On November 24, 2008 in Kuala Lumpur, The Nippon Foundation took part in a round table discussion held in conjunction with ICS, BIMCO, INTERCARGO and INTERTANKO. With the cooperation of the three littoral countries bordering on the Malacca and Singapore Straits (Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore) and the International Maritime Organization, fully 175 people from maritime companies, governments maritime research institutions and the press took part.

The symposium was held primarily to create support and understanding within the international shipping industry—those who benefit most directly from the Straits—that the protection of safety of navigation there is vital. Further, the most recent developments in shipping safety and marine environment protection in the straits, resulting from the April 2008 establishment of the Aids to Navigation Fund and a recent survey were explained to the international maritime industry

These points were:
- That the straits are vital to world trade and thus international society. The issue of how to sustain both safety and freedom of navigation in the straits was touched upon.
- A progress report on the enforcement of policy on the basis of the cooperative mechanism set up by the three littoral countries and a new project proposal for securing the safety of the straits.
- The corporate social responsibility (CSR) of all stakeholders, such as the shipping industry—the users and user-countries of the straits).

At the opening session of the symposium, Chairman Sasakawa of The Nippon Foundation emphasized thatfor the safety of navigation and protection of the marine environment in the Malacca Straits, it is important and effective for the shipping industry itself to provide for the prevention of maritime accidents, and announced that The Nippon Foundation would provide one third of the funds required by the Fund in 2009, a total of 2.5 million US dollars. This was based on the 2007 announcement at the IMO Singapore meeting that the foundation would provide a third of required costs for the first five years. The purpose of this funding is to stimulate the voluntary cooperation of concerned parties such as the shipping industry.

Further, the Japan Association of Ship Owners announced a contribution of 700,000 US dollars. This was the first such donation by a stakeholder in the interests of the straits. The Nippon Foundation, building on this changing state of international shipping, appealed for the creation of a new, internationally balanced support scheme by straits users and user countries—a different scheme than has existed in the past.

The symposium was the first time that stakeholders, such as members of the international shipping industry, had participated voluntarily in such a meeting, showing impressive progress. However, the path to the place where not only this association, but also individual shipping companies and other stakeholders participate voluntarily will be strongly affected by economics and is thus a difficult one. Continuing into the future, The Nippon Foundation will continue to be a pioneer in this field.