Where do national waters end and international waters begin? What constitutes an island and to whom does it belong? What happens to the natural resources underneath contested waters? One of the founding fathers of international law, Hugo Grotius, already debated some of these questions in the 16^th century. Today, they are still relevant, and becoming even more so due to an ever globalizing world. Together with experts from the University of Utrecht, the Clingendael Institute provides training to practitioners in this field.

One of Clingendael Academy’s training products is to facilitate the sharing of knowledge between different regions and cultures all over the globe; this time it does so by opening her doors to ASEAN Diplomats and Secretariat Members.

Training programme ‘The Law of the Sea’
On June 8th, the Clingendael Institute gave a warm welcome to ASEAN Diplomats and Members of the Secretariat. In cooperation with the University of Utrecht and Netherlands Institute for the Law of the Sea, the Clingendael Institute has the pleasure of hosting this group for a 10 day course on this particular topic.

Clingendael and ASEAN
While ASEAN Diplomats and members of the Secretariat have been participating in training programmes at Clingendael Academy  on a yearly basis since 2009, this year is the first year that the course completely focusses on the Law of the Sea. Subjects such as ‘International Dispute Settlement’, ‘Maritime Boundary Delimitation’, ‘Regional Environmental Protection’ and ‘Fisheries Management’ are being tackled.

Practical skills and theoretical knowledge
Furthermore, working visits to the Public Court of Arbitration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are planned, giving them an inside view in the practical application of international law, on both a juridical and political level. While the course is designed around the topic of the Law of the Sea, the program remains diverse and pays attention to both theoretical and practical skills. In doing so, this course not only provides diplomats with in-depth knowledge of all legal aspects governing naval territory, but also with practical tools necessary to navigate to through their daily tasks with more efficiency and skill.  

Training options at Clingendael Academy
At the Clingendael Academy, both international professionals and institutions develop by means of numerous courses and training programmes. This contributes both to individual effectivity and to strong relations between the Netherlands and over 60 countries from which professionals have joined us.

Are you interested in participating in one of our courses or in partnering with us? Please contact Henriëtte den Ouden or Christiaan Nelisse.