Fourth Meeting of the OPINEAR Held in Singapore

 

Singapore — The fourth meeting of the Ocean Policy Institute Network in the East Asian Region (OPINEAR) was held in Singapore on November 24-25, 2011. The meeting was hosted by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (Singapore) and the Center of International Law (Singapore), and participated in by six institutions from East Asia.

 

Participating Institutions include: the Center for South East Asian Studies (CSEAS), Indonesia; Coastal and Ocean Management Institute (COMI), Xiamen University, China; Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), Republic of Korea; Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA), Malaysia; Ocean Policy Research Foundation (OPRF), Japan; Nanyang Technological University/S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Singapore.

 

The Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) and Wollongong University/Australian National Center for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) participated as Observers to the meeting. Other observers include: Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maritime and Port Authority, National Environment Agency, and Singapore Maritime Institute.

 

OPINEAR was formed in 2008 at the suggestion of OPRF to promote mutual cooperation among ocean policy research institutes in East Asia.

 

Discussions at the meeting centered on future avenues of cooperation, with a lively exchange of opinions regarding OPRF’s proposal that OPINEAR host a symposium and workshop, and implement a training course.

 

The success of the meeting could be seen in the agreement reached to hold a workshop on comprehensive coastal zone management and ocean governance at the East Asian Seas Congress 2012, in Changwon City, Republic of Korea in July 2012, as well as annual joint symposiums on ocean policy thereafter.

 

Dr. Chua Thia-Eng, EAS Partnership Council Chair, participated in the meeting and presented on the PEMSEA transformation and the EAS Congress 2012.

 

Original Article from the OPINEAR Blog.