PROGRAM
TENTATIVE AGENDA
THE 13TH SOUTH CHINA SEA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
“Looking back to a brighter future”
Hanoi, 18-19 November 2021
Venue: Building M, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, 69 Chua Lang, Hanoi
OPENING
18 November 2021 (Thursday) – 8.30 A.M – 9.45 A.M (GMT+7)
Conference rooms, 2nd & 3rd Fl., Building M, DAV
8.30am – 8.50am (GMT+7) |
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Keynote Session: Constructing a Cooperative and Connected Indo-Pacific
8.50am – 9.20am (GMT+7) 9.20am – 9.45am (GMT+7) |
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DAY 1: LOOKING BACK
18 November 2021 (Thursday) – 9.45 A.M – 7.00 P.M (GMT+7)
Conference rooms, 2nd & 3rd Fl., Building M, DAV
Session 1: The South China Sea in a shifting global landscape | |
This session will look back at developments in the South China Sea over the past year(s) to further understand why various stakeholders act the ways they do? Why the more interest there is on peace, stability and order in the sea, the greater erosion of trust there seems to be? Why common interests have not led to greater, more effective cooperation and lessen tensions? | |
9.45am – 10.45am (GMT+7) | Moderator: H.E. Amb. Giorgio Aliberti, Head of European Union Delegation in Vietnam
Speakers:
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10.45am-11.15am (GMT+7) | Q & A |
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Session 2: Thirty years after the Cold War: Is another brewing and How to prevent one from breaking out into conflicts | |
This session would not delve into the conceptual debate on what a cold war is and is not. Rather, the session would look back at the lessons learnt among both the major and minor powers of the last cold war to see what can be done to establish decent code of conduct among all, avoiding miscalculations and manage incidence so that conflicts could be avoided at all costs. The roles of the major powers, middle powers, autonomy and alliances, multilateral organisations and strategic communications etc. would be revisited. | |
11.15am – 12.15pm (GMT+7) | Moderator: H.E. Amb. Elsbeth Akkerman, Embassy of the Netherlands in Vietnam Speakers:
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12.15pm – 12.45pm (GMT+7) | Q & A |
12.45pm – 2.00pm (GMT+7) | LUNCH 1st Floor, Building M, DAV, 69 Chua Lang, Hanoi |
Session 3: Cementing the legal order in the South China Sea: assessment of the past 5 years | |
It is widely recognized that UNCLOS sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out. The 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award, a decision of an international judicial body, provides a reference point for interpreting and applying relevant UNCLOS provisions, aside from its direct implications on parties to the dispute. Session 3 will examine how legal order has been manifested in the South China Sea over the past 5 years. The discussion includes an analysis on (i) where state practices have developed to either deviate from or endorse the constitutional role of UNCLOS and (ii) how the legal order at sea would continue to evolve. | |
2.00pm – 3.00pm (GMT+7) | Moderator: H.E. Amb. Robyn Mudie, Embassy of Australia in Viet Nam Speakers:
Discussants:
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3.00pm – 3.30pm (GMT+7) | Q & A |
3.30pm – 3.45pm (GMT+7) | COFFEE/TEA BREAK |
Session 4: Be fair to the facts: History and the SCS | |
History is important in any territorial disputes, but is oftentimes interpreted in different ways to suit different interests. This session shall revisit the history of the South China Sea with the view to exploring new research findings and clarifying certain facts, especially during the turbulent times after the Second World War and during the Cold war. Looking back on the Treaty of San Francisco at its 70th anniversary, for example, could be useful to understand the SCS’s history at a critical moment. | |
3.45pm – 4.45pm (GMT+7) | Moderator: Dr. Erik Solheim, Former Executive Director of UN Environment Programme and former Minister of Environment and International Development, Norway. Speakers: · Prof. Monique Chemillier – Gendreau, Emeritus Professor, Paris Diderot University, France · Dr. Vu Hai Dang, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore (CIL) · Mr. Carl Zha, Independent Researcher, China · Dr. Bill Hayton, Senior Expert, Asia-Pacific Program, Chatham House, UK |
4.45pm – 5.15pm (GMT+7) | Q & A |
Keynote Session: Constructing a Cooperative and Connected Indo-Pacific
5.30pm – 5.45pm (GMT+7) |
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5.45pm – 6.00pm (GMT+7) | Q & A |
6.00pm – 6.15pm (GMT+7) 6.15pm – 7.30pm (GMT+7) | COCKTAIL RECEPTION (2nd Fl., Building M, DAV, 69 Chua Lang, Hanoi)
