News

Dr Robin Warner accepts official invitation to IUCN High Seas Governance for the 21st Century Workshop in New York in October 2007

Dr Robin Warner, Senior Research Fellow at ANCORS has accepted an official invitation to participate in the High Seas Governance for the 21st Century Workshop to be held in New York from 17 to 19 October 2007.  The Workshop is an initiative of the Specialist Group on High Seas Governance of the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law.

The objective of the workshop is to bring together leading experts on high seas governance issues from academia, government and non governmental sources, acting in their personal capacity, to develop a range of policy and regulatory options, recommendations and proposals for the further development of the high seas legal regime under the UN Convention for the Law of the Sea.  The background papers and the workshop report will be submitted to the UN Informal Working Group on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (February 2008) and the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (May 2008).

Australian Naval Institute and ANCORS announce opening of Maritime Advancement Australia Award 2008 -2009

The Australian Naval Institute, in conjunction with The Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security at the University of Wollongong , is proud to announce the opening of the selection process for the second ‘Maritime Advancement Australia Award', sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton Australia with the support of Saab Systems and EDS.

The Award is in the form of a two year grant for research or development in a maritime activity. $22,000 each year will be made available to the winning project. The grant will be awarded to the most promising research or development proposal which will be judged by a committee of experts from the various fields of maritime endeavour, including science, maritime law and policy, defence, commerce, shipbuilding and maritime industry. The intent of the award is that it be available to the widest range of potential researchers and innovators, rather than just one sphere of maritime endeavour. Applications open immediately and will close on 31 October this year. The first award will be announced at the Pacific 2008 Maritime Exposition in January 2008.

For full details, please click here.

Associate Professor Lee Cordner accepted invitation to be Conference Chair, Speaker and Panelist at Border Security Asia 2007

Associate Professor Lee Cordner, ANCORS Principal Research Fellow, has accepted an invitation to be Conference Chair, Speaker and Panelist at Border Security Asia 2007, to be held in Singapore 10-11 October 2007.

The conference will cover a broad spectrum of issues and challenges concerning border security, with senior experts and security professionals from around the region among its distinguished speakers. For further details please click here.

ANCORS open invitation to the 2007 RAN SYNNOT LECTURE SERIES

ANCORS invites everyone to the 2007 RAN SYNNOT LECTURE SERIES to be held on 31 July 2007 at Function Centre 3, Unicentre, Bldg 11, University of Wollongong . The program is as follows:

10.30 a.m.-11.25 a.m. "The American Sound Surveillance System: Using the Ocean to Hunt Soviet Submarines, 1950 - 1961" by Dr. Gary Weir, Chief Historian, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency.

11.25 a.m.- 12.20 p.m. “The Future of the Royal Navy” by Dr. Eric Grove, Director of the Centre for International Security and War Studies University of Salford.

14.00 p.m.- 15.00 p.m. “'Jeff McCay was a Rock Star': The Origins of Geospatial Intelligence” by Dr. Gary Weir, Chief Historian, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency.

RSVP: Friday 27 July 2007 by reply email to Dr. Mary Ann Palma or Myree Mitchell or by phone 4221 4883.

For full details please click here.

Dr. Robin Warner to attend ANU meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister of Vietnam

ANCORS Senior Research Fellow Dr. Robin Warner has been asked to attend a meeting hosted by the Asia Pacific College for Diplomacy at the Australian National University for the Deputy Foreign Minister of Vietnam, His Excellency Mr. Vu Dung and his delegation on Friday 13 July 2007.  Mr Dung has expressed a particular interest in discussing Law of the Sea issues.

ANCORS Research Fellows and Masters Students in UOW Plaque Presentation Ceremony to HMAS Wollongong

ANCORS Research Fellow, Dr. Chris Rahman will give a presentation on the "1,000-ship Navy," a new concept for international naval and maritime cooperation introduced by U.S. Navy's Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Mike Mullen in September 2005 to an audience at the U.S. Naval War College. The seminar is on 13 June 2007, from 12:30-13:30 pm and is open to the public.

