Within the program of the twelfth edition of the Diplomacy Festival, which took place in Rome from 13 to 22 October, there were numerous meetings concerning the BLU Economy and the sea. Two, in particular, concerned the IORA. In the first appointment on 14 October, promoted with the collaboration of Federpesca, member of Italy-IORA Committee, and AICS, there was talk of “Fisheries and aquaculture”. The sustainability of fisheries in its natural and environmental resource dimensions is recognized as a sine qua non for long-term sustainable food security and nutrition. The EU supports the sustainable development of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in developing countries, to improve food security, improve nutrition and alleviate poverty. This meeting was also an opportunity to present AGAPE: the first European collaborative platform for transition to a regenerative and circular economy in the field of aquaculture. It focuses on the importance of job creation, redevelopment paths, and the importance of the aquaculture workforce, intended as a place of a technological renaissance centered on the person, respecting the planet. (To learn more about the platform click here)
On Monday 18 October a webinar entitled: Italy-IORA Dialogue Partnership went on the air “ The challenge of climate change: from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean”. The debate focused on sharing best practices on similar challenges in Water, Environment, and Blue Economy, in terms of sustainable access, supply, and use of water. The event was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The meeting was opened by Gianpaolo Neri, Director General for Global Issues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Also participated: Mario Mattioli, President of the Confitarma-Italian Shipowners’ Confederation, and Mr. Gatot Gunawan, Secretary-General of IORA. The Union of the Mediterranean also took part, represented by the Deputy Secretary-General, Grammenos Mastrojeni.
The webinar also saw the participation of numerous diplomats including the ambassador of Slovenia (a member state of the Union for the Mediterranean) Thomaz Kunstelj, Md Shameem Ahsan, Bangladesh Ambassador to Italy, and Carmel Vassallo, Malta Ambassador to Italy.