Singapore is at the crossroads of major sea lines of communications. It also operates one of the world's busiest ports. Singapore therefore places great emphasis on the importance of international law in regulating the world's oceans and waterways.
International law allows states to regulate shipping and other users of the ocean space within an ordered framework. To reinforce the emphasis placed on international law, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has again jointly organised an International Law Seminar with the Society of International Law, Singapore (SILS). The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is participating in the organisation of this seminar for the first time.
The seminar, the second in the series of International Law Seminars, was held at Regent Hotel on 28 August 1998. The focus of it this year is on international maritime law. Minister for Communications, Mr Mah Bow Tan, gave the keynote address at the seminar. It was attended by over 100 participants from MINDEF and the SAF, MPA, the Attorney General's Chambers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and SILS, foreign military officers and members of the local shipping community.
The 2nd International Law Seminar was chaired by Ambassador-at-Large and SILS President, Professor Tommy Koh. Three guest speakers were invited to present their expert opinions on various aspects of international maritime law. They were Mrs Louise Doswald-Beck, Head of Legal Division, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Judge David Anderson, Judge, Law of the Sea Tribunal; and Judge Tullio Treves, Professor of Law, University of Milan and Judge, Law of the Sea Tribunal.
Mrs Doswald-Beck gave an overview of the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea, of which she was the editor. Judge Anderson spoke on the enforcement of international rules relating to safety of navigation and prevention of pollution and addressed the role that port states, flag states and coastal states can play in such enforcement. Judge Treves discussed issues arising out of the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation.
Singapore is a party to many of the key international instruments on international maritime law including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 1974 Safety of Life at Sea Convention. This demonstrates Singapore's commitment to international law on the regulation of the world's ocean space and shipping.
Among those present at the seminar were Mr Peter Ho, Permanent Secretary (Defence Development), MINDEF and Chairman of MPA, Mr Chen Tze Penn, Director-General, MPA, Justice Chao Hick Tin, Supreme Court and Mr Low Wee Ping, Director of Legal Services, MINDEF.
End of Statement.