ANCORS leads Interagency Forum on Australia's Maritime Future

On Tuesday 12 June 2007, the ANCORS Advisory Board Chairman, Vice Admiral David Shackleton and Director, Professor Martin Tsamenyi , along with other members of ANCORS Advisory Board and staff will host a Forum in Canberra to discuss Australia's maritime future. Senior leaders from a broad range of Australian Government departments and agencies with responsibilities for maritime matters have been invited. The Forum theme is:

“Stewardship of Australia 's Ocean Resources and Security: A Model for Maritime Development and Protection”

Australia 's national interests are inexorably linked to how maritime assets and interests are developed, managed, cared for and protected now and in to the future. These interests are shared with many of Australia's regional neighbours who also live in oceanic environments. Issues to be considered include:

• Regional cooperation;
• Marine resource access and use, including in the high seas;
• Environment protection and sustainment;
• National security; and
• Border protection.

ANCORS Associate Professor Greg Rose is a member of the Sydney Panel of Independent International Experts on Japan 's Special Permit ("Scientific") Whaling under International Law commissioned by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).  

The Sydney Panel of Independent International Legal Experts was asked to consider the legality of Japanese whaling in Antarctica and the options available to Australia and New Zealand to pursue international legal action against the Government of Japan in relation to its Antarctic whaling activities. The advice by the Sydney Legal Panel clearly outlines legal channels the Australian Government can take to stop the Government of Japan from whaling in the Southern Ocean. The Panel's full report was delivered to the Australian and New Zealand Governments in January 2007, and remains confidential. See full texy of IFAW media release here.

Lee Cordner, ANCORS Principal Research Fellow, was invited to speak on ABC Radio National program, "Australia Talks" about Australia 's border and maritime security on 3 May 2007.  

Cordner just arrived home from Chairing the Port and Maritime Security and Counter-Terrorism Summit in Melbourne , which has also helped put ANCORS on the map with a broad cross section of maritime industry and government people. In the Summit , Cordner met with Deputy PM Vaile and AG Ruddock, who were both interested in the activities of ANCORS.

ANCORS Direcor Approves New Policy for ANCORS Fellows, Associates and Alumni

ANCORS Director, Professor Martin Tsamenyi today approved a new policy that encourages engagement with ANCORS by creating a broad network of persons who have professional and academic interests in maritime issues.

ANCORS Director receives medal from Indonesian Armed Forces Chief

Professor Martin Tsamenyi, ANCORS Director, was awarded a medal by the Chief of the Armed Forces of Indonesia in a ceremony held in Jakarta on 3 April 2007 for his contribution to the training and education of the Indonesian Staff and Command College (SESKOAL). ANCORS has been involved in the delivery of courses on the Law of the Sea and maritime strategy to the Indonesian Staff and Command College, funded by the Australian Department of Defence, since 2000.

Associate Professor Lee Cordner AM, ANCORS Principal Research Fellow, has been appointed Conference Chair for the 2007 Australian Maritime Security Summit.

The event will be held on 30 April - 1 May 2007 at the Langham Hotel in Melbourne and is sponsored by the Australian Government, Department of Transport and Regional Services and Lloyd's List DCN.

Speakers include: The Honourable Mark Vaile MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services, and The Honourable Philip Ruddock MP, Attorney General, along with prominent Australian and international maritime industry leaders and government officials.

Vice Admiral David Shackleton AO, ANCORS Advisory Board Chair, Professor Martin Tsamenyi , Director ANCORS and Associate Professor Lee Cordner AM will call on the Honourable Dr Brendan Nelson MP, Minister for Defence, at Parliament House Canberra, to brief him about ANCORS on 21 May 2007.

Associate Professor Lee Cordner AM (former Navy Commodore), has accepted an invitation from the US Navy Chief of Naval Operations and the President of the Naval War College to attend the 2007 International Maritime Symposium and Naval Command College 50 th Reunion to be held at Newport from 25 - 27 June 2007.

Dr Warwick Gullett will attend the Third Update and Stakeholder Consultation meeting on IUU (Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated) fishing at Chatham House in London on 8-9 May 2007. He will also present a seminar entitled "Pushing the limits of the Law of the Sea Convention in response to IUU fishing: developments in State practice in the sub-Antarctic". The seminar is based on a recent research paper written with Dr Clive Schofield which examines the bold domestic legal measures Australia has adopted to deter IUU fishing and the 2003 and 2007 Australia-France treaties on cooperative surveillance and enforcement in the Southern Ocean which similarly test current understanding of the manner in which hot pursuits may be undertaken.

AMSA CEO accepts appointment to ANCORS Advisory Board