Representatives from the 10 ASEAN member states and the ASEAN Secretariat concluded an intensive two-week training on the Law of the Sea at the Clingendael Institute last week.  For the third year already this programme has been organised  in cooperation with the Netherlands Institute for the Law of the SEA (NILOS).  The combination between knowledge-based lectures and interactive skills-sessions allowed the participants to effectively engage with complicated topics such as piracy, migration and border-disputes.

The group discussed several international dispute settlement mechanisms and visited the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. This proved a valuable opportunity to ask questions to experienced practitioners. Visits to the Netherlands Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also facilitated expert dialogue and an excellent networking opportunity. On the last day, the participants participated in a symposium on the South China Sea in which they discussed the roles of international law and diplomacy in settling the South China sea conflict.

The carefully tailored programme offered in-depth lectures on sustainable development, maritime zones and fisheries law, which were complemented with skills-workshops such as scenario building, intercultural communication and a negotiation simulation.  After two intensive weeks, our participants have returned to their countries with a thorough understanding of the Law of the Sea, strengthened skills and an extended network.