Researchers' Activities

CIL Director Robert Beckman presented a paper at an International Workshop on Cooperation and Development in the South China Sea which was organized by the China Institute of Marine Affairs (CIMA) in Beijing from 29-31 August, 2011. Prof Beckman’s paper was on “Prospects for Joint Development in the South China Sea”. The Director of CIMA is Dr Gao Zhiguo, who is a judge on the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). For a copy of the paper, click here. For a copy of the PowerPoint Presentation in PDF format, click here.

CIL Senior Research Fellow Dr Tan Hsien-Li presented her paper on “The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights and Soft Law: Broadening the Reach of Regional Human Rights Protections” at the Third Biennial Conference of the Asian Society of International Law held in Beijing, China.

CIL Director Robert Beckman presented a paper in the panel on Law of the Sea at the Third Biennial Conference of the Asian Society of International Law in Being on 26-27 August. Prof Beckman’s paper was on “China, UNCLOS and the South China Sea”. For a copy of the paper, click here. For a copy of the PowerPoint Presentation in PDF format, click here.

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”.

A/P Michael Ewing-Chow, Head of CIL’s Trade and Investment Law & Policy Programme, was invited by the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration to present a paper titled “Investment Agreements: Protecting Against Regime Change” at the Asia Pacific Regional Arbitration Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Prof Walter Woon and Deputy Director Dr Navin Raj represented CIL at the inauguration of Malaysia’s International Centre for Law and Legal Studies (I-CeLLS) on 8 July 2011 in Putrajaya, which was graced by the Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Sri Haji Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak. I-CeLLS is expected to provide a platform for experts from various backgrounds and disciplines, including private legal practitioners, academics, government lawyers and policy makers, to interact and address different aspects of key national, regional and international issues.

CIL Director Robert Beckman held a seminar on “The South China Sea Disputes: Prospects for Adjudication or Arbitration” on 14 June 2011. This seminar was the seventh in a series of invitation-only seminars organized by CIL on the South China Sea disputes. For a copy of the presentation, click here.

CIL Chairman Prof Tommy Koh’s keynote speech at Raffles Institution Tiltshift Summit held on 13 June 2011. For the PDF version of his speech, click here.

CIL Director Robert Beckman was a speaker at the International Maritime Security Conference (IMSC 2011) at Changi Exhibition Centre on 19 May 2011. The title of Prof Beckman’s presentation was “Developing an Integrated Approach to Ocean Management”. IMSC 2011 is a global forum organised by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies with the support of Republic of Singapore Navy. For a copy of Prof Beckman’s PowerPoint Presentation, click here.

Adjunct Senior Research Fellow Youna Lyons presented a paper on Offshore oil and gas in the South China Sea and the protection of the marine environment at a seminar on Perspectives on Transboundary Environmental Governance in Australia and Beyond organized by the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security in Wollongong, Australia.

CIL Director Robert Beckman made a presentation in Brussels on 5 May 2011 at an Expert Roundtable on Maritime Security. The Roundtable was organized by the Embassy and Mission of the Republic of Indonesia to the European Union, and EGMONT, the Royal Institute for International Relations of Belgium, and held in the Priory of Val Duchesse, Brussels. Professor Beckman and Dr Hasjim Djalal of Indonesia attended at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Indonesia. Professor Beckman spoke about maritime security in Southeast Asia. For a copy of Prof Beckman’s PowerPoint Presentation, click here.

CIL Deputy Chairman Prof Walter Woon’s keynote speech at CIL-KSIL-SILS conference held on 20 April 2011. For the PDF version of his speech, click here.

CIL Director Robert Beckman participated in the First Meeting of the CSCAP Study Group on Cyber Security. The meeting was held at the Palm Garden Hotel IOI Resort City, Putrajaya, Malaysia and was attended by representatives from 13 CSCAP countries. At the meeting Prof Beckman made a presentation entitled “Legal Policy and Framework: Jurisdictional Challenges in Cyber Security.”

