KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (16 March 2022) – The Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA), together with the Stockton Center for International Law (SCIL), US Naval War College, among other cosponsors, jointly hosted the 45th Annual Conference on Oceans Law & Policy (COLP) from 16 to 18 March 2022. The annual COLP is the preeminent international maritime law meeting globally and is conducted each year by SCIL in conjunction with a prominent co-host. The theme for 2022 is “UNCLOS at 40”. YBhg. Datuk Isham bin Ishak, the Secretary-General of Ministry of Transport Malaysia, delivered the Keynote Address via an online platform today. The conference was attended by more than 300 participants from worldwide with different time zones.
The COLP brings together some of the most monumental figures in oceans law and policy with new voices and perspectives, especially from East Asia and the developing world, to address pressing issues of oceans law and policy. The 45th COLP will explore the law governing illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing, the law applicable to the continental shelf, including submarine cables, protection of the marine environment, biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, climate change, and measures to enhance maritime security and stability in the oceans.
The seminar was also graced by the presence of – Prof. James Kraska the Chairman of the Stockton Center for International Law (SCIL) at the US Naval War College (NWC), Dr Jong-Deog Kim, the President of the Korea Maritime Institute, and Dr Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, the President of the World Maritime University along with other dignitaries from across the globe. The conferences have been conducted throughout Europe in the past years, and Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and Beijing, but never in Malaysia. This year, we are delighted that the Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA) is hosting this significant conference alongside distinguished cosponsors. It demonstrates Malaysia’s vital role in formulating and discussing policies on international law in the maritime domain.
In conjunction with the 40th anniversary of UNCLOS of becoming the legal foundation for the global maritime rules-based order, which is essential to ensure a peaceful and stable maritime domain, the seminar will be focusing on providing a platform to discuss the challenges faced by states to ensure a sustainable ocean economy guided by international law and regulations. Malaysia continues to uphold the principles enshrined in the Convention and has enacted domestic legislation to enforce the rule of international law in our waters.
MARITIME INSTITUTE OF MALAYSIA (MIMA)
16 March 2021
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For further information, please get in touch with the Corporate Communications Unit (CCU):
Nawal Binti Zamrose
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Email: nawal@mima.gov.my
About the Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA)
The Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA) – Established in 1993, formerly known as the Malaysian Institute of Maritime Affairs. MIMA is a policy research institute set up by the Malaysian Government to look into Malaysia’s interest at sea and serve as a national focal point for research in the maritime sector. One essential task of the Institute is to complement the various government agencies involved in the maritime industry by mobilising expertise to assist and support them in national maritime policy planning and implementation.