The two-day 16th International SLOC Group conference, organised by Observer Research Foundation, focused on the need to have a fresh and inclusive look at the international law, including traditional concepts like the Freedom of Seas.

Sea Lines of Communication is a term derived from military use which is basically the route that connects an operating military unit to its supply base. The international SLOC Group is track-II organization of retired or serving government officials, naval officers and academics acting in a personal and private capacity for conducting research, analysis, discussions and for publishing literature on the relevant issues.

The Group was set up in early 1980s with the objective of promoting awareness of the strategic importance of shipping and seaborne trade to economic development and growth. There is a key security interest in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean region. At present the members of this Group are drawn from Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States.

Delivering the keynote address Vice Admiral (Retd) K K Nayyar said collective and cooperative security mechanisms are likely to be the norm rather than exception as the world move forward.

“Time has come for a new UN Law of the Seas Conference,” former Vice Admiral Nayyar said pointing out that “unless and until that is done, a new law is considered with all the regulatory provisions that are essential, we are not going to succeed in safeguarding international trade at affordable costs.”

He cautioned that non-state actors have become active. “The money paid recently to Somali pirates was $250 million,” he said and added “this is not the only cost paid for the hijacked vessel. Trafiic through Suez Canal has depleted by about 20% due to piracy and the cost of rerouting vessels around Africa is considerably higher.”

He said that with the estimated 50% increase in demography in Asia Pacific region, there would be 20% increase in consumption and 50% increase in trade. The piracy was due to bad governance in littoral states, he said.

Calling for concrete and appropriate steps to safeguard sea routes, Vice Admiral Nayyar suggested that experts should consider either rigid or lenient systems of sea traffic control on the lines of the existing air traffic control. “There should be effective control in designated sea lanes if not over the vast ocean area which is difficult. There should be smaller navigation areas and there should be an effective system of reporting for all cargoes to check illegal trafficking. Littoral states should be cooperative.”

“The question is how to counter maritime piracy and terrorism. Sending Task Forces is not the answer. It is an untenable proposition,” former Vice Admiral Nayyar said, stressing that circumstances will force the world to regulate traffic either on the model of air traffic or any other model.

The conference has sessions on ‘global issues and challenges’, ‘regional trends in trade and shipping’, ‘response strategies’ and ‘the way forward’.

The conference is being attended by Judge Jin Hyun Paik of the International Tribunal Law for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg in Germany, Cdr John Bradford of US Navy, Dr Stanley Weeks from US, Andrew Forbes from Australia, Prof Seok Woo Lee and Prof Joon Soo Jon from South Korea, Dr Connie Rahakundini Bakrie from Indonesia, Capt Laurene Lin from Taiwan, Nazery Khalid from Malaysia and RAdm Kawamura from Japan.

From India, Capt PK Ghosh, Ms. Lydia Powel from ORF, Prof. GVC Naidu, Cdr. D. Chakroborty and Amb. Leena Ponnapa presented papers. Security experts, maritime security analysts, academics, officials from the Indian Navy and other institutions took part in the discussions.