Dr. Euan Graham

Capt. (rt) MARTIN SEBASTIAN

Former Senior Fellow/Centre Head, Centre for Maritime Security and Diplomacy, Maritime Institute of Malaysia, Malaysia

Capt. Martin A. Sebastian, Royal Malaysian Navy (R), joined MIMA in Nov 2011 as Senior Fellow and Centre Head of the Centre for Maritime Security and Diplomacy. Prior to joining MIMA, Capt. Martin completed three years of secondment with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), United Nations Headquarters, New York. He served in the Office of Military Affairs (OMA) as a Strategic Planner in the Military Planning Service (MPS). In OMA, he was appointed as Team Leader for Africa Planning Team II covering West African peacekeeping missions. He pioneered the setting up of a maritime planning section in MPS and was appointed as the OMA Team Leader for the Maritime Working Group, which monitored planning requirements for the UNIFIL Multinational Maritime Operations in Lebanon and riverine operations in peacekeeping missions.

During his tenure in the Royal Malaysian Navy, he held various Command and Staff appointments. Command appointments include Commanding Officer KD Handalan / Squadron Leader of the 1st Missile Squadron, Commanding Officer of KD Lekir of the 22nd Corvette Squadron and Commanding officer of KD Sri Selangor of the 12th Training Squadron. He also held appointments as Commanding Officer of the offshore stations LIMA and MIKE in the Spratlys. Staff appointments include Assistant Chief of Staff (Warfare) at the Fleet Operations Command Headquarters Lumut, Directing Staff at the Malaysian Armed Forces Joint Warfare Centre (MAFJWC) and Desk Officer UNPKO, Malaysian Armed Forces Headquarters, Kuala Lumpur).

He held various other staff appointment ashore and the fleet. Capt. Martin attended the Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) specialist course in the Indian Naval Academy, INS Venduruthy, and attended the Joint Warfare Course in the Australian Defence Force Warfare Centre (ADFWC). He also attended the UNPKO Instructor Course with the UN Staff College in Turin, Italy. He studied French (DELF)) at Alliance Francaise Kuala Lumpur and continued in Morocco, whilst serving as a UN Military Observer and obtained the Certificate in French Military Language (CMLF) from France. Capt. Martin holds an MBA from Charles Sturt University, Australia and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, United Kingdom. He is an alumi of the International Ocean Institute after undergoing a course on Ocean Governance at Dalhousie University, Canada. He has led study groups and written his ideas extensively in journals, book chapters and media articles. He speaks on Peacekeeping, Maritime Security, Counter Terrorism, HADR and SAR at ASEAN, ARF, IORA and CSCAP. He developed the Private Maritime Security Company (PMSC) policy for Malaysia and the policy for the National Maritime Single Points of Contact (NMSPOC)

Cdr (Dr.) Kapil Narula (Retd.)

Cdr (Dr.) Kapil Narula (Retd.), is an energy and sustainability professional. His career goal is “to provide a leadership role to the world, onto a path of sustainable development”. Kapil served for more than 20 years in the Indian Navy (IN) and worked onboard ships, as a faculty, and as a researcher.  He has a master’s degree in electrical engineering and a PhD in development economics. Kapil currently works as a Senior Researcher at the University of Geneva, Switzerland and an Honorary Research Fellow at the National Maritime Foundation, New Delhi, India. Kapil envisioned, advocated and formulated an energy policy for the IN and was instrumental in developing the ‘Indian Navy Environment Conservation Roadmap’ (INECR). He is the co-author/editor of six books on maritime issues. His book “The Maritime Dimension of Sustainable Energy Security” was published by Springer (Singapore) in 2019. His selected academic work can be accessed here.

ANG CHIN HUP

Commander (Cdr) Ang Chin Hup (R) is a senior researcher at the Centre for Maritime Economics and Industries, Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA). A graduate of Britannia Royal Naval College, United Kingdom, Cdr Ang is a former naval officer with the Royal Malaysia Navy (RMN), which included several years with Ministry of Defence and a year’s stint with the United Nations.

Cdr Ang’s research interests are in maritime economics, transportation, connectivity and geopolitics. As a maritime economist, he spoke in international conferences both in Malaysia and abroad. He presented topics on transportation connectivity for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam – Thailand (CLMV-T) countries organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) in Bangkok, Yangon and Vientiane. In geopolitics, he represented Malaysia in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Taiwan and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) meetings held in Indonesia, South Africa, and India. Cdr Ang is also a regular speaker at the World Ocean Summit held in Qingdao, Huangdao, and Weihai in Shandong Province of China.

Cdr Ang is a multi-disciplined maritime researcher. As a researcher, he presented papers on maritime-related topics in Cambodia, China, Comoros, India, Pakistan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. With a keen interest in maritime history, he spoke on Admiral Zheng He’s heritage trail in Melaka and the Maritime Silk Road in Guangzhou, China. As a trainer, he conducted ports and shipping training for the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Program (MTCP), the China Malaysia Port Alliance (CMPA) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). He is also a maritime consultant for a maritime industrial project in Malaysia.

Cdr Ang has a Bachelor of Business from the RMIT University in Australia and a Master of Science in Engineering Business Management from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom. He holds two diplomas, from the University of Malaya and Malaysia Institute of Management. He also attended courses on the Balanced Scorecard and Resource Management in the United States and Canada, respectively.

Cdr Ang likes to write and travel. His career in the RMN and MIMA brought him to several continents in the world. His experience in the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) is featured in the Memoirs of the Malaysian Armed Forces Veterans.

