference in August 2016. He suggested the documents be reviewed in light of the ARF members’ maritime claims that are inconsistent with the Law of the Sea Convention.

CIL Research Fellow Zhen Sun participated in the 5th AsianSIL Biennial Conference – “International Law and the Changing Economic & Political Landscape in Asia” on 26-27 November 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Conference was organised by the Asian Society of International Law. At the Conference, Dr Sun was a panelist on a Law of the Sea panel and delivered a presentation on “Sustainable Maritime Security Measures in South-East Asia”. To download her presentation, click here.

CIL Director Professor Robert Beckman and CIL Senior Research Fellow Dr Hao Duy Phan were invited to participate in the 7th South China Sea International Conference on “Cooperation for Regional Security and Development” on 23-24 November 2015 in Vung Tau, Viet Nam. The Conference was jointly organised by the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam, the Viet Nam Lawyers Association and the East Sea Foundation. Professor Beckman made a presentation on “The South China Sea: Prospects for Cooperation to Manage the Disputes”. To download his presentation, please click here.

CIL Research Fellow Denise Cheong presented on “The balance between legal and administrative measures – Singapore’s implementation of international conventions on marine spill contingency planning” at the EAS Congress 2015 organised by Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), which was held in Danang City, Vietnam from 16-21 November 2015. To download her presentation, please click here.

CIL Senior Research Fellow Youna Lyons presented a paper on ‘Shared Resources in the South China Sea and the Management of Transboundary Environmental Risks’ at the RSIS Maritime Security Programme Workshop on Assessing the Future Maritime Environment in Asia, which was held in Singapore on 12 November 2015. To download her paper summary, please click here. To download her presentation, please click here.