Christian Bueger

Category Archives: Events and Presentations


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Discussing maritime security in Maldives

Small island states are at the frontier of maritime security and ocean conservation—a reality I experienced firsthand during my recent visit to the Maldives.

Consisting of more than 1,200 tiny islands, the country relies on inland waterways as its main transport routes, while resort tourism drives the economy. Tuna is the staple food and features in almost all local dishes.

In meetings with the Coast Guard and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I learned about the challenges of managing and safeguarding the maritime economy. While the coast guard is capable and well-equipped, the vast threat landscape makes stronger regional cooperation urgent.

The primary purpose of my visit was to participate in the Theveli Conference, the annual flagship event of the The Maldives National University (MNU). This amazing interdisciplinary gathering brings together researchers interested in the nature, society, and politics of the Maldives and other small island states.

In my keynote address, I discussed how academics can contribute to global ocean politics and how we can improve at translating research into policy, drawing on my experience in maritime security and, most recently, in the UN Security Council. Link to video.

I also taught a short course on linking blue economy to maritime security which led to interesting exchanges on what priorities Maldives should aim for.

Moreover, I participated in a roundtable marking the launch of ‘Small States Maritime Security’ by Athaulla (‘Atho’) Rasheed. The book offers an excellent analysis of maritime challenges facing small states—highly recommended reading.

Delighted to learn that the university is launching two degree programmes on ‘ocean governance’ and on ‘small island state security’ which will be unique educational opportunities in the region.

I look forward to returning to explore more of the islands and their remarkable marine life. Unfortunately, my schedule was too busy, and there wasn’t any time for snorkeling.


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Visit to Taipei, talk at Ketagalan Forum

Critical maritime infrastructure protection is a global concern, as nations worldwide face the challenge of ensuring the resilience of subsea cables and offshore infrastructure. This week, I visited Taipei to discuss how subsea data cables and offshore green energy installations can be better protected in the island’s waters. I participated in the Ketagalan Forum and met with local security experts and policy makers.

Over recent years, the island has faced a series of accidents that led to cuts in vital data cables. This has made protection a top policy priority, raising questions about how lessons from the Baltic Sea can be adapted to Taiwan.

Yet, the concern should not be with data cables alone. Like the Baltic Sea region, the waters off Taiwan have enormous wind energy potential that could, in essence, fully decarbonize the industry. However, expanding offshore wind will require attention to security concerns.

To enhance resilience, Taiwan will need to draw on international best practices: improve its connectivity, enhance surveillance of its maritime domain, criminalize tampering with infrastructure, strengthen coordination with industry, strengthen repair capacity, and engage in cable diplomacy by working closely with regional neighbors, including Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and ASEAN members, but also global partners such as the EU. Regional coast guard cooperation and information sharing, as well as joint development of surveillance technology, could be vital components of such partnerships.

While my visit was short, it provided a great opportunity to meet colleagues, make new friends, and gain a first impression of Taipei.


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Training maritime security practitioners in Singapore

This week I have been contributing to the annual Regional Maritime Practitioner Programme (RMPP) for the fourth time. Organized by the Singapore Navy in partnership with the maritime security team at RSIS | S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, RMPP is a major networking and training event for maritime security.

The event reflects that, despite being a small state, Singapore is a major maritime power. The country plays an important role in regional maritime security cooperation. It hosts the most important high-level naval gathering in the region, is known as a pioneer in regional maritime domain awareness through the Information Fusion Center (IFC), and frequently engages in and supports capacity building and training initiatives. The RMPP is one example of this.

At its core, the event is a maritime security community building initiative. It combines educational content with networking and, as the organizers call it, “the Singapore experience” – ample time for the group to explore maritime-related attractions in the garden city.

The event’s stated aim is “to enhance appreciation of the evolving regional maritime security environment and associated security challenges, to build professional knowledge and requisite skills to perform duties as a maritime security practitioner, and to forge friendships and build trust among regional maritime security practitioners.”

About half of the time is spent with lectures and group exercises, while the afternoons are reserved for excursions, including to the splendid Singapore Navy museum (worth a visit!). It also includes attendance at the Shared Awareness Meeting (SAM) through which the IFC keeps the local maritime industry informed about maritime security trends.

About 150 officials from navies, coastguards, and the maritime industry participated this year. Initiatives such as the RMPP are partially a confidence building measure, but also ensure interoperability and the relationships of trust that the IFC’s information sharing network relies on.

The direct impact of events such as RMPP is difficult to measure. Yet, it is part of a global chain of such events, which arguably have had the effect of building a strong maritime security consensus over the last decades.


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Strategic foresight seminar by the Colombian navy

This week, I had the privilege of contributing to Colombia’s Navy Strategic Foresight seminar – a fascinating glimpse into how one of South America’s most capable maritime forces is preparing for 2055.

Colombia’s unique position as a two-ocean country, with coastlines on both the Pacific and Atlantic (through the Caribbean Sea), has shaped its navy into not just South America’s largest, but a recognized regional maritime security leader. From counter-narcotics operations to counter-piracy missions in the Western Indian Ocean, and the countries role as a global partner of NATO, Colombia maintains a impressive global profile.

At the seminar I gave a lecture on the future of maritime security and participated in a round table. I emphasized Colombia’s potential to lead maritime security across Latin America, the Caribbean, and the broader Atlantic region. I also stresses the role of the navy in protecting critical maritime infrastructure – particularly as Colombia pursues its ambitious goals to become both a renewable energy powerhouse and a digital leader.

Keynote speakers and host at seminar in Bogota
Keynote speakers and organizers of the seminar, Bogota, 18.6.2025

The country’s enormous offshore wind potential and its reliance on secure subsea data cables make maritime infrastructure protection a national security imperative. It was eye-opening to see how naval strategy is evolving beyond traditional threats.

Other participants highlighted several important maritime security trends, including automation and AI integration in naval operations, proliferation of disruptive weapons and surveillance technologies, including autonomous systems, escalating cybersecurity challenges, the adaptability of criminal organizations, and the prospective threats of grey zone warfare in the region.

My time in Bogotá also provided valuable insights into Colombia’s comprehensive approach to regional security, including the innovative counter-narcotics naval campaign Orion and the regional analysis center CMCOM.


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Briefing at conference on zones of peace

On the 16th of June I had the pleasure to give a briefing at the Bahamas Conference on Zones of Peace in Global Waters organized by Bahamas and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation at the UN. Here is the write up of my intervention.

Zones of Peace as Regionalist Solutions: Navigating Global Ocean Politics

The oceans have captured significant high-level attention in recent weeks, with the UN Ocean Conference in Nice and the UN Security Council’s maritime security high-level open debate highlighting both consensus and fundamental tensions in global ocean governance. These events underscore a critical debate that has long shaped maritime policy: whether ocean challenges are better addressed through global frameworks at the UN level or through regional arrangements. The concept of zones of peace deserves recognition as a potential distinctly regionalist approach to ocean governance.

Continue reading →


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Briefing the UN Security Council

The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to hold a high-level open debate on maritime security on 20.5. Initiated by the Greek presidency of the Council the event is titled “Strengthening Maritime Security through international cooperation for global stability”.

I’m delighted that the presidency has invited me to brief the Council. My presentation draws in large parts on our 2024 report ‘Securing the Seas. A comprehensive assessment of global maritime security‘ published by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), written with Tim Edmunds and Jan Stockbruegger.


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Legal expert meeting in Brussels

The number of maritime accidents and dangerous situations in European seas continues to rise dramatically. Damage to underwater infrastructure, substandard vessels in distress, and unusual ship accidents indicate growing instability in the European maritime space.

It remains uncertain which of these incidents can be linked to deliberate acts, or whether some are state-sponsored. Regardless of whether regional seas such as the Baltic are now in the ‘grey zone’ between war and peace, Europe needs to better protect its maritime activities, installations, and the environment.

On Friday, 21.3., I had the pleasure to speak at a workshop in Brussels organized by the European External Action Service – the EU’s diplomatic service. The workshop convened Law of the Sea and maritime security experts from member states and the Commission, with the key objective of identifying legal options and new actions to make the EU’s waters safer.

What are the legal foundations to improve law enforcement to prevent accidents, conduct thorough investigations, and prosecute perpetrators? The EU does not have a unified voice when it comes to how the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and other conventions should be interpreted.

For instance, when and where can a ship be stopped and boarded without waiting for flag state permission? What are the limits of ‘innocent passage’ – the key concept to ensure freedom of navigation in the Law of the Sea?

The EU will continue to grapple with these questions, but it is important that an organized discourse is now underway. Having the right laws in place is equally important as developing the right technology or strengthening operational coordination.


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Expert hearing on critical maritime infrastructure protection in the EU

I had the honor to discuss the protection of critical maritime infrastructures in the EU at an expert hearing of the European Parliament’s Security and Defence Committee yesterday.

In my presentation, I highlighted how European seas are experiencing rapid infrastructure expansion driven by the green transition. While this development is crucial for our future, it also creates new vulnerabilities that require our attention.

Key takeaways from the discussion:
🔹 The Baltic Sea incidents should serve as a wake-up call for potential threats to maritime infrastructure across all EU seas
🔹 We’re seeing concerning developments in shadow fleet activities and potential sabotage acts
🔹 While NATO plays a dominant role, the EU needs to strengthen its capabilities
🔹 Current information sharing and surveillance systems are improving, but industry communication and repair capacities need enhancement

I proposed several recommendations for strengthening EU maritime security:
➡️ Mobilizing EMSA and EDA information sharing systems
➡️ Conducting dedicated EU maritime exercises
➡️ Harmonizing interpretations of UNCLOS across EU
➡️ Developing standardized procedures for handling security incidents
➡️ Strengthening EU-level investigation capabilities

The full recording is available here.


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A new site of naval diplomacy: The inaugural Aman Dialogue

Navies from the Indian Ocean region and beyond have a new maritime security forum: the Aman Dialogue. Linked to the bi-annual naval exercise Aman (Peace) by the Pakistani Navy, the new format continues the earlier maritime security conference held in Karachi with an extended scope.

At the 2025 inaugural edition, which I had the pleasure to attend, representatives of 60 states, including many European, African and even South Pacific nations met to discuss the future of maritime security. The Aman dialogue is an important forum for naval diplomacy, and agreeing on common understandings of the challenges at sea and how to respond to them.

What makes this forum truly remarkable is its ability to bring together diverse naval powers – including China, NATO member states, the United States, Iran, and Russia – all under one roof.

I had the pleasure to intervene with two talks at the event. I introduced the key insights of our recent UNIDIR report. Maritime security governance is in need of recalibration and better global strategy is needed. Mega trends, such as automation, digitalization, climate change, and the proliferation of new technologies also lead to new pressing challenges, such as maritime cyber security. In particular, small and developing state need assistance to cope with them.

As part of the closing session I argued for the importance of recognizing that maritime security means that there is a global responsibility to protect the oceans and maritime activities.

It was wonderful to engage with naval professionals from around the world and enjoy the hospitality of the Pakistani navy and its think tank – the National Institute for Maritime Affairs (NIMA).

The proceedings of the event are available on Youtube (day 1; day 2). A summary of my talk was published by Defence Web.


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First events in 2025

A wonderful start into the new year.

Kicking off, I had the pleasure to discuss the state of maritime security in the western Indian Ocean with Brendon J. Cannon, Jhinni Awotar, and Myriam Blin in a panel organized by Charles Telfair Centre – Mauritius’ leading think tank.

I had the pleasure to attend and contribute to a major meeting on the future of Maritime Domain Awareness organized by The Australian National University. Over a week we discussed how MDA can get stronger using new technologies, platforms and sensors. While our understanding of maritime activities and threats is improving, there is also a range of new challenges: threats to critical infrastructure or cyber security incidents need to be integrated into MDA and states in the Indian Ocean region need to pay more attention to them.

My thoughts from the MDA meeting and what it means for Sri Lanka, are covered in an interview that I did with the newspaper The Morning.

It was also fantastic to meet the 2025 class of my maritime security course. This year’s cohort will train maritime security analysis by developing recommendations for regional maritime security architectures.

Finally, ‘Understanding Maritime Security‘ is now available as Asian edition with Oxford University Press India. I hope the new edition (and reduced price) will make it more accessible to readers in India, Sri Lanka and elsewhere.