The Faculty of Law of the Universitas Indonesia will be hosting a seminar entitled “Geo-Political and Legal Development Post Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) Award on South China Sea Dispute”. The event will take place on 31 October 2017 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The program is available here. Details about the venue and registration can be found here.
Monthly Archives: October 2017
Seminar: Geo-political and legal development post PCA award on South China Sea dispute
Filed under Events
WTO: Compliance report US — Tuna II (Mexico)
On the 26 October 2017, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has issued the compliance panel report on the revised US “dolphin-safe” tuna labeling measure, arising from DS381: United States — Measures Concerning the Importation, Marketing and Sale of Tuna and Tuna Products. The 2016 Tuna Measures (USA) was found consistent with the requirements set forth in Article 2.1 of the TBT Agreement and justified under Article XX of the GATT 1994.
For more information see the WTO news item here, and case summary page here.
Filed under International Organizations
Australia: Queensland introduces mandatory trackers for fishing vessels
The new Queensland Government’s Sustainable Fisheries Strategy (2017-2027) will require licensed fishing charter operators to have vessel tracking by 2020, with a priority to install units on net, line and crab commercial fishing vessels by the end of 2018. As a consequence of this measure, commercial fishing vessels in that Australian state will have to be fitted with GPS tracking devices in order to monitor the sustainability of fish stocks. More information is available here.
Filed under State Practice
Call for papers: Focus on – good governance, consumer policy and intellectual property rights
CSEIA, the Global Law Initiatives for Sustainable Development (United Kingdom), ESIL Interest Group on International Environmental Law and the ASIL Interest Group on Intellectual Property Law, shall organize a conference, entitled, Health, Environment and Risk Regulation. Focus on: Good Governance, Consumer Policy and Intellectual Property Rights, 4 December 2017, held at the University of Parma (Italy). Applications may be submitted until 10 November 2017.
For more information, see the call for papers here.
Filed under Calls
EU: Commission warns Vietnam over insufficient action to fight illegal fishing
The European Commission is has warned Vietnam about the risk of it being identified as a non-cooperating country. The decision highlights that Vietnam is not doing enough to fight illegal fishing. It identifies shortcomings, such as the lack of an effective sanctioning system to deter IUU fishing activities and a lack of action to address illegal fishing activities conducted by Vietnamese vessels in waters of neighbouring countries, including Pacific Small Island Developing States. Furthermore, the EC argues that Vietnam has a poor system to control landings of fish that is processed locally before being exported to international markets, including the EU. More information is available here.
Filed under International Organizations, State Practice
Conference: Adapting law of the sea to address the challenges of climate change
The NUS Centre for International Law (CIL) shall host a conference, entitled, Adapting Law of the Sea to Address the Challenges of Climate Change, 13-14 March 2018, venue TBC (Singapore).
For more information and draft programme see here.
Filed under Events
PCA: Timor-Leste and Australia reach agreement on maritime boundary treaty
Through a series of confidential meetings with a Conciliation Commission in The Hague, Timor-Leste and Australia have reached agreement on the complete text of a draft treaty which delimits the maritime boundary between them in the Timor Sea. This draft treaty also addresses the legal status of the Greater Sunrise gas field, the establishment of a Special Regime for Greater Sunrise, a pathway to the development of the resource, and the sharing of the resulting revenue. The Parties will now pursue their domestic approval processes in order to proceed with the signing of the Treaty. More information on this treaty is available here.
Filed under Jurisprudence, State Practice
EU: Council conclusions on the Paris Agreement and preparations for the UNFCCC meetings
The Council of the European Union has adopted conclusions on Paris Agreement and is preparing for the upcoming UNFCCC meetings. Among other statements, the EU is calling on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to “further accelerate its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the maritime sector and to adopt in April 2018 an ambitious initial IMO Strategy on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships including further measures in line with the IMO roadmap and the long term temperature goals of the Paris Agreement”. The COP23 UN Climate conference takes place in Bonn, Germany, on 6-7 November 2017. It will be the moment to develop detailed guidelines for implementation. The EU Council document may be found here.
Filed under State Practice
Greece: REMPEC’s Mediterranean Assistance Unit provides experts
Following the sinking of the oil tanker “AGIA ZONI II” off Piraeus, on 10 September 2017, Greece has requested for assistance to the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC). As a result two experts have been mobilised for a mission in Athens, Greece in the framework of the Mediterranean Assistance Unit (MAU). They will provide technical support on sunken oil assessment and removal techniques and efficient oil removal from sandy beaches. More information is available here.
Filed under International Organizations, State Practice
Call for papers: International law and universality
The Manchester International Law Centre shall host the 14th Annual Conference of the European Society of International Law, entitled, International law and universality, 13-15 September 2018, in Manchester (UK). The submission of abstracts is welcome until 31 January 2018.
For more information and the eight themes, see here.
Filed under Calls
EU: Our Ocean Conference commitments
States and non-governmental organizations participating at the 2017 edition of the Our Ocean Conference – An Ocean for Life (previously reported here) have contributed to a vast list of commitments. Those commitments focus on distinct topics: marine pollution, marine protected areas, maritime security, sustainable blue economy, sustainable fisheries, climate change; they are all listed here. Further information on the event may be found here. The map below highlights the 2014, 2015, and 2016 Our Ocean Conference commitments:
Filed under International Organizations, State Practice
CITES: Silky and thresher shark controls enter into force
The 17th Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flaura (CITES) decided to expand the species of sharks protected by CITES controls, including silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis), thresher sharks (Alopias spp.) and all nine devil ray species (Mobula spp.) within Appendix II. Listing of devil rays entered into effect on 04 April 2017, while silky and thresher shark listing was subject to a 12 month delay, entering into effect 4 October 2017.
For more information see the press release here, or the sharks and manta rays page here.
Filed under Treaties
UNSC: authorization to intercept vessels off Libyan coast extended
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has extended until 5 October 2018 its authorization for Member States to intercept vessels suspected of being used for smuggling migrants through Libya. By unanimously adopting resolution 2380 (2017), the UNSC extended the authorization for a third one-year period, the first having been established by resolution 2240 (previously reported here). The UNSC stressed that its authorization of those measures would require good-faith efforts to obtain the consent of the vessel’s flag State prior to any action, and would not supersede sovereign immunity under international law. More information is available here.
Filed under International Organizations
Our Ocean 2017
The Our Ocean summit has started in Malta, where today and tomorrow (5-6 October 2017) global leaders are invited to commit to new actions to ensure sustainable fisheries, to mitigate climate change impacts, to announce new marine protected areas and to fight marine pollution. The official broadcast of the event can be found here. The unofficial YouTube broadcast can be followed below:
Filed under Events
Peru: MoU signed with Global Fishing Watch Inc
Peru has become the second state (following Indonesia) to sign a memorandum of understanding with Global Fishing Watch Inc to establish a framework for cooperation. Peru will be sharing information upon its commercial fishing fleets through the Global Fishing Watch system.
Announced, 27 September 2017, Peru also signaled a further framework cooperative agreement with Oceana (NGO) and ratification of the 2009 FAO Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA). Peru will implement the PSMA as of October.
For more information, see the press release here, and Global Fishing Watch here.
Filed under Non-State Actors, State Practice
Conference: Connecting the arctic
The Arctic Frontiers 2018 conference, entitled, Connecting the Arctic, will be held 21-26 January 2018, in Tromsø (Norway). A number of presentations will touch upon legal and policy matters.
For more information, see here.
Filed under Events
De Maribus 