Speech by Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How at the 8th International Maritime Security Conference (IMSC) 2023

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Introduction

A very good evening. Welcome to Singapore and to the 8th International Maritime Security Conference (IMSC).

During our last IMSC held in 2021, Singapore, like everywhere else in the worlds was confronting the COVID-19 pandemic and those years were miserable. It is therefore with great pleasure that I welcome everybody here to Singapore this evening, in a much more relaxed set of arrangements as we all, in our respective countries learn to live with this dreadful disease in a pandemic state.

Therefore, we are very happy to hold IMSC again this year. There are more than 400 guests from over 45 countries, across a variety of fields in the maritime community – ranging from navies, coast guards, maritime industries, academia, and think tanks. Your presence here this evening is testament to our collective commitment as one maritime community to ensure safe and secure seas. Yet, we must recognise that maritime security challenges in our region have intensified.

Threats to maritime security could undermine the stability of our vital waterways in the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. Strategic competition between states and maritime contestation are of particular concern. Transnational issues such as terrorism, piracy, drugs, human trafficking and illegal smuggling also continue to pose challenges.

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has been doing its part in building capabilities to contribute to safe and secure seas within our region. Soon, the RSN will have maritime security Unmanned Surface Vessels operating with our manned ships, like the Littoral Mission Vessels, in order to guard our waters.

What the RSN is doing is of course, not alone. Countries in the region have continued to build up their capabilities to protect their interests and also therefore to help ensure maritime security. As regional defence spending increases, navies and coast guards will have vessels that are better equipped and have greater endurance to sail further and longer. This build-up in capabilities can serve to enhance security, and keep our shared Sea Lines of Communication open and stable. However, we need to strengthen the rules-based maritime order to ensure that cooperation instead of contestation prevails, and so that potential flashpoints do not spiral out of control.

UNCLOS and Rules-Based Maritime Order

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), adopted more than four decades ago in 1982, is the most important agreement underpinning the rules-based maritime order. It was a monumental achievement by the entire international community. It established our seas as a global commons, and provided us with a comprehensive and universal legal framework for the governance of our waters.

The context which drove the adoption of UNCLOS highlights its significance. Before the convention, most countries adopted the concept of 'freedom of the seas'. This concept limited territorial rights to three nautical miles, about the distance of a cannon shot from a state's coastlines. Beyond that, areas were considered international waters.

However, over time, nations became more aware of the resources that the seas could provide. The old law of the sea began to break down due to conflicting claims by coastal states over the extent of their territorial waters, over fishing rights and continental shelves. The road to adopting UNCLOS in 1982 was not easy, as there were numerous competing interests. UNCLOS eventually struck a balance between the interests of sovereignty and rights to resources, with the equally important principle of the freedom of navigation. Four decades on, the convention continues to serve us well. It forms the foundation for our rules-based maritime order.

We should not treat the hard-won consensus of UNCLOS lightly. It would be worrisome if states begin to cherry-pick the terms of UNCLOS and restrict freedoms based on their national interests. We do not want to find ourselves in a similar situation to when the old law of the sea began to break down. Therefore, we should collectively present a united front against acts that violate the spirit of UNCLOS.

Ultimately, we need to work together to address common maritime security challenges in the region. For this, I offer two ways, with considerations – first by enhancing practical cooperation at sea, and second by encouraging dialogue.

Building Trust through Practical Cooperation

irst, we must continue to create opportunities for practical cooperation at sea. These efforts help to enhance interoperability and deepen the trust and mutual understanding between our navies.

Central to these efforts are the interactions between our militaries through maritime exercises and measures to enhance maritime security. The pandemic made such interactions difficult, but we persevered where possible. With the return to normalcy, I am very happy that exchanges have picked up.

Last year alone, the RSN participated in many multilateral exercises hosted by our partners. These include Exercise MILAN, RIMPAC, SEACAT and the inaugural Super Garuda Shield. In fact, the RSN had the privilege of taking on the role of Sea Combat Commander in RIMPAC for the first time since it resumed its full scale after the pandemic.

Our coast guards in the region similarly play an important role in maritime security. Interactions between regional maritime law enforcement agencies have increased. For example, there is the Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting. There was also the ASEAN Coast Guard Commanders Meeting which was held in Indonesia last year. These exchanges provide important networking and information-sharing opportunities.

Beyond maritime exercises and interactions, practical cooperative measures play a role also. Through the Malacca Straits Patrol, states in the region – namely, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand – cooperate to ensure the security of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. Singapore has also recently strengthened cooperation on maritime security with Indonesia through CORPAT INDOSIN – the conduct of coordinated patrols between Indonesia and Singapore. Our two sides will share information, hold meetings between senior commanders, and create increased opportunities for interactions and cooperation.

Information-sharing platforms can also build trust and interoperability between our militaries and coastguards. Such platforms, like the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), are well-established in our region. The RSN also hosts its own information-sharing platform – the Information Fusion Centre (IFC).

The IFC enables multinational and inter-agency collaboration that can provide actionable information to cue responses by navies, coast guards and other maritime agencies. This helps to resolve a wide spectrum of maritime security concerns and incidents. In the past few months, the IFC has facilitated successful responses to sea robbery attempts, and rendered assistance to vessels in need. For example, in November last year, the IFC was alerted of a sea robbery attempt on a tug and barge. Information was immediately relayed to the Indonesian authorities through the International Liaison Officer (ILO) at the IFC, which led them to the arrest of seven perpetrators. Since the establishment of the IFC, we are fortunate to have over 200 ILOs join us from 26 countries and we welcome more countries to send Liaison Officers. As we come together and cooperate and we share and we act in concert, then obviously better results will ensue.

Building Trust through Dialogue – IMSC as a Valued Platform

Apart from practical cooperation, open and inclusive dialogue is crucial to building trust and confidence amongst policymakers. The IMSC is a valuable opportunity to strengthen our cooperation and collective commitment to regional maritime peace and security.

We have lined up discussion panels covering issues such as the impacts of geopolitical developments, enhancing peace and stability from uncertainty, and how to cooperate and collaborate better in the maritime environment. Given the increased prominence of coast guards in ensuring maritime peace and security, this year's IMSC is also the first to feature a coast guard panel and the discussion will focus on adapting the roles of maritime agencies to deal with these evolving threats.

Beyond sharing ideas, we hope this week's conference will also provide an open platform for discussions. We are fortunate to have with us a diverse range of stakeholders and prominent members of the international maritime community. With this diverse group comes different perspectives. Indeed, we welcome these varying and competing viewpoints sometimes because it is through such discussions that we may gain greater clarity on complex issues. We have a rare opportunity to tap into our collective expertise to tackle the maritime challenges of today and in the future. I therefore urge everyone to keep an open mind and commit to dialogue.

Finally, I hope that all of those who are here today can use this opportunity to strengthen both professional and personal friendships. Confidence building is only possible through mutual understanding between stakeholders. While we each represent our own institutions and organisations, we should nonetheless strive to find ways to build that friendship and deepen the trust with one another. The personal relationships and camaraderie we build will ultimately be of the greatest value out of this week's conference.

Conclusion

On this note, I thank everyone again for joining us here in Singapore. I wish all participants a fruitful discussion this week. Thank you.

More Resources

Confidence Building Through Dialogue and Practical Cooperation Essential for Maritime Security: Mr Heng Chee How