Researchers' Activities

CIL Director Robert Beckman participated in the Fourth International Workshop on the South China Sea organized by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and the Vietnam Lawyers Association. The workshop was held from 18-21 November 2012 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and its theme was “The South China Sea: Cooperation for Regional Security and Development”. Prof Beckman presented a paper on “The Significance of the Status of Offshore Geographic Features to Maritime Claims in the South China Sea” (download paper here; download presentation in PDF format here). He also did an oral presentation on the implications for the South China Sea of the 19 November 2012 decision of the International Court of Justice in The Territorial and Maritime Dispute (Nicaragua v. Colombia) (download in PDF format).

A/P Michael Ewing-Chow, Head of CIL’s Trade and Investment Law and Policy Programme and WTO Chair, NUS was invited by the WTO as a regional expert for the WTO Regional Trade Policy Course for Asia Pacific officials at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) in New Delhi, India. Prof Ewing-Chow taught “The WTO Dispute Settlement System” with Chibole Waikole, WTO Legal Affairs Officer and Alan Yanovich, Counselor, WTO Appellate Body Secretariat from 5-8 November 2012. Prof Ewing-Chow also shared his completed research on the use by Asian Developing Countries of the WTO Dispute Settlement System co-authored with CIL Student Research Assistant Alex Goh.

CIL Patron Prof S Jayakumar, Chairman of CIL’s International Advisory Panel (IAP), delivered the keynote address on “International Law and the South China Sea – Claims and Joint Development” at the Blue South China Sea, Green Joint Development Conference in Xiamen, China, on 3 November 2012. Prof Jayakumar was invited by the Xiamen University South China Sea Institute. For the text of the speech, click here.

From 2 to 5 November 2012 CIL Director Robert Beckman participated in three separate events during World Ocean Week (WOW) in Xiamen, China. On Friday 2 November, he attended the Blue Economy, Green Grow Technology-led Marine Economy Development Conference and made a presentation on “International Regulation of Low-carbon Marine Economy Development” at the Forum of Marine Science and Technology. On Saturday 3 November, he participated in the 1st Annual Meeting of the 3rd International Academic Advisory Committee of the Coastal and Ocean Management Institute of Xiamen University. On Sunday 4 November he attended the “Blue South China Sea: Green Joint Development” Conference organized by the programme on Oceans Law and Policy of the Xiamen University Law School. He made a presentation on “Identifying Areas for Joint Development and Cooperation in the South China Sea”. For his presentation at the Forum, click here. For his presentation at the Joint Development Conference, click here.

A/P Michael Ewing-Chow, Head of CIL’s Trade and Investment Law and Policy Programme and WTO Chair, NUS was invited to attend Hague Institute for the Internationalisation of Law (HiiL) Innovating Justice Forum 2012 from 1-2 November 2012. The forum focused on the issue of the rise of international rule making as a phenomenon and the problem of building trust in the rulemaking by transnational public and private networks. For more information on the Forum, visit the Forum website by clicking here.

CIL Director Robert Beckman and Senior Research Fellow Youna Lyons participated actively in the APAC decommissioning workshop organized by Decomworld in Singapore on 31st October-1st November 2012. Professor Beckman chaired the regulatory panel and made a presentation on the global legal regime on the decommissioning of offshore installations and structures.

CIL Director Robert Beckman made a presentation on 24 October 2012 at the Workshop on ASEAN Enhanced Dispute Settlement Mechanisms at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. Prof Beckman’s presentation was on “Dispute Settlement Mechanisms and Compliance with ASEAN Agreements”. Prof Beckman also participated in a panel discussion at the Workshop on the ASEAN Dispute Settlement Mechanisms. For the PowerPoint Presentation, click here.

CIL Senior Research Fellow Youna Lyons attended and made a presentation at the SCS-2012, 2nd Conference for Regional Cooperation in Ocean and Earth Science Research in the South China Sea: Sharing Knowledge, Resources and Technologies for a Sustainable South China Sea, jointly organized by the University of Malaya and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Malaysia (MOSTI). This conference took place on 21-24 October in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Youna’s presentation was titled: ‘Documenting Biodiversity Research to Assist with the Implementation of International Instruments and the Protection of Marine Biodiversity’. To download a copy of Youna’s presentation in PDF format, click here.

CIL Director Robert Beckman made a presentation on 17 October 2012 at the Offshore Patrol & Security Asia Pacific Conference at the Renaissance Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Prof Beckman’s presentation was on “Territorial Disputes, Unresolved Maritime Boundaries & Maritime Security – Case Study: The South China Sea”. For the PowerPoint Presentation, click here.

CIL Chairman Prof Tommy Koh delivered a speech on “ASEAN-Japan Relations: A Singapore Perspective” at the GRIPS-ISEAS Joint Workshop 2012 at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo, Japan. To download the speech in PDF format, click here.

A/P Michael Ewing-Chow, WTO Chair and Head of CIL’s Trade and Investment Programme, and CIL Research Fellow Dr Tan Hsien-Li led a seminar on “The Role of the Rule of Law in ASEAN Integration” at the Academy of Global Governance, Executive Training Seminar Series on “Regional Integration Beyond the European Experience: Latin America and Asia”, European University Institute, Florence, Italy. For more information, click here.

CIL Chairman Prof Tommy Koh delivered a speech on “Japan’s Prospects and Challenges: A View from Southeast Asia” at the International House of Japan, on the occassion of its 60th anniversary celebrations in Tokyo, Japan. To download the speech in PDF format, click here.

