Introduction

The 21st century witnesses numerous challenges from serious maritime security threats such as piracy, armed robbery at sea and maritime terrorism. Various transnational organised crimes such as trafficking in persons and drugs trafficking, IUU fishing, damage to the marine environment, and transportation of materials that may develop WMD weapons are also raising.

Southeast Asia is one of the hotspots of maritime security threats due to its unique structure with thousands of islands, the busiest international strait like the Straits of Malacca, and the resource-rich areas like the South China Sea. It is, therefore, high time to address the contemporary maritime security threats that face Southeast Asian nations in a comprehensive manner at a widely represented international conference. Such a conference is also important for the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) as the university is leading towards its 40th Anniversary in 2023.

To achieve this, the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) of Indonesia are collaborating to hold this international conference on maritime security in Southeast Asia with a theme:

“Countering Maritime Security Threats of the 21st Century with a Concerted Action of Southeast Asian Nations.”

The conference is focused, but not limited to, the following sub-themes::

  1. Straits of Malacca
  2. South China Sea dispute
  3. Maritime delimitation in Southeast Asia
  4. Maritime Security from Islamic Law Perspective
  5. UNCLOS 1982 and maritime security
  6. The effectiveness of the SUA Convention and its protocols
  7. Piracy and armed robbery at sea
  8. Maritime terrorism
  9. Trafficking in arms and WMDs
  10. Trafficking in persons and drug trafficking
  11. Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing
  12. Anti-money laundering in the maritime domain
  13. Protection of the marine environment
  14. The issues of jurisdiction and law enforcement
  15. Maritime management
  16. The adequacy of national legislation on maritime security
  17. COVID 19 and maritime security
  18. ASEAN and maritime security in Southeast Asia
  19. Maritime dispute resolution
  20. The blue economy and sustainable maritime domain.
  21. Miscellaneous.

Objectives of the Conference

The objective of the conference is to discuss issues and share perceptions of the academia and all the stakeholders on how to improve maritime security in Southeast Asia and to forward proposals and solutions for countering the maritime security threats of the 21st century. 

Click here for the further information on the conference programme.