BIOCEANIC FORUM 2022, WALKING TOWARDS THE BLUE ECONOMY

The Bioceanic Forum 2022 was held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, bringing together representatives from various countries, experts and academics, who presented their local experiences in sustainable ocean management and discussed future challenges related to the blue economy.

The welcoming remarks were delivered by the Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Marta Lucía Ramírez, who urged those present to unite in their commitment to the protection of maritime resources. She also emphasized that her country "...is seeking a balance between economic growth, social development and environmental conservation of the oceans". Afterwards, the President of Colombia, Iván Duque Márquez, addressed the audience and officially opened the Forum.

The First Panel "Sustainable Economic Use and Development of Coastal Populations" featured the participation of IMO Secretary General Kitack Lim, who began his message by pointing out the importance of working towards the sustainable use of the sea: "...we live in an interconnected world that depends on the oceans for trade, food and economic development. Marine ecosystems are essential for life and maritime transport is the most economical and environmentally sustainable mode of major transportation that is essential to the global supply chain". He then closed his message, thanking the willingness of maritime countries to join efforts in pursuit of sustainability in the use of maritime resources, emphasizing that "...working together is the key to achieving a brighter, cleaner and greener future".

Following this, the segment of exchange with countries began, where representatives from Norway, the United States, Chile, Costa Rica, Egypt and France presented their experiences and challenges related to maritime issues, where all agreed that the conservation of the marine environment and the impact of human activities must be a priority in order to achieve sustainable development of the oceans.

This segment also included the intervention of Panama, represented by the Secretary General of the Maritime Authority and President of Red MAMLa, Elvia Bustavino, who referred to the policies implemented in her country on the road to the blue economy. She emphasized the importance of Panama as the First Registry of Ships in the World and the policies implemented in favor of a Green Industry. He also pointed out the great relevance of Panama's bioceanic location and how its maritime, port and logistics hub has been at the service of the world, also praising the participation of women in various issues and activities of the industry. In this way she emphasized that "...in Panama we promote the presence of women in leadership positions, making very important decisions in the maritime and oceanic field, not only because of their gender but also because of their capacity and professionalism".

The Second Panel: "Economic Sustainability" featured a video presentation by Donna Bertarelli, official supervisor of the Blue Economy at the United Nations, who urged the search for a sustainable balance between the protection of marine resources and their extraction as an economic means.

In the last panel of the event, "Challenges and Opportunities for the Fishing Industry", Santiago Wills, Ambassador of Colombia to the WTO, briefed the attendees on the progress made in the dialogue on the negotiations on fishing subsidies, emphasizing the urgency of reaching an agreement as soon as possible.

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