OPENING

16 November 2022 (Wednesday) –  8.30 A.M –  9.45 A.M (GMT+7)

Conference rooms

8.30am – 8.50am

(GMT+7)

· Dr. Pham Lan Dung, Acting President of the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam

· H.E. Mr Pham Quang Hieu, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam

KEYNOTE SESSION: Toward a Maritime Rule Based Order

8.50am – 9.20am

(GMT+7)

· UNCLOS at 40

Judge Kriangsak Kittichaisaree, International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea 

· Rear Admiral Juergen EHLE, Senior Military Adviser, European External Action Service of the EU

· Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Minister for Indo Pacific, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, United Kingdom

9.20am – 9.30am

(GMT+7)

Q & A 

DAY 1: South China Sea in an Evolving Geopolitical Landscape

16 November 2022 (Wednesday): 9.45 A.M –  5.15 P.M (GMT+7)

SESSION 1:

The South China Sea Cauldron: From A Slow Simmer to A Lingering Bubble?

Throughout the year, a number of hot spots have erupted, even in regions that have been peaceful and stable for the past 70 years. Against this backdrop, the South China Sea appears to be calmer. However, statistics pertaining to the presence of naval and law enforcement forces and the number of incidents on the ground indicate otherwise. What have been the visible and less visible developments in the South China Sea in the past year, and in what ways the South China Sea could be related to other global hot spots?

Moderator: H.E. Giorgio Aliberti, Ambassador of the European Union to Viet Nam.

Speakers:

· Speaker 1: Prof. Leszek Buszynski, Visiting fellow, National Security College, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australia

· Speaker 2: H.E. Pou Sothirak, Executive Director, Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, Cambodia

· Speaker 3: Dr. Richard Heydarian, Senior Lecture, University of the Philippines, Asian Center, Philippines

· Speaker 4: Dr. Wu Shicun, Chairman of the Board, China-Southeast Asia Research Center on the South China Sea; Founding President, National Institute for South China Sea Studies, China

10.45am – 11.00am

(GMT+7)

Q&A

SESSION 2:

Big powers and the Big Cs in the South China Sea: Cooperation, Competition, Confrontation or Coexistence?

The relationships among the major powers went through unprecedented turbulences this year with possible implications to the South China Sea. The outbreak of war in Europe renewed mistrust and elevated tensions across domains and hotspots. Military posturing reached a record-high level in the Taiwan Strait. Several countries announced or updated their strategies towards the Indo-Pacific, where the maritime domain in Southeast Asia was centric. At the crossroad of the global order, and the rule-based international system is facing the most significant challenge unseen in decades.

Where would the South China Sea fit among the “Cs” in big power relations? Would the South China Sea become yet another theatre for major power competition or a medium for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific? What would be the lessons drawn from the situations in Ukraine and Taiwan to the South China Sea?

Moderator: Amb. Dang Dinh Quy, Former Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations

Speakers:

· Speaker 1: Ekaterina Koldunova, Director, ASEAN Centre, Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Russia 

· Speaker 2: Prof. Dr. Xia Liping,School of Political Science & International Relations, Tongji University, China

· Speaker 3: Dr. Sarah Kirchberger, Head of Center for AsiaPacific Strategy and Security, Institute for Security Policy, Kiel University, Germany

Speaker 4: Mr. Frank Januzzi, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mansfield Foundation, the USA

· Speaker 5: Dr. Giulio Pugliese, Lecturer, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, University of Oxford and part-time Professor, European University Institute

12.15pm – 12.45pm

(GMT+7)

Q&A

SESSION 3:

Glowing Vista: Synergizing New Momentum from Regional Mini-lateralism

The major modalities of interstate relations remain bilateralism and multilateralism, but mini-lateralism is becoming increasingly popular as a new, flexible and innovative way to advance cooperation. The appeals stem from the need for strategic alignments and practical cooperation amid the challenges facing established multilateral frameworks.

