Session: Session 5 / Grand Ballroom I
Date/Time: May 1, 2013 / 14:00-15:15

Panel Description

Recently, in some sea areas, heated rhetoric has been exchanged between governments, particularly over territorial disputes over small islands. Maritime security for the protection of sea lanes of communication has long been a vital interest of all states. Given the strategic significance of maritime security, as well as the commercial value of natural resources and territorial disputes over islands, it will be difficult for the states concerned to reach final or comprehensive agreements on all the issues in the foreseeable future. This panel will analyze the current state of the major disputes and the weakest points in the protection of sea lanes of communication arising from these disputes, and then discuss feasible strategies applicable for maritime security in the context of dispute management.

Guiding Questions

1. 1. How are territorial claims in contested maritime waters likely to change in the near future?
2. 2. What will be the likely impact of new discoveries of oil and gas under the ocean floor?
3. 3. How can we manage contested exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and other legal jurisdictions to prevent clashes at sea among fishing vessels, coast guards, and naval forces?