Pictured above: Prof. Alan Deidun moderating an online panel discussion as part of a high-profile webinar organised by the AIS Forum within the UNDP as part of World Maritime Day commemorations
In commemoration of the World Maritime Day held annually on 30 September 2021, Prof. Alan Deidun, Malta’s Ocean Governance Ambassador and resident academic within the Department of Geosciences at the Faculty of Science, was invited to moderate a high-profile online webinar organised by the AIS Forum within the UNDP.
The same webinar discussed how good maritime governance practices can help island states work towards the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals; particularly SDG 14: Life Below Water and SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
The webinar featured H.E. Mr. Arief Havas Oegroseno, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Federal Republic of Germany, Julia Kercher, Senior Expert, Oslo Governance Centre, UNDP as well as Prof. Ronan Long, Professor of Maritime Law, Policy and Governance, World Maritime University as the main panellists, and was attended by ocean governance and island studies practitioners from different regions of the globe.
The Archipelagic and Island States Forum (AIS Forum) was initiated in 2017 as a platform to bring together 47 archipelagic and island states to collaborate on the following four thematic areas of cooperation: i) climate change mitigation and adaptation; ii) the blue economy; iii) marine plastic debris; and iv) good maritime governance. The AIS Forum was established as an open-ended, contemporary, and inclusive developmental forum that would coordinate regularly with other development initiatives. The AIS Forum serves as a platform for meaningful collaboration and the sharing of expertise to generate inclusive, smart, and innovative solutions among archipelagic and island states and their partners.
In terms of thematics linked with Small Islands and with Small Islands Developing States (SIDS), the University of Malta is well placed as a reputable international institution through the Islands and Small States Institute (currently directed by Dr Stefano Moncada) and extensively-published academics, including Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino, current President of the International Small Island Studies Association (ISISA).
Good ocean and maritime governance refer to the integrated conduct of the policy, actions, and affairs regarding archipelagic and island states’ oceans to protect the marine environment and encourage sustainable use of coastal and marine resources as well as conserving the ocean’s biodiversity. Good maritime governance is a key pillar of the Archipelagic and Island State Forum’s work and is essential for the development of sustainable ocean activities. Exploitative human activities and the effects of climate change are having an enormous impact on our marine environment. In order to pass legislation that provides for the protection of our oceans and their resources, government bodies must recognise and understand the importance of good maritime governance and the dangers of not legislating against activities that are destructive to our oceans.
Prof. Deidun directs the Malta Training Centre of the IOI (International Ocean Institute), which regular and accredited training courses on ocean governance to international students (GSC 5101, GSC 5102 and GSC 5103).
This year, the UN has dedicated World Maritime Day (30 September, 2021) to honour seafarers around the world under the theme ‘Seafarers at the core of shipping’s future’. The day aims to bring visibility to the vital role and contribution of seafarers to ensuring the functioning of global supply chains, as demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Archipelagic and Island States rely heavily on the reliability of these global supply chains for the delivery of vital goods and to support the livelihoods of their populations. For these systems to prosper and for communities reliant upon them in archipelagic and island states to thrive, good maritime governance policies must be developed and implemented.
Further information about the webinar in question can be gleaned through and a recording of the same event can be accessed below:
