Enhancing Safety, Security, and Environmental Protection of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore: The Cooperative Mechanism

In November 2004, the International Maritime Organization, as part of its Protection of Vital Shipping Lanes Initiative, decided to convene a high-level conference to address the security of ships plying the Straits of Malacca and Singapore in collaboration with the three littoral states of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Three meetings were held over the period 2005 to 2007. The outcome was the creation of a framework for cooperation between the users of the straits and the littoral states known as the Cooperative Mechanism, a historic breakthrough as Article 43 of the Law of the Sea Convention was implemented for the first time. This article outlines the decisions made at the three meetings, analyzes the responses of the various stakeholders during the meetings, explains the reasons for the success of the Cooperative Mechanism, and concludes by proposing ways in which the momentum of cooperation between the users and the littoral states could be sustained.