Ocean Affairs Council and NSYSU Co-host "International Conference on Sea Lane Security"

Ocean Challenge 2023 distinguished guests group photo.
The International Conference on Sea Lane Security was inaugurated this year.

The Ocean Affairs Council (OAC), in collaboration with Taiwan's National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU), will convene the "International Conference on Sea Lane Security" on June 7th at the Taipei International Convention Center, Room 201 on the 2nd floor. This conference will bring together security experts, government officials, and prominent academics from around the world to discuss strategies for maintaining peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

Bi-Ling Kuan, the Minister of the Ocean Affairs Council, emphasized, "Freedom of navigation and regional security in the Indo-Pacific are of utmost importance. Only through close international cooperation and collective efforts can we effectively safeguard the security and freedom of the Indo-Pacific region."

The conference will focus on three major topics:
1. Establishing National Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) Action Plans: Exploring new methods and technologies to enhance comprehensive understanding and response capabilities in maritime domains.
2. Enhancing Awareness of Taiwan's Maritime Domain - Expanding Maritime and Satellite Linkages: Discussing the use of advanced space technologies and satellite monitoring to improve the surveillance and management of maritime activities.
3. Strengthening Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) through International Exchanges and Cooperation: Promoting international cooperation and exchanges to form robust networks to jointly address various challenges.

Ocean Challenge 2023 distinguished guests group photo.

Several internationally renowned experts and scholars will deliver keynote speeches, including Gregory B. Poling, Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); Rachel Lewis, Commander of the United States Coast Guard (USCG); Azmath Jaleel, Director at IOI Ocean Academy Maldives; Stuart Kaye, Director and Distinguished Professor of the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS); Hidehiro Sakaguchi, Director of the Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI); Former Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Rear Admiral Katsuya Yamamoto; Professor BAN Kil Joo at Korea University; Renato Cruz De Castro, Distinguished Professor at De La Salle University (DLSU); Lan-Anh T. Nguyen, Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, Foundation for East Sea Studies; Vu Quy Son, Researcher at the Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences; and Captain (Retd.) Kamlesh Kumar Agnihotri, Senior Fellow at the National Maritime Foundation (NMF).

The thematic sessions will feature moderators and discussants such as Yu-Jen Kuo, Director of the Institute of China and Asia-Pacific Studies, NSYSU; Chung-Chin Wu, Director of the National Space Organization; Cheng-Yi Lin, Research Fellow at the Institute of European and American Studies, Academia Sinica; Tzu-Yun Su, Director of the Institute for National Defense and Security Research; Chi-Ting Tsai, Associate Professor at National Taiwan University; Mu-Min Chen, Professor at National Chung Hsing University and former ROC Deputy Representative to India; and Yun-Hu Yeh, Associate Professor at the Central Police University.

Additionally, embassy personnel from 14 countries will participate in the conference, including Canada, New Zealand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Palau, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, and Saint Vincent.

Ocean Challenge 2023 distinguished guests group photo.