Researchers' Activities

CIL Director Robert Beckman contributed to the CSCAP Regional Security Outlook 2013 with a short article on “Increased Tension and Risk of Potential Conflict in the South China Sea”. CSCAP is the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific. It provides an informal mechanism for scholars, officials and others in their private capacities to discuss political and security issues and challenges facing the region. The CSCAP regional security outlook (CRSO) is an annual publication to highlight regional security concerns and to promote informed policy-relevant outputs to advance regional security cooperation at official (Track One) levels. To download the article in PDF, click here.

CIL Deputy Director Dr Navin Rajagobal participated in the United Nations Regional Course on International Law held in Thailand in November 2012. For more information and photos, click here.

A/P Michael Ewing-Chow, Head of CIL’s Trade and Investment Law and Policy Programme and WTO Chair, NUS was invited by UNESCAP to advise Least Developed Countries on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Law and Policy at the Asia-Pacific FDI Network for Least Developed and Landlocked Developing Countries.

CIL Senior Research Fellow Dr Tan Hsien-Li presented her paper on “Legal Integration in the ASEAN Community” at the Congreso Internacional Sobre Globalizacion Juridica, Derecho Supranacional E Integracion Americana (International Conference on Globalization, Supranational Law and Legal Integration of the Americas) at the Escuela Libre de Derecho in Mexico City, Mexico.

CIL Research Associate Leonardo Bernard participated in the International Conference for the 30th Anniversary of UNCLOS with the theme “China and the Law of the Sea” from 22-24 November 2012 at Qingdao, China. Leo delivered a presentation titled “Effect of Islands on Maritime Delimitation: A Look at the Recent Judgments of ITLOS and ICJ”. The Conference was hosted by the Ocean University of China. To download the presentation in PDF format, click here. To download his paper on “The Role of Islands on Maritime Boundaries Delimitation: A Look at the Recent Decision of ITLOS”, click here.

CIL Senior Research Fellow Youna Lyons was invited by the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Foreign Affair of Indonesia to 2nd International Conference on Liability and Compensation Regime for transboundary oil damage resulting from offshore exploration and exploitation activities and contributed to the expert discussion on the establishment of a new regime.

CIL Senior Research Fellow Youna Lyons was invited to attend the Conference Offshore Structures Asia held in Kuala Lumpur on 19-21 November 2012 and chaired the decommissioning panel organized on the first day. She also jointly presented with N.A. Wan Abdullah Zawawi from the Universiti Teknologi Petronas on ‘Decommissioning options and the International Regulatory Framework’. To downlad the presentation in PDF format, click here.

A/P Michael Ewing-Chow, Head of CIL’s Trade and Investment Law and Policy Programme and WTO Chair, NUS was invited by the Government of Myanmar and UNESCAP to advise Myanmar on its Investment Laws and Policies. Prof Ewing-Chow spent a week in Myanmar from 18 to 24 November understanding the needs of the various stakeholders while outlining the parameters and issues relating to foreign investments. His participation was highlighted in an article published by The New Light of Myanmar (download a copy in PDF) on 22 November 2012.

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.