The Max Planck Foundation co-hosted the hybrid workshop in Phnom Penh in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport of Cambodia and ASEAN.
Between 5 – 7 August 2025, the ASEAN-Germany Cooperation Project continued with a workshop on ‘Port State Jurisdiction: Best Practices and Potential’ for officials of ASEAN Member States, ASEAN Secretariat & Timor-Leste. This event focused on the ever-expanding array of issues addressed by port States in international and regional instruments. The workshop was held with the generous support of the German Federal Foreign Office.
The three-day workshop, co-hosted by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport of Cambodia, provided participants of the workshop with insights into the rights and responsibilities of port States in ocean governance, including best practices and challenges in Southeast Asia.
Opening remarks were provided by H.E. Eang Vengsun (Secretary of State, Ministry of Public Works and Transport of Cambodia) and H.E. Stefan Messerer (Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Cambodia). H.E Eang Vengsun was accompanied by H.E MAK Sideth (under Secretary of State from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport of Cambodia) and SUON Vansar (Director of Merchant Marine Department, Ministry of Public Works and Transport of Cambodia).
In addition to numerous sessions by the Foundation’s research fellows addressing the role of port States in maritime safety, labour standards, environmental protection, fisheries conservation and management and concerns beyond ocean governance, the programme featured presentations by invited experts. First, HENG Dararith (Deputy Director of the Merchant Marine Department, Ministry of Public Works and Transport of Cambodia) detailed the laws and practices of Cambodia in utilising port State jurisdiction across different fields of law, including maritime security. Second, Phnom Penh Autonomous Port provided a presentation on their operations followed by a tour of ‘Container Terminal LM17’.
The workshop also included practical exercises and a participants’ roundtable, providing opportunities for participants to apply the knowledge gained in the workshop to hypothetical case scenarios and to further discuss and exchange views and experiences in port State jurisdiction. Such discussions seek to share comparative best practices as well as opportunities for deepening regional cooperation, including the various regional bodies available and current memberships thereof.
The Foundation looks forward to continuing cooperation with ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN Member States, Timor-Leste and the academic community from Southeast Asia and beyond.