Dr. Chheang Vannarith

Dr. Chheang Vannarith is a public policy analyst with over a decade of research and practical experience in geopolitical and political economic analysis focusing on Southeast Asia.  He is currently serving as President of the Asian Vision Institute (AVI)- an independent think tank based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia- where he leads geopolitical risk analysis, stakeholder management and partnership building, and leadership development. He received his BA in International Relations from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, MA in International Relations from the International University of Japan, Leadership Certificate from the East West Center, and Doctor of Philosophy in Asia Pacific Studies from the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan.   

Dr. DING DUO

Ding Duo is Associate Research Fellow of National Institute for South China Sea Studies, Deputy Director of Research Center for Oceans Law and Policy. His research interests include general theory of public international law, international law of the sea, and dispute settlement mechanism. Ding obtained his Master and PhD in Law both in Yonsei University, Korea. His recent research achievement includes Introduction to Basic Theories of International Law, Hainan Publishing House, 2019; “Analysis on the Legal Status of Traditional Fishing Rights in the International Law of the Sea”, (2019) 01 Chinese Review of International Law; “Nature Prolongation Principle in the Outer Limits of the Continental Shelf beyond 200 Nautical Miles”, (2018) 01 Chinese Review of International Law; “Analysis on the boundaries between Treaty Interpretation and Judicial Law-making in International Law”, (2018) 02 The South China Sea Review; “Analysis on the Annotation of the South China Sea Islands in Some Maps Issued in Japan and South Korea,” (2018) 02 Journal of Boundary and Ocean Studies; “The Limits and Structure of Contemporary International Disarmament Law”, (2017) 07 Legality Vision; “Evidentiary Effect of Maps in the Disputes Concerning Territorial Sovereignty and Maritime Delimitation”, (2016) 05 Chinese Review of International Law.

Dr. Dino Patti Djalal

Dino Patti Djalal was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia on 10th September 1965.  He earned his Bachelor Degree in Political Science from Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada); a Masters Degree in Political Science from Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, Canada), and a Phd in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (London, UK). In 2004, Dino was appointed Special Staff of the President for International Affairs.  In that capacity, Dino assumed many roles: Presidential spokesperson, foreign policy adviser to the President, speech writer.  From 2010 to 2013, Dino served as Indonesia's ambassador to the United States. In 2012, Dr. Dino won the prestigious "Marketeer of the Year", the same award that was won by President Joko Widodo. In June 2014, Dino was appointed Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, until October that year. In 2015, he has founded the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia.

Dr. EKATERINA KOLDUNOVA

Dr. Ekaterina Koldunova is Associate Professor at the Department of Asian and African Studies, Moscow State Institute of International Relations, the MFA of Russia. She holds a Ph.D. (Cand. Polit. Sc.) in International Relations. She is the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Russian Comparative Politics journal. Dr. Koldunova has published in Russian, English, Italian and Chinese on regional transformations and security, international relations in Southeast Asia, Russian foreign policy in Asia, political systems of Southeast Asian states. Her recent books include Security in East Asia: New Challenges (Moscow: Navona, 2010, in Russian), Socio-Political Thought, High Technologies and Science Development in the Major Asian Countries (with Sergei Lunev, Moscow: Academia, 2015, in Russian), Framing Asian Studies: Geopolitics and Institutions (Singapore: ISEAS, 2018, co-edited with Albert Tzeng and William L. Richter). She has contributed to peer-reviewed journals such as International Relations, Asian Survey, International Studies Perspectives and Journal of Political Power.

The topic and an abstract (about 500 words) of paper

Topic: “Russia and Southeast Asia in the international blue economy competition: prospects for cooperation, implications for the South China Sea”

A statement/a quote that transfers your message in the Conference that we can tweet or post on the event’s official website

For Russia and ASEAN the blue economy can become an important source of economic growth. At the same time, its development face important political, economic and legal challenges. Being able to look beyond these challenges and to take into account the competitive advantages of each other may help Russia and Southeast Asia to mutually enhance their blue economy capabilities. Such kind of cooperation may also help to reduce the political and economic tensions in the South China Sea.

Dr. EURAN GRAHAM

Euan Graham is one of two senior fellows based in Singapore supporting the Shangri-La Dialogue, Fullerton Forum and other activities run by IISS–Asia. He is also responsible for furthering research within the IISS on defence and security in the Western Pacific. His main areas of expertise are Australia’s strategic policy, regional maritime affairs and the geopolitics of the Korean Peninsula. Dr Graham has previously held prominent think tank positions in Australia and Singapore and was a senior research officer in the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including time on the ground in Pyongyang. He has authored a book  on Japan’s sea lane security and writes regularly on diverse Asia-Pacific strategic themes.

Dr. iur. DAMOS DUMOLI AGUSMAN,  SH, MA

He is currently Director General for Legal Affairs and International Treaties of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,  Indonesia.  Most of his career in the Ministry has been devoted to international law. He takes care of all treaties concluded by Indonesia, on how they are prepared, concluded, and then implemented in the domestic level. He also deals with maritime issues and how Indonesia implements UNCLOS 1982, and handles maritime boundaries negotiation.

He has been posted to some prestigious foreign missions abroad i.e. the Indonesian Embassy in the Hague, the Netherlands (1993-1997), the Indonesian Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna (2000-2004), and as the Consul General in Frankfurt, Germany (2010-2014).

He graduated for Padjajaran University, Bandung (1987), acquiring MA in International Law and Politics in University of Hull, UK (1991),  and Doctorate degree on international law from University of Frankfurt (2014). He also attended the Hague Academy of International Law in 1994. He has published books “Hukum Perjanjian Internasional, Refika, 2010 and “Treaties under Indonesian Law: Comparative Study”, Rosda, 2014.

