The 13th Regional Maritime Security (MARSEC) Practitioner Programme (RMPP) took place from 21 to 25 July 2025 at the RSS Singapura – Changi Naval Base. Co-organised by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies with the Republic of Singapore Navy’s Information Fusion Centre (IFC), this year’s programme brought together 152 participants from 25 countries with the objective of enhancing appreciation of the evolving MARSEC environment, and building practical skills in strategic, legal, and operational dimensions. By engaging practitioners from navies, coast guards, enforcement agencies, and the shipping community, the programme aims to facilitate exchanges of perspectives and best practices, and the establishment of networks to enhance cooperation and collaboration between the various agencies and stakeholders.
Participants were inducted into classroom-style lectures and presentations from subject matter experts, and undertook syndicate group discussions on several topics that were presented by the experts. This year’s programme focused on topics such as critical underwater infrastructure protection and the role of technology, and sharing of best practices with valuable inputs from the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
As part of the 13th RMPP, participants also attended the IFC’s 46th Shared Awareness Meeting (SAM), co-organised with the Singapore Shipping Association and the Asian Shipowners’ Association. During the meeting, participants interacted with key shipping stakeholders and gained insights on developing trends and growing concerns of the shipping industry.
Participants also had to opportunity to visit Compagnie Maritime d’Affrètement and Compagnie Générale Maritime (CMA CGM), Singapore Polytechnic (SP), Singapore Navy Museum and the Singapore Maritime Gallery, where they were able to understand the role of different stakeholders within Singapore’s maritime eco-system, and better appreciate Singapore’s Whole-of-Government approach to MARSEC.
In addition, participants participated in the Senior Commanders’ Dialogue, where distinguished panellists from the Maritime Information Cooperation & Awareness (MICA) Centre, Thailand Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Centre (Thai MECC), and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) shared personal reflections on their careers and the experiences that shaped their current roles. They also spoke candidly about the maritime security challenges encountered during their operational deployments and shared suggestions for how such issues could be mitigated.
