On 25-26 March 2025, Department of European Affairs and the National Security Council (NSC) of Thailand, together with the Delegation of the European Union to Thailand and the Embassy of Japan in Thailand co-organised the “EU-Thailand-Japan Seminar on the Law of the Sea” under the ESIWA+ project. The Seminar was presided over and addressed by Mr. Chatchai Bangchaud, Secretary-General of the NSC, H.E. Mr. David Daly, Ambassador of the European Union to Thailand and H.E. Mr. Otaka Masato, Ambassador of Japan to Thailand. The two-day event was aimed to facilitate the discussion on various aspects on law enforcement at sea and emerging issues on maritime security across Indo-Pacific region as well as strengthening the network of security practitioners, legal advisors, academia and security experts across Indo-Pacific region and the European Union.

On this occasion, Dr. Kriangsak Kittichaisaree (a former Thai Ambassador), Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), gave a keynote address via recorded video on “Legality of Law Enforcement Activities at Sea” via recorded video. Judge Kittichaisaree discussed (1) the functionality of ITLOS; (2) various case studies on law enforcement activities at sea such as illegal fishing and oil smuggling/ bunkering in EEZ and (3) gaps and loopholes on the application of international law.

ESIWA+ is the European Union’s security flagship project co-funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Expertise France to strengthen security cooperation with countries in the Indo-Pacific region in 4 areas, namely, maritime security, cyber security, crisis management and counter-terrorism and preventing violent extremism. As a member and host country of ESIWA+ regional office, Thailand is committed to actively promoting even closer security cooperation with the European Union.