Philippines Hosts ARF Workshop on Safety of Navigation in Manila
Ambassador Asuque, Undersecretary Alano, and Captain Nishant join the speakers and subject-matter experts and participants from ARF countries.
19 July 2017 MANILA – The Philippines hosted the ASEAN Regional Forum Workshop on Best Practices in Implementing Safety of Navigation Instruments from 11 to 12 July 2017 in Manila. It was co-chaired by Ambassador Gilberto G.B. Asuque (Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the International Maritime Organization) and Captain Nishant Kumar, (Director of Military Affairs in the Disarmament and International Security Affairs Division of the Ministry of External Affairs of India). Undersecretary Jose Luis M. Alano of the National Coast Watch Council (NCWC) Secretariat formally opened the event with his keynote address. DFA and NCWC are the co-implementing agencies of the event.
The Workshop explored best practices in implementing and enforcing international safety standards, e.g., the 1974 International Convention on Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the 1972 International Regulations for Prevention of Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) and the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) and in enhancing their application in the Asia-Pacific region. The Co-Chairs and the ARF participants discussed relevant topics in five (5) sessions, namely 1) enhancing navigational safety for international shipping; 2) means of cooperation to enhance safety of navigation in critical waterways; 3) promoting safety of navigation among military and government vessels; 4) enhancing navigational safety for non-convention and fishery vessels; and 5) international cooperation on information-sharing to enhance safety of navigation.
Representatives from maritime agencies and diplomats of ARF countries actively participated in the two-day Workshop. Invited speakers, who gave their respective presentations on the progress of implementation of relevant instruments and arrangements and best practices in enhancing safety of navigation, include Professor Jay Batongbacal and Atty. Neil Silva (University of the Philippines Insttitute of Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea or UP IMLOS), Dr. Chris Merritt (Maritime Domain Awareness Technical Advisor U.S. Mission to ASEAN), Lee Yin Mui (Regional Cooperation Against Armed Robbery and Piracy or ReCAAP), Jérôme Rivière (First Secretary of the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines), Carlos Salinas (Filipino Shipowner’s Association), Captain S.I. Abul Kalam Azad (Republic of India), Hairizam Bin Albukhari (Vessel Traffic Service Unit of the Marine Department of Malaysia), Fides Quintos (Foreign Service Institute), Hideshi Tokuchi (Institute for International Policy Studies), Michael Vatikiotis (Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue), Captain Roy Vincent Trinidad (Philippine Navy), Captain Dorne Tipnant (Thailand Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Council), Yuto Inoue (Japanese Coast Guard), Captain Pedro Lopez (Philippine Department of Transportation), Lt. Aaron Andro V. Ching (NAMRIA), and Irina Koulatchenko (INTERPOL).
In his key note address, Undersecretary Alano emphasized the timeliness of this type of workshops as the region sees unprecedented growth in seaborne trade, regional connectivity, and integration to the global supply chain.
The ARF Workshop is in line with one of the Philippines’ thematic priorities of its Chairmanship of ASEAN this year, which is “Maritime Security Cooperation.” END