Ocean governance is an important issue rising in shipping industry

The Inaugural World Congress on Maritime Heritage, that was conducted on March 13-15, addressed current issues concerning ocean governance mechanisms, both from how the oceans have been used as a pathway to project governance systems on land, and as well as governing the oceans themselves. The Congress discussed the important role of the shipping industry in the world, the oceans and sustainability.

Mainly, for many years now, people have created means to facilitate trade through the ocean, to use its resources and govern the conduct of nations on the vast waters. Therefore, the Governance of these valuable resources has become increasingly important for trade as well as to meet geopolitical interests.

As  Frederick Kenney, Director of Legal Affairs and External Relations at the International Maritime Organization commented

Today, the need for all people to have a greater understanding of the oceans; their impact on the global economy and everyday lives, and how to govern the oceans in a sustainable manner has never been greater.

Therefore, in order to establish Sustainable Development Goal 14 of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda – Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, it is crucial to carefully consider the ocean governance mechanisms in place.

The Congress was attended by IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim, while Former Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu opened the Congress.

In the meantime, additional matters that were discussed during the conference, were how the ocean is a pathway to commerce and the global economy, a sustainable future, and cultural diversity.

Whereas, additional features include ‘Why we must explore the past to navigate the future’, undersea commerce, tourism and maritime heritage in the global context, and regional breakout opportunities.

Concluding, the Congress was organised by the Consortium for International Maritime Heritage and Resorts World Sentosa with support from the IMO, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), International Congress of Maritime Museums (ICMM), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA).

Source:safety4sea.com