Kavi Chongkittavorn

Kavi Chongkittavorn was former editor-in-chief and executive director of Myanmar Times. He has been a journalist for over three and half decades covering regional politics for the Bangkok-based The Nation.  He served as Bureau Chief in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (1988-1990) and in Hanoi, Vietnam (1990-1992). In 1988, he was awarded Jefferson Fellowship, East -West Center. From 1994- 1995, he went to Oxford University as a Reuter Fellow and in 2000-2001 to Harvard University as Nieman Fellow. He served as a member of jury and from 2005-2008 as its chair of Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize organized by UNESCO.

He was an Asia Studies Fellow at East West Center in Washington from April to June 2018. He is a senior fellow at Institute of Security and International Studies and a columnist of Bangkok Post.

DR LANCE BEATH

DR LANCE BEATH is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Strategic Studies at Victoria University of Wellington. He is also the General Editor of a new Professional Journal for the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Research and Publications Director of the New Zealand Oceans Foundation. Lance has a background in science (PhD Otago University, Fulbright Scholarship and Post Doctoral Fellow in Thermodynamics at UCLA) and public policy. He served 20 years in the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade before moving to the Ministry of Defence where he was the Manager of Strategic and International Policy. At Victoria University of Wellington Lance designed and directed the first post graduate strategic studies programme. He has also taught post graduate papers in defence policy, civil military relations and law and national security and various short courses in strategic thinking. Lance has 5 children. His interests include reading, conversation, good wine and being with friends and family. He collects books on naval affairs including a large and growing collection of books on the life of Admiral Lord Nelson and the publications of the UK-based Naval Records Society.

Dr. MARIE ANTONETTE JUINIO-MENEZ

Dr. Marie Antonette Juinio-Meñez is an Academician of the National Academy of Science & Technology of the Philippines, Professor and previous Director of the Marine Science Institute at the University of the Philippines. She is a marine ecologist and a coastal resources management specialist. She has various publications on marine invertebrate ecology, biophysical and genetic connectivity, fisheries management, sustainable mariculture and environmental governance. She has been involved in international and multisectoral dialogues and technical working groups on biodiversity conservation, marine scientific research in the South China Sea, and the UNCLOS sessions on biodiversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction (BBNJ). She is engaged in efforts aligned with the development of a sustainable blue economy, and promotion of transdisciplinary research through the Sustainability Initiative in the Marginal Seas of South and East Asia (SIMSEA).

Dr. PETER T.HARRIS

Peter T. Harris is a dual citizen of USA and Australia and is a marine geoscientist with more than 30 years experience working in marine science and management. Peter was educated at the University of Washington, Seattle (BSc) and University of Wales, Swansea (PhD). He has been the leader/co-leader of over 30 research voyages and conducted research on the Great Barrier Reef, the Fly River Delta in Papua New Guinea and the geologic record of climate change in Antarctica. Peter has published over 120 peer-reviewed science papers and books including a recent book “Mysterious Ocean” published by Springer in 2020. Since 2014 Peter has been the Managing Director of GRID-Arendal, a foundation based in Norway established to assist the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), working particularly in developing countries to help solve their environmental problems.

SESSION VIII (Concluding Plenary 2):

STRENGTHENING FOUNDATION FOR PEACE AND RULES-BASED ORDER

Consultation over the COC by China and the ASEAN Member States: Progress, Key Issues, and the Way Forward

Prof. Kong Lingjie

The past three years witnessed substantial progress in the consultation over the COC by China and the ASEAN Member States. The Framework of the COC was adopted in 2017. A Single Draft Negotiating Text was arrived at in 2018. The First Reading was done in July 2019. The Second Reading is underway. An early conclusion of an effective and substantive COC has been a common goal for the eleven countries. A discussion of the legal aspects of three policy-centered issues is both timely and important: (a) the nature of the COC, (b) its scope of application, and (c) its relationship with the DOC. The paper illustrates how international law may help the negotiators to find proper ways to tackle these difficult issues, give them necessary room for compromises, and reach agreeable solutions on their own, based on a better understanding of the legal aspects of the relevant questions. Pending an eventual adoption of the COC, the good momentum and conducive environment for the consultation should be well maintained and further strengthened.

Dr. Philips J. Vermonte

Dr. Philips J. Vermonte joined CSIS in 2001. He received his Master of Arts degree in international studies from Department of Politics, the University of Adelaide, Australia, in 2001, funded by the AusAID scholarship. He obtained his Ph.D in Political Science at Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, USA in 2012. He is one of the founding members of the policy research network (ProREP). He is one of the expert respondents (narasumber ahli) of Metro TV and actively contributes to the Jakarta Post and Tempo Magazine.

Dr. Prashanth Parameswaran

Dr. Prashanth Parameswaran is a fellow with the Wilson Center’s Asia Program, where he produces analysis on Southeast Asian political and security issues, Asian defense affairs, and U.S. foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific. He is also a director at the consultancy Bower Group Asia and a senior columnist at The Diplomat, one of Asia’s leading current affairs publications.

A political scientist by training, Dr. Parameswaran is a recognized expert on Asian affairs and U.S. foreign policy in the region, with a focus on Southeast Asia and politics and security issues. He has conducted grant-based field research across the region, consulted for companies and governments, and taught courses affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of State. His policy insights, research and commentary have been published widely in the United States and across the region in leading publications and journals including CNN, The Washington Post, The South China Morning Post, The Straits Times, Asia Policy and Contemporary Southeast Asia.