This Session will examine the dynamics of bilateral, multilateral, and mini-lateral settings in the Indo-Pacific region to answer the question if mini-lateralism complement or compete with multilateralism; and to find ways in which new momentums of cooperation can be synergized to promote maritime cooperation through newly formed mini-lateral frameworks.

Moderator: H.E. Jaya Ratnam, Singaporean Ambassador to Viet Nam

Speakers:

· Speaker 1: Prof. Carlyle A. Thayer, Emeritus Professor, University of New South Wales (UNSW), and Director of Thayer Consultancy, Australia

· Speaker 2: Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan (Retd), Director General, National Maritime Foundation (NMF), India

· Speaker 3: Mr. Benjamin Bland, Director, Asia-Pacific Programme, Chatham House, United Kingdom

· Speaker 4: Amb. Dino Patti Djalal, Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Indonesia

. Speaker 5: Amb. Mai Sayavongs, Director General, Institute of Foreign Affairs, Lao PDR

3.00pm – 3.30pm

(GMT+7)

Q & A

SESSION 4:

Commemorating UNCLOS at 40 and DOC at 20: The Way Forward

This year marks the anniversary of two significant documents that influence the discourse of the South China Sea, namely the 1982 United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea and the 2002 Declaration of the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea. Much has been discussed about their past achievements and progress. Questions, however, remain on whether UNCLOS should continue to play a role with the advancement of disruptive technologies such as the upcoming development in deep-sea mining, with the worsening climate crisis or should UNCLOS be supplemented with new norms and regulations? In light of the growing tension on the ground, what approach should the COC negotiation take to remedy the DOC’s shortcomings?

During this session, panellists will re-evaluate the relevance of UNCLOS and DOC, discuss the legal basis for managing and resolving South China Sea disputes, provide updates on COC negotiations, and offer recommendations for strengthening effective maritime legal practices.

Moderator: H.E. Hynek Kmoníček, Czech Ambassador to Viet Nam

Speakers:

· Speaker 1: Prof. Kentaro Nishimoto, Professor of Graduate School of Law, Tohoku University, Japan

· Speaker 2: Prof. Erik Franckx, Professeur émérite at the Université libre de Bruxelles, President of the Belgian Society for International Law, Belgium

· Speaker 3: Mr. Heng Sarith, Deputy Director-General of ASEAN-Cambodia

· Speaker 4: Prof. Lei Xiaolu, Associate Professor, Wuhan University-China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies (WHU-CIBOS), China

Q&A

DAY 2:  Forging Best Practices in the South China Sea

17 November 2022 (Thursday): 8.30 A.M – 5.30 P.M (GMT+7)

SESSION 5:

The quest for capacity to handle novel and hybrid maritime threats and challenges

New types of warfare is pushing the South China Sea across new threshold, from maritime domain to other domains, from encounters between law enforcement to the encounters between the navies and air forces, and from nationalism to extremism. In order to navigate this delicate domain, the South China Sea littoral states need not only new capacity but also different approaches to their regional policy.

This Session will examine the different ideas and initiatives to build the capacity of the Coastal States in the South China Sea to better handle emerging challenges and threats. One such desired capacity is to raise Maritime Domain Awareness. Initiatives to build capacity in the region, such as through diplomacy, economic, information and military means (or the DIMES modalities), the India’s Pacific Ocean Initiative or the EU’s CRIMARIO program will be discussed. Could and should such ideas and initiatives be coordinated?  How could Southeast Asia best utilise such new initiatives?

