Vice Admiral Dr. Irvansyah, S.H., M.Tr.(Opsla), born on May 10, 1968 in Bengkulu, Indonesia, is the current Chief of the Indonesian Coast Guard (Bakamla RI), appointed on September 13, 2023. A graduate of the Indonesian Naval Academy (AAL) class of 1990, he has built an extensive career in the Indonesian Navy, holding various strategic positions including Commander of KRI Oswald Siahaan, Commander of the Sorong Naval Base, and Commander of the Joint Regional Defense Command I (Pangkogabwilhan I). As Head of Bakamla, Vice Admiral Irvansyah focuses on strengthening Indonesia’s maritime security through institutional reform, international cooperation, and the development of Bakamla into a fully empowered national coast guard with law enforcement authority at sea.

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Education Japan Coast Guard Academy, 1989 Assignments April 2011: Deputy Director, Personnel Div., JCG HQs. April 2014: Yokohama Coast Guard Office April 2015: Chief, Nemuro Coast Guard Office April 2017: Director, Administration Dept., 11th Regional Coast Guard HQs. April 2018: Director, Education and Training Div., JCG HQs. March 2020: Director, Administration Div., Guard and Rescue Dept., JCG HQs. October 2021: Deputy Commander, 3th Regional Coast Guard HQs. April 2022: Superintendent, Coast Guard School July 2023: Director General, Guard and Rescue Department, JCG HQs. July 2024: Vice Commandant for Operations

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Atty. Fretti Ganchoon is a Senior State Counsel at the Philippines’ Department of Justice and the head of its Legal Staff – Maritime Group. She is also the Department’s alternate permanent representative to the National Maritime Council and the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea. A recognized maritime and international law expert, Atty. Ganchoon serves as a resource person in various maritime forums, technical meetings and government hearings. She holds a Master of Laws degree in International Maritime Law with Distinction (IMO IMLI) and teaches admiralty (FEU) and international law (UA&P) to Philippine law students, including law practitioners (MCLE).

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Ambassador Dr. Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke is Ambassador of Germany to the Philippines

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Dr. Van T. Pham initiated the founding and manages the South China Sea Chronicle Initiative (SCSCI), the first non-profit, non-governmental research initiative in Vietnam that is dedicated to promoting a fact-based and multidimensional understanding of the South China Sea disputes. The SCSCI has been striving for innovation in Vietnam, including the first Vietnam-based study led by Pham since 2019 to utilise technology for systematically tracking and promoting transparency of activities at sea. Their efforts have been featured on various expert platforms, research publications and media worldwide. The SCSCI continues to advocate for maritime transparency, fact-based understanding and rules-based collaborative solutions.

Dr. Pham holds a Ph.D in natural science from Technische Universität Braunschweig in Germany. She is the author or co-author of several book chapters and articles in major newspapers and professional forums, focusing on legal aspects and developments of the South China Sea disputes. Her interdisciplinary approach combines scientific thinking with legal analysis to contribute to understanding of important regional maritime issues.

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Georgi Engelbrecht joined International Crisis Group (crisisgroup.org for more information on our work) early 2020 and has since worked on a variety of issues related to the Mindanao peace process and conflict prevention in the South China Sea. Before that he was assigned with the International Monitoring Team (IMT) in Mindanao as European Union representative and Head of the Southcentral Mindanao office of Nonviolent Peaceforce in Maguindanao and Sarangani. He served as focal point for International Humanitarian Law in the IMT under five Heads of Mission with Major General rank. He is a German national and studied international relations/international law with a Master’s degree in International Law from the University of Turin, Italy and Diplomatic Studies from the University of Malta, and Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the School of International Studies, University of Dresden.

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Laura Del Rosario is Former Under-Secretary or Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, served as Ambassador to India, then Vietnam, Formerly President of Miriam College, currently Senior Foreign Affairs Adviser

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Jerome Jogno is a program manager at Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Philippines. He manages the foundation’s youth empowerment portfolio, social media accounts, and website. He has ten years of experience building partnerships and orchestrating impactful conferences and events. He holds a master’s degree in Philippine Studies, specializing in Philippine Development Studies from the University of the Philippines Diliman and a bachelor’s degree in Consular and Diplomatic Affairs from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, where he excelled as a scholar, graduating with honors.

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GENERAL EMMANUEL T BAUTISTA (Ret.) was the 44th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from January 2013 to July 2014. Shortly after retirement from the military service, he was appointed Undersecretary at the Office of the President, Malacañang from 01 September 2014 to 22 June 2020. As Undersecretary, he served as Executive Director of the Cabinet Cluster for Security, Justice, and Peace and was concurrently the Executive Director of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea and Head of the National Task Force on the Whole of Nation Initiative. He was also part of the team that represented the Philippines in the South China Sea arbitration case filed before the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague.

Currently, he is a Managing Director at the Ayala Corporation, President of the Hero Foundation, member of the WPS (We Protect Our Seas) Philippine Advisory Board, and member of the board of trustees of the Foundation for National Interest. He is also a lecturer at the Development Academy of the Philippines, the National Defense College of the Philippines and the Ateneo School of Government.

General Bautista is a graduate of Philippine Military Academy, Class of 1981, and is one of its outstanding alumni awardees; and of the University of the Philippines (U.P.), Diliman where he earned a Masters in Business Administration degree and was a recipient of the U.P. Alumni Association distinguished alumni award for peace and social cohesion.

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