Dr. RICARDO FEDERIZON

Senior Fisheries Commission Coordinator, Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization

Senior Fisheries Management Coordinator Ricardo Federizon obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Fisheries in the Philippines; Masters of Marine Affairs degree at the University of Rhode Island, USA; and doctorate degree in Biology (Fisheries Biology) at Bremen University, Germany. He started to work for NAFO in 2004. His responsibilities focus on the Secretariat’s services related to the work of the Commission on fisheries matters and the Standing Committee on International Control (STACTIC). Ricardo develops the information for the annual compliance review. He conducts statistical data analysis related to the NAFO fisheries, and assists the Executive Secretary in the drafting the meeting agendas of the Commission and its subsidiary bodies. He also serves as the Rapporteur of the meetings of the Commission and its working groups. Ricardo is a fisheries scientist with a very diverse background who worked in the Philippines, the USA, Germany, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Canada. He brings to the Secretariat over 30 years of experience in global and regional fishery issues acquired during his activities as research scientist, project manager, and university professor.

Dr. Rodion Ebbighausen

Dr. Rodion Ebbighausen is a German journalist, author and translator. He is managing editor of the Asia department of Germany's international broadcaster DW. DW Asia offers a TV and online program in German, English and eight Asian languages, including Chinese, Hindi and Bahasa Indonesia.

Rodion Ebbighausen was a visiting lecturer at the Institute for Asian Studies at the University of Bonn. His journalistic and academic work is focused on Southeast Asia, especially Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the South China Sea. His latest academic book was a political biography of Aung San Suu Kyi (The Daughter, Silkworm 2018). Together with Nguyen Xuan Hang he recently translated several Vietnamese short stories into German (Mein Vietnam, Mitteldeutscher Verlag, 2020).

Dr. SUKIJOON YOON

Sukjoon Yoon is a Navy Captain, Republic of Korea Navy (retired), and is currently a senior fellow of the Korea Institute for Military Affairs (KIMA). Before joining KIMA, Captain Yoon’s more than thirty-five years of commissioned service included thirteen years at sea as a principle surface warfare officer and several command and staff appointments. He has been director of maritime strategy studies at the Naval War College, commanding officer of the ROKS WONSAN, chief of policy analysis section and director of policy division, ROKN Headquarters.

He graduated of the Naval Academy class of 1976 and of the commander’s corse of the Naval War College in Korea. He holds a MA in Chinese politics from the National Defense University, Taiwan and a Ph. D in Chinese military affairs from SPAIS, Bristol University, United Kingdom. His academic works focus on military strategy, maritime/naval strategy, maritime security and Chinese military modernization, and his recent publications include “Establishing a Maritime Security Joint-Force Partnership Between the Republic of Korea Navy and the Korean Coast Guard,” in Ian Bowers and Collin Koh, ed., al. Grey and White Hulls: An International Analysis of the Navy-Coastguard Nexus (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2019); “US Interests Are Not Served by Making a Scapegoat of South Korea,” The Diplomat, January 29, 2020; “Make Way for South Korea's Underwater Drones,” The Diplomat, February 19, 2020; “From Confrontation to Conflict between China and Taiwan: Major Challenges for Taiwan’s Counter Strategy,” The Korean Journal of Defense Analysis, Vol. 32, No. 3, September 2020.

Dr. TA DINH THI

Viet Nam Administration of Seas and Islands (VASI)

DR. TA DINH THI is Director General of Viet Nam Administration of Seas and Islands (VASI), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) of Viet Nam

Dr. Ta Dinh Thi’s recent positions in MONRE of Viet Nam:

• From March 2018 to present: Director General, Viet Nam Administration of Seas and Islands, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

• From January 2011 to February 2018: Director, Department of Personnel and Organization, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

• From May 2010 to December 2010: Vice Chief of Office, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Dr. YI-CHE SHIH

(Office): +886-7-338-0117

(Mobile): +886-937-483035

E-Mail: spj10@ms35.hinet.net / shih@oac.gov.tw

Dr. Shih is a Director at the Planning and Training Center of National Academy of Marine Research, Ocean Affairs Council, Chinese Taipei and also an adjunct Assistant Professor at the Institute of Ocean Technology and Marine Affairs, National Cheng Kung University and the Dept. of Maritime Police in Central Police University, Chinese Taipei. His research focuses on marine environmental management, marine environmental monitoring, marine environmental assessment, marine education and training and marine policy. He has been worked in the government department for more than 24 years to implement maritime security, search and rescue, marine environmental protection and conservation. 

H.E. Amb. Bilahari Kausikan

Amb. Bilahari Kausikan is currently Chairman of the Middle East Institute, an autonomous institute of the National University of Singapore. He has spent his entire career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During his 37 years in the Ministry, he served in a variety of appointments at home and abroad, including as Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, and as the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry. Raffles Institution, the University of Singapore and Columbia University in New York all attempted to educate him.

