International Maritime Organization

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC) establishes a comprehensive international maritime order. Its compulsory dispute settlement system serves as a cornerstone of the LOSC`s architecture. Naturally, compliance with the decisions of the LOSC mechanisms is critical to the functioning of a rules based international legal order. Non-compliance risks undermining the authority of international courts and tribunals and eroding the integrity of the LOSC regime. This article examines the binding force of LOSC dispute settlement decisions, focusing on the implications of the 2016 South China Sea (SCS) arbitration between the Philippines and China. Despite the Tribunal's unanimous award, China has consistently maintained a policy of non-compliance thus far. This defiance, particularly from a great power, causes tensions within the LOSC dispute settlement system. Nonetheless, State Practice shows overwhelming compliance in most cases. This demonstrates that the system remains to be a credible mechanism. The SCS award, while currently resisted by China, provides a strong legal basis that can influence future jurisprudence and state practice. The article notably points out that China's non-compliance may not be permanent.

The water’s edge is a critically important and efficient location to trade with other partners by connecting inland water channels and sea lanes and to obtain food provisions from the biologically diverse and productive sea. Human civilization has built around the ports and harbors by constructing fixed structures to support waterborne transport and enhance or sustain city functions for millennia. These artificially fixed structures are not in natural equilibrium with the environment (water and sediment). Access channels and the sea bottom adjacent to piers are often dredged to accommodate larger ships. Bottom sediment dredging is a part of port management. Where to place the dredged material is of primary concern for port authorities because of its sheer volume and the potential to be chemically contaminated. The London Convention and the London Protocol (LC/LP) are international treaties that provide a process in preventing pollution from dumping of contaminated material at sea, and finding sound alternatives such as confined disposal facilities, and using clean dredged material in wetland creation or beach nourishment, based on the precautionary approach. The Anthropocene (Anthropocene refers to the most recent period in Earth’s history when human activity started to impact significantly on the climate and ecosystems.) coast of ports, harbors, wetlands, shorelines, and beaches of the coastal megacities faces tremendous challenges in managing navigational and shoreline infrastructure in view of sea level rise and climate change. Dredged sediments are a resource and are a key to protection of shorelines. The benefits of being members of the LC/LP treaties are that there is a wealth of various national experiences on sediment management available via the network of LC/LP national experts and in the records of the LC/LP’s Meetings of Contracting Parties.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have undergone significant evolution over the years, transforming the education landscape and opening up new avenues for learning. One pioneering organisation that played a crucial role in this evolution was Hello China. Hello China introduced a ground-breaking approach to education, setting itself apart from traditional university teaching methods. This paper explores the evolution of MOOCs and examines how Hello China contributed to this process. Through its programmes - Hello English, tailor-made for Chinese youth and university graduates - the company aimed to enhance English language proficiency in China, thereby expanding access to business and employment opportunities. The innovative initiatives by Hello China and the Hello English project paved the way for the evolution of MOOCs. They showcased the potential of technology in education, demonstrating how mobile learning could enhance access to educational resources and bridge language barriers. Hello China's approach not only enabled learners to improve their English language skills but also connected them with employment opportunities, underscoring the practical applications of MOOCs. As the educational landscape continues to evolve, it is crucial to continue exploring innovative approaches and strategies to maximise the potential of MOOCs and provide accessible, high-quality education to learners worldwide. By implementing effective strategies encompassing clear learning objectives, engaging content, social learning opportunities, personalised support, flexible scheduling, and accessible platforms, we can enhance the appeal of MOOCs, empowering learners with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in the rapidly evolving educational landscape. Through an in-depth analysis of Hello China's impact and success in integrating mobile learning into MOOCs, this paper aims to provide valuable insights into the ongoing advancement of global online education.

In 2019, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) made it mandatory to support the electronic clearance of ships entering foreign ports. In preparation, the IMO Facilitation Committee started to develop a reference data model to harmonise the most important standards for ship clearance. The first version was published in 2020. The model is already extending into other areas of ship-port data exchanges and it is now increasingly seen as a tool to coordinate development of new electronic data exchange standards for ship operations. The lack of such coordination has, up until now, been a significant problem—much better coordination is essential in the relatively small and highly international market that shipping represents.