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END of DAY 1
DAY 2: TOWARDS A BRIGHTER FUTURE
19 November 2021 (Friday) – 8.30 A.M – 5.30 P.M (GMT+7)
Conference rooms, 2nd & 3rd Fl., Building M, DAV
Keynote Session: Constructing a Cooperative and Connected Indo-Pacific
8.30am – 8.40am (GMT+7) |
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8.40am – 9.00am (GMT+7) | Q & A |
Session 5: ASEAN and the QUAD in the regional architecture | |
This session would look into the future of the regional security architecture to analyze how ASEAN and the emerging QUAD would compete or complement one another. The purpose of the discussion is to find out how ASEAN could and should strengthen its Centrality amid emerging issues affecting Southeast Asia’s security and stability, both due to traditional and non-traditional threats, as well as new emerging arrangements to deal with such threats. | |
9.00am – 10.00am (GMT+7) | Moderator: H.E. Amb. Pham Quang Vinh, Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam
Speakers:
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10.00am – 10.30am (GMT+7) | Q & A |
10.30am – 10.45am | COFFEE/TEA BREAK |
Session 6: Disrupted supply chains: how to ensure resilient sea lanes amid Covid-19 | |
Supply chain disruptions threaten worldwide economic recovery efforts. In the Indo-Pacific, supply chain resilience depends greatly on stable, secure and uninterrupted sea-lanes of communication. This session will explore how factors such as infrastructure connectivity, port security cooperation, etc., might contribute to regional seaborn supply chain resilience, identify potential red flags in the management of maritime supply chain operations, and discuss ways to enhance the safety and stability of sea based logistical networks so as to ensure the Indo-Pacific region remain on a path to steady and sustainable growth in pandemic-troubled times.
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10.45am – 11.45am (GMT+7) | Moderator: H.E. Amb. Jaya Ratnam, Embassy of Singapore in Vietnam Speakers:
Discussant: Ms. Shihoko Goto, Acting Director, Asia Program, The Wilson Center |
11.45am – 12.15pm (GMT+7) | Q & A |
12.15pm – 2.00pm | LUNCH (1st Floor, Building M, DAV, 69 Chua Lang, Hanoi) |
Session 7: Promoting science diplomacy for common oceanic benefits | |
Scientific research has long been identified as an area of common interest and most ready for cooperation to promote confidence as well as for the immediate benefit of the coastal states and beyond. This session would explore recent progress in science diplomacy and maritime cooperation, and the new opportunity brought out by rapid science and technological advancement to address environmental, humanity and economic development challenges, as well as non-traditional maritime threats. | |
2.00pm – 3.00pm (GMT+7) | Moderator: Mr. Marcus Winsley, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the United Kingdom in Vietnam Speakers: · Dr. Nguyen Chu Hoi, Retired Chair, Vietnam Association for Maritime Environment & Nature · Dr. Allen Chen, Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Chinese Taipei · Dr. Anastasia Telesetsky, Natural Resources Management & Environmental Sciences, Cal Poly · Dr. Sophie Boisseau du Rocher, Center for Asian Studies, French Institute of International Relations |
3.00pm – 3.30pm (GMT+7) | Q & A |
3.30pm – 3.45pm (GMT+7) | COFFEE/TEA BREAK |
Session 8: Transparency through Tracking Technologies | |
The past few years saw rapid advancement and popularization of sophisticated tracking and remote sensing technologies, opening new frontiers in maritime domain and situational awareness, particularly in the South China Sea. The unprecedented level of transparency that technology brought clearly had huge impact on public understanding and opinion, on accountability of involved stakeholders both at policy level and those operating “on the ground”. This session will discuss how the new information could and should be wisely utilized to avoid misinformation and disinformation. | |
3.45pm – 4.45pm (GMT+7) | Moderator: Dr. Nguyen Hung Son, Vice President of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam Speakers: · Mr. Gregory B. Poling, Director, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), USA · Captain Shichen Tian (Retd), Founder and President, Director of Center for International Law of Military Operations, Global Governance Institution (GGI), China · Mr. Nguyen The Phuong, Research Fellow, South China Sea Chronicle Initiative (SCSCI), Vietnam · Captain Martin A. Sebastian RMN (Retd), Former Senior Fellow/Centre Head, Centre for Maritime Security and Diplomacy, Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA), Malaysia |
4.45pm – 5.15pm (GMT+7) | Q & A |
5.15pm – 5.30pm | CLOSING REMARKS |
Side event: Young Leaders Programme |
END OF PROGRAM