The Max Planck Foundation co-hosted the workshop in Kuala Lumpur in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia and ASEAN.
On 25-27 February 2025, the ASEAN-Germany Cooperation Project continued with the second of two workshops on Human Rights at Sea for officials of ASEAN Member States, ASEAN Secretariat & Timor-Leste. This second event focused on the protection of human rights in the context of enforcement measures at sea. The workshop was held within the framework of the current ASEAN-Max Planck Foundation Project with generous support from the German Federal Foreign Office.
The three-day workshop, co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, provided participants of the workshop with insights into how international law balances State enforcement interests and the protection of human rights at sea.
Opening remarks were provided by Mr Azhan Mohamed Yasin (Deputy Director General, ASEAN Economic Community Division, ASEAN-Malaysia National Secretariat) and Ms Ulrike Wolf (Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Kuala Lumpur).
In addition to numerous sessions by the Foundation’s research fellows addressing, for example, the issues of the human element in the flag, coastal and port States’ enforcement jurisdiction, the programme also featured presentations by invited experts. This included Professor Anna Petrig (University of Basel; BlueRights) covering the issues of human rights in counter-piracy operations; Commander Ahmad Kamil (Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency) providing insights into Malaysia’s Coast Guard perspectives on the interdiction of foreign vessels at sea and ensuring respect for human rights; and Captain Nazri bin Abu Hassan (Malaysia Marine Department) delivering a session on Malaysia’s approach to implementing the Maritime Labour Convention.
The workshop included practical exercise sessions as well, providing an opportunity for participants to apply the knowledge gained in the workshop to hypothetical case scenarios and to further discuss and exchange views and experiences in addressing diverse challenges in protecting human rights during law enforcement operations at sea.
The Foundation looks forward to continuing cooperation with the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN Member States, Timor-Leste and the academic community from Southeast Asia and beyond.