International Cable Protection Committee

Each year, the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) sponsors the Rhodes Academy-ICPC Submarine Cables Writing Award for a deserving paper addressing submarine cables and their relationship with the law of the sea. With the award, the ICPC seeks to foster scholarship regarding submarine cables and the law of the sea and promote the rule of law as applied to submarine cables. In 2022, the selection jury chose Ms. Sophie Ryan as the winner for her paper ‘Submarine Cables and Belligerent Rights in Armed Conflict.’

Rhodes Academy. Each year, the Rhodes Academy of Oceans Law and Policy brings together approximately 50 mid-career professionals from around the world to study and learn from leading ocean law and science scholars, judges, and practitioners (including ICPC representatives) about the law of the sea and its key legal instrument, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNLCOS). It is organised by a consortium of research universities and institutes, led by the University of New Hampshire. The Rhodes Academy’s twenty-sixth session will convene in Greece from 2-21 July 2023. Numerous students affiliated with ICPC Members have graduated from the Rhodes Academy. The ICPC is proud to support the Rhodes Academy. For more information about the Rhodes Academy (including application procedures), see https://marine.unh.edu/academics/rhodes-academy.

The Award. The award winner will receive either guaranteed admission and a full scholarship (covering the attendance fee, travel expenses, and shared hotel room) to a future Rhodes Academy of Oceans Law and Policy, or for a graduate of the Rhodes Academy Graduate from a prior year, a cash award of GB £4,500. The winner will also be invited to speak at a future ICPC Plenary meeting.

Eligibility and Process. The Rhodes Academy-ICPC Submarine Cables Writing Award is open to: any person aspiring to attend the Rhodes Academy (the candidate must meet the admissions requirements); a Rhodes Academy Graduate from a prior year. Papers should be suitable for publication in a scholarly international law journal and must consist of 7,500 – 10,000 words (excluding footnotes). To register to compete for the award, interested candidates should send an abstract (no more than 300 words) and a short biography to the Centre for International Law (CIL) at the National University of Singapore, lawtmd@nus.edu.sg, which administers the competition on behalf of ICPC and the Rhodes Academy. Papers must be submitted to CIL, also at lawtmd@nus.edu.sg, no later than 28 April 2023. Papers will be reviewed anonymously by the selection jury, consisting of three members designated by the Rhodes Academy and one by the ICPC.

About the ICPC: The ICPC is the world’s premier submarine cable protection organisation. It was formed in 1958 to promote the protection of international submarine cables—the infrastructure of the Internet—against human made and natural hazards. It provides a forum for the exchange of technical, legal and environmental information about submarine cables and engages with stakeholders and governments globally to promote submarine cable protection. The ICPC has over 190 Members from 69 nations, including cable operators, owners, manufacturers, industry service providers, as well as governments. For further information about the ICPC, see www.iscpc.org and www.linkedin.com/company/icpc-ltd/.

ICPC Contact:
Kent Bressie, International Law Adviser, ICPC
+1 202 730 1337
kbressie@hwglaw.com

Under the theme ‘Submarine Cable Resilience—Back to Basics,’ the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) is delighted to announce the 2023 ICPC ‘Call for Papers’ has been officially issued for the forthcoming Plenary that will take place in-person after three years in a virtual setting. ICPC now seeks presentation abstracts from ICPC Member and non-Member organisations including the cable industry, academics, and the science and legal communities.

This year’s annual Plenary will take place in Madrid, Spain from 18th – 20th April 2023. Current ICPC Members, guest observers, invited speakers, and exhibitors from around the world will gather under one roof for three days to listen, learn, and discuss from a diverse set of topics about the vital importance of submarine power and fibre optic cables and their protection worldwide. If interested in presenting at the event, please submit your abstract by 13th January 2023, Wednesday, 25th January. via the following link where you will also find a detailed ‘Call for Papers’ document which includes suggested presentation topics.

Ahead of the event, ICPC General Manager Mr Ryan Wopschall commented: ‘It has been a long road to get back to this point, but we are doing it—we will be in-person in Madrid in 2023! The Plenary has always been such a valuable venue for discussing the protection of submarine cables. If anything, the pandemic has showed us how vital this infrastructure is, and for that reason we have themed the event around the concept of resilience. As an organisation, we are also resilient, as is the submarine cable industry. Through the pandemic, the ICPC has taken initiatives to sponsor numerous research projects for the benefit of its members, we have maintained our relationships with our affiliate organisations, and our membership has grown to record levels allowing new relationships to be formed. On behalf of the ICPC, we look forward to meeting with new and veteran members, guest and invited speakers, and to rekindle the cornerstone of the ICPC—the annual Plenary.’

About the Plenary. The Plenary will offer participants the opportunities to enhance their industry knowledge by networking with colleagues and customers as well as meeting with exhibitors who will be showcasing their products and services. Delegates will find an agenda full of pertinent presentations, round table debates and interviews.

The ICPC is pleased to announce that after three years, we are returning back to an in-person Plenary for 2023. This much awaited-for-event will be held at the NOVOTEL Madrid Center in Madrid, Spain from 18th - 20th April 2023.

Under the theme, ‘Submarine Cable Resilience—Back to Basics,’ the ICPC now seeks presentation abstracts that address the foundational aspects of cable protection, forming the basis of resilient cable infrastructure. The Abstract deadline date is Friday, 13 January 2023 Wednesday, 25th January and you may submit your abstract here.