A/P Michael Ewing-Chow, Head of CIL’s Trade and Investment Law & Policy Programme,visited Chile at the invitation of the Catholic University of Chile to launch a trade law course started by his former students. While there he was invited to give seminars on various topics at different universities, including a seminar on “New Wine in Old Wine Skins?: The ASEAN IIAs, Investor Protection and Regulatory Flexibility” at the University of Chile, Santiago, a seminar on “Multilateral ‘and/or’ Regional: WTO and RTAs” at the University Diego Portales, Santiago, and a seminar on “Multilateral ‘and/or’ Regional: WTO and RTAs” at Catholic University of Chile, Santiago.

A/P Michael Ewing-Chow, Head of CIL’s Trade and Investment Law & Policy Programme, was invited to give a seminar on “New Wine in Old Wine Skins?: The ASEAN IIAs, Investor Protection and Regulatory Flexibility” at the University of the Pacific, Lima, Peru.

CIL Director Robert Beckman participated in an ASEAN Regional Forum Seminar in Manila on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Seminar was co-chaired by representatives from Australia and the Philippines and was attended by delegates from more than 20 AFR member countries.

A/P Michael Ewing-Chow, Head of CIL’s Trade and Investment Law & Policy Programme, was invited by UNCTAD to teach APEC government officials at the APEC-UNCTAD Intensive Training Course on International Investment Agreements in the APEC Region, Lima, Peru. Prof. Ewing-Chow delivered lectures on “Structure of IIAs: Various Approaches” and “Standards of Protection in APEC IIAs”.

Adjunct Senior Research Fellow Ms Youna Lyons presented a paper on Climate Change and the Costal and Marine Environment (CME) of the ASEAN Region at a seminar organized by S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Maritime Security Program, “Dynamic Maritime Southeast Asia – An Overview” at Asia Shipping and Work Boat 2011, Singapore. For PDF version of her presentation, click here.

A/P Michael Ewing-Chow, Head of CIL’s Trade and Investment Law & Policy Programme, and CIL Associate, A/P Dora Neo were invited by the WTO to share with Asian trade officials their thoughts on GATS and Financial Crisis at the WTO Advanced Regional Workshop on the GATS, Singapore.

A/P Michael Ewing-Chow, Head of CIL’s Trade and Investment Law & Policy Programme, presented a joint paper with Adjunct Research Associate Kirtan Prasad, Creating Policy Space: The Inclusion of the General Exception in the ASEAN Investment Agreements at the Soochow 2010 Conference on International and Comparative Law, Taipei, Taiwan.

Prof Joseph Weiler, A/P Michael Ewing-Chow and Research Fellow Tan Hsien-Li chaired and hosted the ASEAN Implementation Workshop with invited scholars from ASEAN. For more information, click here.

A/P Michael Ewing-Chow, Head of CIL’s Trade and Investment Law & Policy Programme, presented a joint paper with Adjunct Senior Research Fellow Geraldine Fischer, Towards a Model ASEAN Investment Agreement at the Society of International Economic Law, Korea

A/P Michael Ewing-Chow, Head of CIL’s Trade and Investment Law & Policy Programme, advised the members of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) on the legal implications and policy options for the food security agreement and its consistency with their existing trade obligations. Senior officials from the ASEAN+3 countries attended the meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. Assoc Prof Ewing-Chow was appointed as the Legal Expert to the APTERR project by the Asian Development Bank which has been tasked to assist APTERR with legal and economic issues. CIL Research Associate Ms Liu Gehuan worked with Assoc Prof Ewing-Chow on the legal opinion. In his presentation, Assoc Prof Ewing-Chow addressed legal issues relating to the origin of the rice, the stockpiling of the rice, and the distribution of the rice and the options to ensure APTERR members’ compliance with their obligations under the World Trade Organization, ASEAN FTA and other regional agreements. At the meeting, APTERR members discussed proposed guidelines for the implementation of the agreement to facilitate regional food security in rice.

CIL Director Robert Beckman met with a delegation from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV). The delegation was headed by Mr Dang Dinh Quy, the Vice President (Research) of the DAV and the General Director of its Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies.

CIL Director Robert Beckman was a discussant at a Regional Workshop on Dealing with Energy Vulnerabilities: Case Studies of Cooperation and Collaboration in East Asia. The Workshop was organized by the RSIS Centre for Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies and held from 9-10 December 2010 at the Park Royal Hotel in Singapore.