Focusing on ocean governance, the webinar was held for nominated Southeast Asian officials.
Between 11-12 June 2025, the ASEAN-Germany Cooperation Project continued with an online workshop for officials from ASEAN Member States and Timor-Leste. This online event focused on multilateral reporting mechanisms which provide all Member States with opportunities to continually assess their and others’ successes and gaps in effectively fulfilling their commitments under international instruments, including in an ocean governance context.
The two-day webinar provided participants with the opportunity to not only learn more about the relevant multilateral reporting mechanisms but also share their own experiences and reflect upon best practices or areas for further development.
Most Southeast Asian States have experience in the IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS) mechanism or an audit shortly forthcoming. Day 1, therefore, focused on this particular mechanism, which evolved from a voluntary scheme in 2006 to a mandatory audit scheme by 2016. Participants of the workshop were introduced to IMSAS in general, followed by the practices of States in peer reviewing their roles as flag, coastal and port States in core IMO instruments. Roundtables provided space for participants to take the floor and share respective practices and experiences in IMSAS.
Day 2 of the webinar provided participants with an introduction to other reporting mechanisms in the law of the sea, including the reporting mechanisms within the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) framework, and the compliance monitoring processes of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs). The final session focused on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process and practice, in so far as ocean governance and human rights at sea have arisen. Space was provided for discussing comparative lessons, best practices, and the experiences of the ASEAN Region.
Dialogues on reporting mechanisms within the webinar aimed to foster targeted capacity development, to further reflect on the effectiveness and appropriateness of international reporting mechanisms, and to eventually ensure a continual improvement of the implementation and enforcement of applicable instruments by all reporting States, including those within the Southeast Asian region.
The Foundation looks forward to continuing cooperation with ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN Member States, Timor-Leste and the academic community from the Southeast Asian region and beyond. The workshop was held with the generous support of the German Federal Foreign Office.