Stockton Center Leaders Discuss Emerging Maritime Security Challenges at International Law Conference in Greece

Leaders from the U.S. Naval War College’s (NWC) Stockton Center for International Law (SCIL) joined senior government officials, military leaders, and international legal experts at the 49th annual Conference on Oceans Law & Policy (COLP) to examine emerging challenges in maritime security and international law. The conference brought together participants from more than 20 countries.

Held in Athens, Greece, Sept. 21–22, 2026, under the theme “Maritime Security in the Mediterranean Sea and Beyond,” the event continued SCIL's role in coordinating the international conference series, a responsibility it assumed in 2021. This year's conference was hosted by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Athens Public International Law Center, with support from the Naval War College Foundation and international partner organizations.

Military professor Cmdr. Chris Hutton, U.S. Navy, served as one of SCIL's principal conference planners for COLP.

“The value of this conference is that it brings together government officials, military leaders, and legal experts from around the world to examine emerging legal and policy challenges that directly affect naval operations,” said Hutton. “These discussions help inform how the United States and its allies and partners approach increasingly complex maritime security issues.”

Hutton was part of a six-person Naval War College delegation that included SCIL Chair James Kraska; Raul “Pete” Pedrozo, the Howard S. Levie Professor of the Law of Armed Conflict and a retired U.S. Navy captain; military professor U.S. Navy Capt. Danielle Higson; College of Naval Warfare student U.S. Navy Cmdr. Brian Corcoran; and recent graduate U.S. Navy Cmdr. Sara Neugroschel.

Conference panels addressed the law of naval warfare, robotics and artificial intelligence, the protection of critical maritime infrastructure, maritime chokepoints, and legal challenges posed by shadow fleet operations. These issues have significant implications for naval operations, freedom of navigation, and the security of international maritime commerce.

“One of COLP's greatest strengths is the opportunity to examine difficult legal questions from a range of international perspectives,” said Hutton. “Understanding where interpretations converge and diverge helps inform sound legal analysis and better equips military and government leaders to address real-world operational challenges.”

COLP 49 was organized in partnership with the World Maritime University, the Japan Institute of International Affairs, and the Korea Maritime Institute.

The Stockton Center for International Law is an internationally recognized research institute focused on international law and military operations. The Center publishes International Law Studies, the oldest international law periodical in the United States, and supports major scholarly initiatives, including publication of the Newport Manual on the Law of Naval Warfare, Second Edition, a comprehensive restatement of the international law governing naval warfare. Through its publications, research, and international engagement, SCIL advances legal scholarship and informs military and civilian decision-makers on the application of international law to naval, joint, and combined operations.

Established in 1884, NWC informs today’s decision-makers and educates tomorrow’s leaders by providing educational experiences and learning opportunities that develop their ability to hedge aggressively, innovate continuously, fight distributively, delegate confidently, and command with clarity within complex battlespaces.