In the run-up to the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), being held during in Nice, France, over the 9 June-13 June week, a number of high-profile events have been held locally in order to foster a fruitful dialogue between the spheres of marine environmental research, policy and management.
Two of these events included the Towards the Third UN Ocean Conference MALTA Conference, hosted jointly by the Maltese-French Chamber of Commerce, the French Embassy in Malta and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, as well as the formal launch of the BlueMissionMed Hubs4Innovation support programme.
The former event was opened through keynote speeches by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Dr. Ian Borg, by the French Ambassador to Malta Her Excellency Sandrine Lelong-Motta, as well as by former EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs Karmenu Vella, the French Ocean Ambassador Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, MFT Permanent Secretary Dr. Christopher Cutajar and Mr. Joseph Bugeja,
President of the Maltese-French Chamber of Commerce. During the event, a number of targeted and focused panel discussions were held, including one on marine biodiversity, featuring Malta’s Ocean Ambassador and Malta’s Climate Ambassador , besides representatives from Plan Bleu, the Paul Ricard Oceanographic Institute and the MCAST.
Additional panels included the one on the Blue Economy, which touched upon sectors such as shipping and aquaculture. The event was attended by seminal maritime stakeholders, including representatives from shipping companies, the ERA, the WESTMED project as well as from a number of environmental NGOs.
Further information about the upcoming UNOC 3 conference can be gleaned through .
The BlueMissionMed project is the vehicle through which the Mediterranean lighthouse of the EU Commission’s Restore our Ocean and Waters is implemented, specifically to mitigate marine pollution within the Basin through innovative solutions implemented by a community of committed stakeholders. The event was opened by Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation and by the CEO of Xjenza Malta, Silvio Scerri. The event also featured keynote speeches by William Spiteri Bailey, President of the Malta Chamber of Commerce and by Miraine Rizzo from the ERA, as well as two moderated panels involving the Directors of numerous relevant national entities, including the Water ¸£ÀûÔÚÏßÃâ·Ñ Corporation, Wasteserv, Transport Malta, the National Abattoir and the Chamber of Commerce.
During the event held recently at Xjenza Malta, an innovative water treatment solution (RHE-MEDiation project), revolving around microalgae, developed by the University of Algarve in Portugal (partnering with a private company - BLUEWATER), through which second-class water derived from urban areas, agriculture or sewage collection systems is rehabilitated through the injection of specific microlalgal strains grown in batteries of tailor-made transparent vessels. Prof. Alan Deidun acted as rapporteur during the same event, summarising the salient outcomes of the event at the very end
Further information about the BlueMissionMed project can be gleaned through .
