In these difficult times, IORA has proved to play a key role in the Indian Ocean region, by promoting many initiatives on crucial issues on responses to Covid-19, human development, women empowerment, sustainable tourism.

Italy participated as a dialogue partner in a number of such initiatives, and also hosted various Italy-IORA events to address priority issues related to blue economy, such as fisheries, aquaculture, clean energy and sustainable shipping. We also co-organized - last October - a specific IORA virtual Meeting on Developing Sustainable Cruise Tourism: Italy-IORA webinar on Developing Sustainable Cruise Tourism (21 October 2020).

Many Italian stakeholders are supporting our engagement with IORA. We have grouped them together in an Italy-IORA Committee now joined by Italy’s major players in blue economy: shipping, energy and the environment, research, training and education.

We recently established an Italy-IORA Platform, an online instrument to create awareness about IORA in both the public sector and the business community. We encourage IORA member States, especially through their Embassies in Rome, to use our platform to share business relevant news and information from their Country concerning initiatives and projects tied to blue economy, environment, tourism, women empowerment, sustainable development of coastal communities, disaster management and prevention, and generally on all other priority issues covered by IORA.

In 2021, Italy will further increase cooperation with IORA members and dialogue partners. We will launch the second edition of a training course in Italy on sustainable development of coastal communities, open to officers from IORA countries, to take place in the second half of 2021.

In the field of sustainable Cruise Tourism, as a concrete follow up of the October Italy IORA webinar, we plan a training course for cruise terminal officers from IORA countries, in collaboration with the Civitavecchia state-of-the-art cruise terminal.

Italy considers this cooperation with IORA on sustainable cruise tourism as ongoing.

We are planning a high-level meeting with IORA Member States and major stakeholders on this issue in the Italian Pavilion during the coming Expo in Dubai, that will take place during “Water Week” of 20-26 march 2022.

Should you need further information about the Italy-IORA Platform and on how to participate with news and info, please write to info@iora-italy.org 

We look forward to sharing this virtual space with the IORA Community in Italy, and we count on your support and active participation in the Italy- IORA Platform.

Thank you for your attention,

Mario Andrea Vattani - National IORA Focal Point for ITALY