H.E. Amb. Dr Guido Hildner

Since July 2019, Dr Guido Hildner is the German Ambassador to Vietnam. Prior to taking up this position, he was the Director of International Law at the German Foreign Office in Berlin. Before that, he held a number of positions in the German Diplomatic Service. Over the years, he has worked at the German Foreign Office, both in Bonn and Berlin, and abroad in Embassies in Colombo, Beirut, Moscow, at the Mission to the United Nations in New York and at the Delegation to NATO in Brussels. From 2003 to 2006 he worked for the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

H.E. Amb. Gareth Ward

British Ambassador to Vietnam

2018 – present: Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Vietnam

2013 – 2017: FCO, Head of China Department

2010 – 2013: St Petersburg, Her Majesty’s Consul General

2007 – 2010: Beijing, First Secretary, Head of Foreign and Security

Policy Team

2004 – 2006: FCO, Section Head for Justice and Home Affairs,

Europe Directorate

2003 – 2004: FCO, Section Head for Germany and Austria, Europe

Directorate

1998 – 2002: Moscow, Second Secretary Development

1996 – 1997: FCO, Desk Officer for Hungary and Bulgaria

1996: Joined FCO

H.E. Amb. Nguyen Duc Hung

H.E. Amb. Nguyen Duc Hung was Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the Singapore from 1996 to 1999 and Canada from 2006 to 2010.  He joined the Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a career diplomat in 1973.  While working at the MOFA headquarters in Hanoi, he held different positions as Chief of Staff; Assistant-Minister, Chief of Advisory Board to the Ministerial Leadership; Assistant-Minister and Director General of Americas Department. From 2010 to 2012 he had been appointed as Ambassador, Governor for Vietnam in Asia – Europe Foundation (ASEF), and from 2012 till now he works as Senior Advisor for Strategic Studies, Bien Dong Maritime Institute, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, MOFA.

H.E. Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh was appointed by President Truong Tan Sang as the fifth Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to the United States of America in July 2014. He has also been accredited to the title of Senior Ambassador – the highest rank for a Vietnamese career diplomat.

From September 2011 to July 2014, Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh served as Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in charge of relations with countries in South Asia, Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, and Viet NaM's Senior Official to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN SOM Leader). Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh was posted twice to the Permanent Mission of Viet Nam to the United Nations in New York, first as an Attaché from January 1987 to January 1990 and then as a Minister Counselor and Deputy Permanent Representative from July 1996 to August 1999. His third posting was to the Embassy of Viet Nam in Bangkok, Thailand as a Minister Counselor from December 2003 to January 2007.

Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh graduated from the University of Foreign Affairs, Hanoi, Viet Nam in 1980 and earned a post-graduate degree at Canberra College of Advanced Education, Australia in 1985.

Pier Giorgio Aliberti, born on 16 April 1965, is Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Vietnam since 1 st of September 2019.

His previous post was Deputy Principal Director for Asia and Oceania at the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. He has served as Italian Ambassador to Myanmar from June 2015 to June 2018. Previously, he was Head of the Political Office at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC, where he started working in 2010. In this capacity, he focused on US foreign policy, with an emphasis on Asia and security issues.

Prior to his assignment to the United States, he served at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome (MFA) as European Correspondent and Director for Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) at the European Integration Directorate-General (2007-2010), and as Deputy Director for EU External Relations, with an emphasis on Asia, Western Balkans, Neighborhood Policy (2006-2007).

Mr Aliberti had been previously posted in Brussels, where he worked for the European Union in Mr Javier Solana’s Cabinet as Counselor, responsible for Serbia and Croatia; at the Embassy of Italy in Copenhagen, Denmark, as Head of the Economic and Commercial Office and in Nairobi, Kenya, as Deputy Permanent Representative to UNEP and Habitat and Head of the Economic and Commercial Office. Before those posts, Mr Aliberti served at the MFA in Rome as Deputy Head of Office for CIS and Eastern European countries at the Economic DG, and as Head of the Secretariat for Personnel, Budget and Administration.

Pier Giorgio Aliberti graduated in Economics at Bocconi University in Milan, and continued his studies at the Ecole Nationale d'Administration (“Diplome International”), in Strasbourg and Paris, France, and at Wye College, University of London, where in October 2001 he received a Master of Science in applied environmental economics, with a thesis on “International Environmental Governance in View of the World Summit for Sustainable Development: a Roadmap for Reform”. He lectured at Universities and international research centers in various European countries and participated as speaker on EU and Asian matters in many events. He published articles on EU and Western Balkans matters.

H.E. Amb. Robyn Mudie
Australia’s Ambassador to Vietnam

Ms Mudie is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently the founding Executive Director of the Diplomatic Academy.

She has previously served overseas as Australian HighCommissioner to Sri Lanka and Maldives; DeputyPermanent Representative to the United Nations(Geneva); First Secretary, UN Permanent Mission, New York; and SecondSecretary, Hanoi. In Canberra Ms Mudie has served as Assistant Secretary,Public Diplomacy Branch; Assistant Secretary, Information Resources Branch;and Director, Strategic Policy Section.

Ms Mudie holds a Master of Southeast Asian Studies from the University ofHull; Bachelor of Arts (Honours), from the University of Adelaide; and aGraduate Diploma (Foreign Affairs and Trade) from the Australian NationalUniversity. Ms Mudie is a Vietnamese speaker who has studied Vietnamese atthe RAAF School of Languages (1992), the Foreign Languages School, Hanoi(1993) and the Diplomatic Academy (2019).

Jonathan G. Odom, J.D., LL.M

Jonathan G. Odom is a judge advocate (i.e., licensed attorney) in the U.S. Navy.  Currently, he serves as a Military Professor of International Law at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies (Germany).  Immediately prior to this current assignment, Odom served as a Military Professor of Law and Maritime Security at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (Hawaii).  During his Naval career, Odom has provided legal and policy advice on matters involving international law and national security law to U.S. and multi-national military commanders, headquarter staffs, and forces around the world for military operations at sea, in the air, and on land.  Most notably, he served as the Oceans Policy Advisor in the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense (Pentagon) and as the Deputy Legal Advisor to Commander, U.S. Pacific Command (Hawaii).  His operational deployments ashore have included Iraq, Kosovo, and Japan, and his deployments to sea have included the Persian Gulf, the East China Sea, the South China Sea, and the Gulf of Thailand.  In his personal capacity, Odom has published law journal articles, book chapters, and opinion-editorials on various aspects of the law of the sea, the law of airspace, the law of armed conflict, national security law, national security strategy, oceans policy, maritime security, homeland defense, and negotiations.  Odom holds a Bachelor of Arts in History with Distinction from Duke University, a Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University, and a Master of Laws with Distinction from Georgetown University.

