Experts in Maritime Laws to Gather in Busan to Discuss Measures for Stable Use of Maritime Transport Routes

- Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries International academic conference on maritime law to be held on November 4 - 5 under the theme of “Issues and challenges in international straits and maritime transport

 The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) will hold the 12th Global Ocean Regime Conference at Paradise Hotel Busan on Monday, November 4, to Tuesday, November 5.

 The Global Ocean Regime Conference is an occasion where renowned domestic and international maritime law experts gather to discuss current issues. This year, amid heightened external uncertainty due to recent conflicts in the Middle East and between Russia and Ukraine, the conference aims to explore ways of stably using international straits and maritime transport routes—which are key to the global supply chain—from the maritime law perspective.

 The conference will be attended by judges from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), which is leading the establishment of maritime law and order, and world-renowned academicians.

 Among domestic experts, former ITLOS President Baek Jin-hyun will give a keynote speech evaluating the maritime law system regarding international straits and forecasting its future. In addition, ITLOS Judge Lee Ja-hyung and UN International Law Commission member Lee Keun-kwan will discuss recent trends in the court under the theme of developments in the law of the sea in a special session.

 Among the foreign speakers, ITLOS Judge Konrad Marciniak will give a special lecture on the changing concept of resources under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Other speakers in the session include Professor Donald Rothwell of the Australian National University, Director James Kraska of the Center for International Law at the US Naval War College, and head of National University of Singapore’s Center for International Law Nilüfer Oral, who will share their expert insights on ensuring the safe use of international straits.

 "I hope that this meeting will present creative solutions to issues such as increased uncertainty in the use of international straits and sea routes due to recent international disputes, and that it will contribute to the promotion of international maritime transport and peaceful use of the ocean," Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kang Do-hyung said.