Moderator:  H.E. Shawn Steil, Ambassador of Canada to Viet Nam

Speakers: 

. Speaker 1: Dr. Takashi Hosoda, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic

. Speaker 2: Dr. Premesha Saha, Observer Research Foundation, India

. Speaker 3: Cdr. Caroline Tuckett,Lead legal adviser in International and Operational Law, British Royal Navy, UK

– Speaker 4: RADM Geoffroy d’Andigné, French Joint Commander for Asia Pacific, France

Q&A

SESSION 6:

Rules of the Roads for Non-Traditional and Cross-cutting Domains

Future contestations in non-traditional and cross-cutting domains calls for clarity of the applicable rules of the roads. Such contestation would likely occur in multiple physical dimensions, for instance under and above ocean surface, on cyber and in space, or in the newly formed oceans in the Arctic. Competition would also likely cut across different non-traditional security threats such as trafficking, smuggling, terrorism, and infectious diseases. As several countries chose to bolster their underwater, air, cyber and information or dis-information capabilities, will the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific become new grounds for new contestations.

In this Session, our speakers will analyse the most appropriate “rules of the roads” for a variety of forces to adhere to in the South China Sea and in the region.

Moderator:  H.E. Andrew Goledzinowski, Australian Ambassador to Viet Nam

Speakers:

· Speaker 1: Dr. Elina Noor, Asia Society Policy Institute

• Speaker 2: Prof. Robert Beckman, Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore

• Speaker 3: Prof. Renato De Castro, Stratbase ADR Institute, Philippines

• Speaker 4: Colonel Assoc. Prof Libor Kutej, Vice-Rector for External Relations and Internationalisation Director of the Institute of Intelligence Studies, University of Defence, Brno, Czech Republic

Q&A

SESSION 7:

Promoting Blue and Green Economic Cooperation

The Blue/Green Economy concept has been gathering prominence, even though its meaning is differently perceived by different entities. Recognizing the importance of the concept to regional peace and prosperity, ASEAN Leaders in 2021 issued a Declaration on the Blue Economy, acknowledging the significance of the oceans and seas as key drivers of economic growth and innovation, while highlighting the need to ensure ocean sustainability and rules-based governance. ASEAN also welcomes the external partners to support its Blue Economy development, with ASEAN as the driving force.

During the implementation of the Blue Economy, ASEAN faces a number of questions, including how to engage relevant stakeholders? What do different blue economies outlooks by different stakeholders have in common? What partnerships should ASEAN establish with these countries?

Moderator: H.E. Denny Abdi, Indonesian Ambassador to Viet Nam.

Speakers:

· Speaker 1: Dr. Ding Duo, National Institute for South China Sea Studies, China

· Speaker 2: Dr.Tomasz Lukaszuk, University of Warsaw, Poland

· Speaker 3: Dr. Axel Goethals, Executive Director, European Institute for Asian Studies, Belgium

· Speaker 4: Capt. Daniel M. Simon, NOAA Liaison to US Indo-Pacific Command, the USA

2.30pm – 3.00pm

(GMT+7)

Q & A

SESSION 8:

Sustainable Trade and Supply Chain for Economic Resilience

COVID-19 was a significant blow to the maritime supply chain. The war in Ukraine further disrupted these chains, which led to rising food and energy prices. The Taiwan Strait tensions also adversely affected certain strategic products. Amid the situation, the region must find a way to maintain economic sustainability and resilience.

During our final session, the expert will discuss whether competition in the South China Sea will increase supply chain vulnerability or whether there is a way to manage the ocean for mutual benefit.

Moderator: H.E. Iain Frew, British Ambassador to Vietnam

Speakers:

· Speaker 1: Dr. Ting-Hui Lin, Deputy Secretary-General, Taiwanese Society of International Law, Chinese Taipei

· Speaker 2: Cdr Ang Chin Hup, Maritime Institute of Malaysia, Malaysia

· Speaker 3: Assistant Prof. Ryu Yongwook, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Singapore

· Speaker 4: Mr. Aguin Toru, The Japan Bank for International Cooperation

Q&A

4.45pm – 5.00pm (GMT+7)

CLOSING REMARKS

SIDE EVENT 1

Young Leaders Programme

SIDE EVENT 2

Voice of the Vietnamese Abroad