Mr. ALEX DOUGLAS

Alex Douglas works as an Adviser for the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) where he works on projects across Asia that aim to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict.  He is a member of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue’s team working to reduce the risk of conflict in the South China Sea.  In this role, he advises on strategy and facilitation for the efforts to promote cooperative management of the South China Sea’s shared fisheries resources. This project leverages regional expertise and information to produce a shared evidence-base on the status of key fish stocks that can form the foundation for further international cooperation.  He also contributes to HD’s project to reduce the risk of violent escalation between maritime law enforcement agencies in the South China Sea.  He has previously worked on conflict prevention and resolution in Nepal, Liberia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Indonesia.  He holds degrees in Law and International Relations.

Mr. Andrew Murdoch

Legal Director at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Andrew Murdoch is a Legal Director at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, a role that includes responsibility for law of the sea, maritime security and ocean policy. Previously he was a Legal Counsellor and Head of the FCO’s International Institutions and Security Policy team. Andrew joined the FCO in 2011 after serving in the Royal Navy since 1990. He qualified as a barrister in 2000, and has acted as a prosecutor and defence advocate at courts martial and legal advisor to frontline naval units. He has served at sea and overseas in operational roles. He left the Royal Navy in 2011 as the Navy's principal internal source of advice on international law. He is the author of the UK military’s guide to maritime security operations and has published several articles on law of the sea issues. He is a visiting professor at Queen’s University (Ontario) UK campus, and lectures at the International Foundation for the Law of the Sea (Hamburg).

Mr. ARISTYO RIZKA DARMAWAN

Aristyo Rizka Darmawan is an Indonesian legal Academics and junior lecturer in International Law at Universitas Indonesia. He received a Bachelor of Law majoring in International Law from Universitas Indonesia and a Master of International Law from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, US. Aristyo also works as a researcher at the Center for Sustainable Ocean Policy (CSOP) where he does involve in numerous consultancy and research work for the Indonesian Government and NGO’s such as; The Indonesian Coast Guard, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Oxfam Foundation. His articles and writings on the South China Sea and the law of the sea have appeared in international outlets, such as the Lowy Institute the Interpreter, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative CSIS, East Asia Forum ANU, Policy Forum ANU, the Jakarta Post, Bangkok Post.

Mr. DAISUKE KAWAI

Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA)

Daisuke Kawai is a Research Fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) where he focuses on security issues in the Indo-Pacific region. His areas of expertise are Indo-Pacific security and arms control, in particular emerging security technologies. He is also an Associate Fellow at the Global Institute of Emerging Security Technology (GIEST) and secretary of the Council of Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) Japan. Kawai has completed master’s degrees at the Department of War Studies, King’s College London and at the Division of Peace Studies, the University of Bradford with Distinction as a British Council Scholar. Prior, he also studied diplomacy at the University of Oxford.

Mr. DAVID HUTT

David Hutt is a political journalist who reported from Southeast Asia between 2014-2019. He is Southeast Asia Columnist at the Diplomat, a columnist and correspondent at Asia Times, and a regular contributor to Foreign Policy, Nikkei Asia, South China Morning Post and others. He was formerly a reporter at the Southeast Asia Globe and editor of Focus Asean, and president of the Overseas Press Club of Cambodia. His Twitter handle is @davidhuttjourno

Mr. GILANG KEMBARA

Gilang Kembara is a Researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Jakarta, Indonesia. His research mainly focuses on the field of maritime safety and security, transboundary security issues, and maritime regional cooperation. Gilang has collaborated with a variety of domestic and regional think tanks. He worked with the National Institute of South China Sea Studies (NISCSS) in China to help establish the China Southeast Asia Research Centre on South China Sea (CSARC), where he was enrolled as a Research Associate.

Together with CSARC, he helped convene a group of experts to cooperate on fisheries and environmental issues in the South China Sea. Gilang currently conducts a research project that identifies potential opportunity for Indonesia to develop bilateral fisheries cooperation. Gilang Kembara graduated from the University of Birmingham, earning a BSc. in Management in 2013. He continued his studies at the University of Birmingham, taking International Relations in Contemporary Asia-Pacific, and received his Master of Arts (MA) degree in 2014.

MR. GREG POLING

Southeast Asia and director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS

Gregory B. Poling is a senior fellow for Southeast Asia and director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS. He oversees research on U.S. foreign policy in the Asia Pacific, with a particular focus on the maritime domain and the countries of Southeast Asia. His research interests include the South China Sea disputes, democratization in Southeast Asia, and Asian multilateralism. Mr. Poling’s writings have been featured in Foreign Affairs, the Wall Street Journal, Nikkei Asian Review, and Foreign Policy, among others. He is the author or coauthor of multiple works, including The Thickening Web of Asian Security Cooperation: Deepening Defense Ties Among U.S. Allies and Partners in the Indo-Pacific (RAND Corporation, 2019), Building a More Robust U.S.- Philippines Alliance (CSIS, August 2015), and A New Era in U.S.-Vietnam Relations: Deepening Ties Two Decades after Normalization (CSIS, June 2014).

