On December 9, 2023, China-Barbados International Symposium on Maritime Law was held at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. The symposium was jointly organized by the School of International Law, China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) and The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, Barbados (UWI Cave Hill). Hu Ming, Council Chair of CUPL, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. Over 30 experts and scholars from domestic and international universities, including UWI Cave Hill, Cave Hill, University of Brawijaya, Korea Maritime & Ocean University, Xiamen University, Dalian Maritime University, Nanjing University, Jilin University, Fudan University, Ningbo University, and CUPL, and more than 20 students from the School of International Law participated in the symposium. The opening ceremony of the symposium was chaired by Prof. Zhu Lijiang, Deputy Dean of the School of International Law, CUPL.
(Hu Ming delivering a speech, photo credit: Yin Jianfeng)
Hu Ming warmly welcomed all the experts and scholars attending the symposium. He highlighted the new expectations expressed by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley during her visit to CUPL in June regarding deepening cooperation and research in maritime law between China and Barbados. He emphasized that the symposium was an important measure to implement the initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping of building a maritime community of a shared future. expressed hope for accelerating academic exchanges and theoretical innovation in international maritime law to further enhance international maritime legal governance and promote the development of human maritime civilization, contributing more intellectual achievements and talent support to the construction of a maritime community with a shared future.
(Berry David delivering a speech, photo credit: Yin Jianfeng)
Professor Berry David from UWI Cave Hill delivered a speech addressing two issues: how international law can strengthen the connection between UWI Cave Hill and CUPL, and how China and the Caribbean region harmoniously co-solve problems in certain areas. He mentioned that the Faculty of Law at UWI Cave Hill focuses on academic seminars and cooperation in international moot court training, activities that deepen students' understanding of international law and bridge the gap with other institutions. Additionally, he emphasized that despite significant differences in legal systems between the Caribbean region and China, there are still many commonalities and agreements in the field of international law.
(China-Barbados International Symposium on Maritime Law in Beijing, photo credit: Yin Jianfeng)
During the symposium, experts and scholars engaged in discussions on various topics, including "International Legal Issues Related to the BBNJ Agreement" (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction), "Protection of the Marine Ecological Environment”, "Human Rights in the Maritime, Fisheries, and Ocean Pipeline”, "Maritime Delimitation”, and "Dispute Resolution." Li Juqian, Director of Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, CUPL, participated in the symposium and delivered a concluding speech summarizing the key points discussed in this event.