CIL Director Robert Beckman delivered the Keynote Address at the 7th ABLOS Conference in Monaco on 1-5 October 2012. ABLOS is the Advisory Board on the Law of the Sea of the International Hydrographic Organization. The theme of the 7th ABLOS Conference was “UNCLOS in a Changing World”. Prof Beckman’s Keynote Address was on “Maritime Claims in the South China Sea: Issues & Challenges”. For the PowerPoint Presentation, click here.

CIL Research Associate Leonardo Bernard participated in the International Malaysia Law Conference with the theme “Asian Perspective, Global Viewpoints” from 26-28 September 2012 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia. Leo presented a presentation titled “UNCLOS & the Legal Claims in the South China Sea”. The Conference was hosted by the Bar Council Malaysia. For the PowerPoint presentation, click here.

CIL Director Robert Beckman participated in an International Seminar on “Geographical Features in the East Asian Seas and the Law of the Sea” from 20-21 September 2012 at Academia Sinica in Taiwan. Prof Beckman presented a paper on the “Legal Status of Low-Tide Elevations and Submerged Features”. The seminar was co-hosted by the Society of Ieodo Research, Jeju, Korea and the Center for Asia-Pacific Area Studies, Academia Sinica. For the PowerPoint presentation, click here. For the draft paper, click here.

CIL Research Associate Leonardo Bernard participated in the 2nd MIMA South China Sea Conference: Geo Strategic Developments and Prospects for Dispute Management in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at 4-5 September 2012. The Conference highlighted the recent South China Sea developments and their implications on the position of the claimants and extra-regional powers in working for peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea.

CIL Director Robert Beckman participated in a Conference on the Practices of the UNCLOS and the Resolution of South China Sea Disputes at the National Taiwan Normal University from 3-5 September 2012. Professor Beckman presented a paper on “Regional Cooperation to Combat Piracy & International Maritime Crimes”. For the draft paper, click here. For the PowerPoint presentation, click here.

CIL Director Robert Beckman participated in a seminar on Piracy & Maritime Security for the 21st Maritime Knowledge Shipping Session on 29 August 2012 at STI Capital Tower in Singapore. The session was jointly organised by the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) and General Insurance Association (GIA). Prof Beckman was one two speakers. He made a presentation on “Piracy & Armed Robbery Against Ships: An International Law Perspective” (download in PDF format).

CIL Director Robert Beckman participated in an International Symposium on “The East China Sean and the Law of the Sea: Defusing Tensions and Enhancing Cooperation” from 21-22 August at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China. Prof Beckman presented a paper on “Non-living Resources in Disputed Areas in the East China Sea: Law and Policy Issues concerning Provisional Arrangements under Articles 74 and 83” which he co-authored with CIL Research Fellow Tara Davenport. Prof Beckman also served as a moderator for one session and a discussant in another session. Prof Beckman also delivered a congratulatory address at a ceremony establishing the Zhejiang University Centre for Ocean Law and Governance. To download Prof Beckman’s presentation on “Non-Living Resources in the East China Sea: Law and Policy Issues Concerning Provisional Arrangements of a Practical Nature” in PDF format, click here. For the draft paper, click here.

CIL Senior Research Fellow Dr Tan Hsien-Li presented her study, co-authored with Professor Alison Duxbury of the Melbourne Law School at the University of Melbourne, on “ASEAN and Human Rights” for the ASEAN Integration Through Law Project, August Internal Workshop.

CIL Senior Research Fellow Dr Tan Hsien-Li presented her study, co-authored with CIL Research Associate Chan Sze Wei, on “Documentary Dynamic Analysis of the Evolution of the Objectives of ASEAN and the Means for Their Achievement” for the ASEAN Integration Through Law Project, August Internal Workshop.

CIL Director Robert Beckman delivered four lectures on the South China Sea at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) in Hanoi on 9 and 10 August 2012. The lectures were part of a DAV training course for government officials on international law and policy. For more information on the DAV, see http://www.dav.edu.vn/en/

CIL Research Associate Leonardo Bernard participated in the 6th Summer Academy at the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea on 22 July – 18 August 2012, in Hamburg, Germany. Mr Bernard received a partial scholarship from the International Foundation for the Law of the Sea to participate in this year’s Summer Academy. Mr Bernard and his team also managed to win the moot court competition, where he had to argue a maritime boundary delimitation case in front of a panel of judges presided by Judge H. Turk. The award was presented by the Chair of the International Foundation for the Law of the Sea, Doris Konig, during the formal Senate Reception in the Town Hall of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. For more information, click here.

Dr Navin Rajagobal, CIL Deputy Director, together with Prof M. Sornarajah, NUS Law School, and Mr Ken Aboud, Allen & Overy, judged the finals of the Singapore International Affairs Debate 2012 on 21 July 2011 between ACJC and HCJC at the NUS Bukit Timah Campus. The motion was “This House believes that Singapore’s foreign policy should better take into account the sensitivities and interests of our neighbours.” CIL’s patron, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law Mr. K. Shanmugam, was the Guest of Honour.

A/P Michael Ewing-Chow, WTO Chair and Head of CIL’s Trade and Investment Programme, was invited to teach at the IEEM Academy of International Investment and Trade Law in Macau on “Asian Developments in Investment Agreements”.