SESSION I (PLENARY):
SOUTH CHINA SEA STATE OF AFFAIRS: THREATS, RISKS, AND OPPORTUNITIES

A Brittle Status Quo in the South China Sea

Mr. Greg Poling

The South China Sea disputes have entered an important new phase defined by several mutually reinforcing trends. First, China’s completion of most major infrastructure at its artificial island bases in the Spratly Islands has since the end of 2017 allowed it to project power short of military force in a continuous manner throughout the entirety of the South China Sea. Second, Beijing has managed to defang any threat of multilateral diplomatic pressure. And third, those parties still interested in pushing back on Chinese assertiveness—primarily Vietnam and external actors like Australia, Japan, the United States, and some European countries—have been unable to regain the initiative they held briefly in 2015-2016 when international opinion swung decidedly against Beijing due to its island-building campaign and the Philippines’ arbitration case.
This is not, however, a stable status-quo. This paper focuses on the coercive aspects of China’s strategy, but it is important to recognize how it interacts with the diplomatic processes. The coercive forces Beijing has unleashed seem very likely to lead to violence at some point. And its diplomatic game will eventually run out of steam, largely because it plays on Southeast Asian expectations while deferring substantive negotiations in order to keep talks going without admitting China’s unwillingness to make compromises. These two factors will likely feed on each other—a clash may lead to a diplomatic breakdown, which in turn could prompt greater adventurism at sea, and so on. This dynamic might already be emerging in Sino-Vietnamese relations. The major question is not whether the currently brittle status quo will shatter; it is whether those parties still interested in the South China Sea will be positioned to seize the initiative when it does.

Mr. Humphrey Hawksley

Humphrey Hawksley is an author, foreign correspondent and commentator on world affairs.  His new book, Asian Waters: The Struggle Over the Indo-Pacific and the Challenge to American Power explores the future of Asia amid growing rivalry between China and the United States. His earlier 1997 best-selling Dragon Strike:The Millennium War described a scenario of Indo-Pacific conflict which began with a Chinese attack on South China Sea islands. As a BBC World Affairs Correspondent and former Beijing Bureau Chief, Humphrey has covered Asia for more than thirty years, reporting often from Vietnam. His work has been widely reviewed and praised by key global figures. He has presented many BBC television documentaries, and his writing has appeared in mainstream media such as the New York Times and the Financial Times. His recent lectures on Asia have been to the RAND Corporation, the Wilson Center and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Mr. JAMES W. BORTON

James Borton, an independent environmental policy writer and former (Hong Kong-based) foreign correspondent for The Washington Times, contributes to Asia Sentinel, Asian Perspective, Asia Times, East Asia Forum, Geopolitical Monitor, Nikkei Asian Review, The South China Morning Post, Project Syndicate and World Politics Review. He has edited four books, The South China Sea: Challenges and Promises, Islands and Rocks in the South China Sea: Post Hague Ruling, The Art of Medicine in Metaphors and Venture Japan. He was a past National Endowment Humanities Fellow at Yale University and has been a non-resident fellow at the Washington, DC based Stimson Center and the US-Asia Institute. Currently, he is a non-resident fellow at Tufts University Science Diplomacy Center. He is presently at work on his latest book, Dispatches from the East Sea: The Search for Common Ground. He’s an avid sailor and waterman.

Mr. Lai Anh Tu

Lai Anh Tu is a research fellow at the Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies, the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. His research interests include U.S. foreign policy, U.S.-Vietnam relations, U.S.-China relations, and international relations in East Asia. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the Diplomacy Academy of Vietnam and a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the Elliott School of International Affairs, the George Washington University. He has published in East-West Center’s Asia Pacific Bulletin, East Asia Forum, among others.

Mr. Muhd Shahrul Nizzam bin Umar

Mr. Muhd Shahrul Nizzam bin Umar has been the Director of the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (SHHBIDSS) since 2011. Prior to his current appointment, he was the Director of Defence Policy in 2008, an Assistant Director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2007, and also First Secretary and Second Secretary in the Permanent Mission of Brunei Darussalam to the United Nations. He has earned his Bachelor of Science from St. Andrews University, United Kingdom in 1996.

Mr. Nguyen Huy Son

Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam

Nguyen Huy Son is a fourth year student from Faculty of International Communication and Culture, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV). He is Vice President of Students’ Research Association, named Galileo Society, a gathering of young researchers who are passionate about carrying out in-depth research on foreign affairs and international politics issues.

He also currently serves as Communication Manager of ASEAN Youth Organization Vietnam (AYO), which is a youth-led organization aiming at empowering Vietnamese youth and endowing them with opportunities to work toward proposals addressing ASEAN’s issues. 

His main research interests focus on China study, journalism and cultural diplomacy. Son has published several research papers on the above topics. He is currently working as research assistant to the Bien Dong (South China Sea) Institute for Maritime Studies, Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam.

Mr. Richard Javad Heydarian

Richard Javad Heydarian is a manila-based academic, columnist and author. He is a fellow at Stratbase-ADR Institute, and formerly taught political science at Ateneo De Manila University and De La Salle University, and most recently was a research fellow at National Chengchi University in Taiwan. He has delivered talks and lectures at the world’s leading universities, including Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia universities, and has written for global outlets such as CNN International, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and Foreign Affairs. He is currently Television host at GMA network, a columnist for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and a regular opinion writer for leading global publications.  His latest books are “The Rise of Duterte: A Populist Revolt against Elite Democracy” (Palgrave Macmillan) and “The Indo-Pacific: Trump, China, and the New Global Struggle for Mastery” (Palgrave Macmillan).

