Maritime and territorial disputes feature prominently in the Asia-Pacific Region (APR). Tensions continue to rise, with an ever-increasing risk of armed confrontations and clashes at sea. Naval forces in the region are routinely involved in a range of maritime operations, including anti-piracy, resource protection, and intercepting illegal migrant vessels. Therefore, it is imperative to continue disseminating knowledge and training in International Humanitarian Law (IHL) or Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) related to naval operations in the APR. Given these circumstances, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Centre for Military and International Humanitarian Law (CoMIHL) seek to provide the countries concerned with its expertise in the matter and help build the capacity of naval forces of selected countries in the region.

The workshop seeks to give a basic introduction to the LOAC at Sea and will be conducted over three days, targeted for middle-level naval operational and legal staff officers (Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander or equivalent) from the countries in the Asia Pacific region. The workshop will cover the strategic and armed conflict perspective while emphasizing the law of naval warfare and related topics to illuminate legal frameworks on different phases of military operations in maritime domain. The aim of the workshop is to disseminate knowledge in LOAC or international humanitarian law related to naval operations in the Asia Pacific region.