Mr. Shahriman Lockman

Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Malaysia

Shahriman Lockman is a Fellow in the Foreign Policy and Security Studies Division of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Malaysia. His research interests include Malaysian foreign and defence policies, Southeast Asian maritime security affairs, and Malaysia-China relations, including in the context of the South China Sea. He also manages the institute’s China Engagement Initiative, which promotes Track 2 dialogue between Malaysia and China. Shahriman was a consultant to the Ministry of Defence on Malaysia’s inaugural Defence White Paper (2019), specifically on budgeting and implementation issues. He was also Malaysia’s representative in an academic assessment of common security challenges impacting the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) nations for the period 2020-2031 for the FPDA Policy Group (FPG). Shahriman is a member of the Malaysian chapter of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP). He has a Master of Strategic Affairs from the Australian National University.

Ms. ARIEL STENEK

Ariel STENEK is Director of the Young Leaders Program at Pacific Forum.  She manages Pacific Forum’s next-generation engagements, and supports its Women, Peace, and Security program. As a WSD-Handa fellow she researched and presented on US Freedom of Navigation Operations, and marine environment considerations in the South China Sea. Previously she was a Regional Security Studies Intern at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, and worked at UNESCO in the division of Social and Human Sciences on The Silk Roads Online Platform. She holds an MA in International Relations from Queen Mary, University of London. Her dissertation, “Four Cases Examining the Role of Maritime Militias in China’s Maritime Strategy,” won the J. Ann Tickner Prize for Best Masters Dissertation, and was presented at the 2018 International Graduate Student Conference at the East-West Center in Honolulu.

Ms. DITA LILIANSA

Dita Liliansa is a Research Associate at the Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore. She obtained her law degrees from Universitas Indonesia and the University of Washington. The latter was completed under the sponsorship of the Fulbright program. She has previously worked as an academic in Indonesia, and has provided expertise to government agencies, international organizations, and private entities. Her current research focuses on the protection of the marine environment in the Seas of Southeast Asia, in which she investigates the extent to which ASEAN promotes the implementation of international laws related to the protection of the marine environment. In addition to research, she is involved in teaching university students and training government officials, and participates in international and regional intergovernmental meetings as an observer.

Ms. FANNY QUERTAMP

Since 1996, Fanny Quertamp - Ph.D. in Geography - has conducted several research and cooperation projects in Vietnam, in the fields of urban studies and environment.

Ms. KRISTIN HUANG

An experienced reporter with a demonstrated history of working in the media industry. Skilled in Journalism and have a strong sense of military and diplomacy news. A keen observer on China's rise of military power and the shift of power balance in Asia. Covered multiple regional and international events like APEC Summit, ASEAN Summit, Shangri-la Dialogue, etc. Broke exclusive stories on North Korean defector, China's missile launch to the South China Sea, and so on. Willing to bridge the gaps between China and the outside world via new reporting. Strong media and communication professional with a Master of Arts (M.A.) in International Journalism from Hong Kong Baptist University.

Ms. Ksenia Kuzmina

Program Manager (Head of Program) for Asia Pacific at the Russian International Affairs Council.

Ms. Kuzmina graduated from Moscow State Institute of International Relations under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia (MGIMO University) with an MA in International Law.

Ms. Kuzmina has authored and edited several RIAC reports and working papers related to Russia's ties with Asia Pacific and South Asian states, notably with Japan, India, China and South Korea, as well as multilateral collaboration in the Arctic region. As part of her duties at RIAC, she organized numerous major international conferences and Track 1.5/2 dialogues on a similar range of topics.

Research interests include: law of international organizations, relations between national and international law, Russia's foreign policy in Asia, regional orders in Eurasia, and interests of non-regional players in the Arctic.

Ms. Lee YingHui

Associate Research Fellow, Maritime Security Programme, Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, Singapore

Lee YingHui is Associate Research Fellow with the Maritime Security Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Her main research interests are in maritime security and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, maritime trade, blue economy, and the South China Sea. She holds a Master of Science in Applied Economics from Nanyang Technological University, a Master in International Relations from Peking University, and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in International Relations and Economics from the University of Reading

Ms. NAOMI CLARK-SHEN

Naomi Clark-Shen has worked as a fisheries and marine consultant for multiple organisations.  In one of these projects, she sought to promote peace in the South China Sea through marine environmental protection. The research presented at this conference is a result of these findings, which focused on areas of overlap between countries’ governance of their Marine environments and fisheries. One of Naomi’s most recent positions was as Principle Investigator for an independent project surveying sharks and rays at Singapore’s fishery ports. She is currently enrolled in a Ph.D degree programme where she is studying the small sharks and rays that are incidentally caught in Southeast Asia’s fisheries.

Ms. NGUYEN THI THANH HA

Vietnam Society of International Law

Mrs. NGUYEN THI THANH HA is currently Vice Secretary-General of the Vietnam Society of International Law, a non-governmental organization comprised of Vietnamese researchers and practitioners in different fields of international law. In 2015, she retired from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where she served for 35 years in its Department of International Law and Treaties. She was appointed General Director of the Department of International Law and Treaties in 2012 and accredited with the Ambassador Rank in 2013. She was nominated by the Government of Viet Nam to be a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration from 2013 to 2018. In 2020, she is nominated by Viet Nam to be included in the list of conciliators drawn up and maintained by the UN Sec-Gen under article 2 of Annex V of the UNCLOS.