Thirteen mid-career professionals, including scientists, researchers and experts working in the fields of oceanography and coastal management recently attended the fourth IOI-Malta training course on ocean governance for Mediterranean and Eastern European countries entitled 'Towards a holistic maritime policy'.
This annual five-week intensive course, held in Malta for the fourth year between November 16 and December 19, was attended by representatives from a number of countries bordering the Mediterranean, Black, Baltic and Caspian Seas, namely, Cyprus, Croatia, Romania, Ukraine, Sweden, Russia, Turkey, Egypt and Italy.
These seas are geographically enclosed or semi-enclosed and potentially subject to national maritime zones in their entirety. Their fragile ecosystems and biodiversity are put under individual and cumulative pressure by their coastal states. As a result, the activities and maritime policies of one state are bound to affect the quality of the marine environment and its use by neighbouring states.
In this relationship, the EU maritime policy and the coherence of policies of neighbouring states with it are seen as a basis for regional co-operation, a main focus of this year's course.
Also, these seas have different levels of experience in regional environmental co-operation and maritime use and the diversity of experience provided an opportunity for comparative learning.
The course also included a full-day seminar on 'The evolving EU integrated maritime policy - making the move to ensure coherence in the regional seas'. The seminar dealt with the process of putting the EU integrated maritime policy in practice, and on achievements made since the adoption of the Blue Book.
The focus of the seminar was on the implications in the governance of the Mediterranean, Black and Baltic seas as regional entities, and on the linkages of European maritime policy with EU neighbouring states to ensure coherence with the policies of these countries in a wider context.
Promoting the idea of an indivisible ocean, and the coherent nature of the EU integrated maritime policy presents a formidable challenge that can only be surmounted by the degree of understanding, co-operation and synergies achieved with the neighbouring countries.
Drawing on the 30 years of experience of the International Ocean Institute (IOI) in conducting training and capacity-building programmes in ocean governance, the course also emphasised the conduct of maritime affairs in line with the Lisbon Strategy, targeting the Millennium Development Goals and building upon a holistic and integrated maritime policy following the principles enshrined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The course focused on the linkages between the natural, social and economic sciences to the development of sustainable ocean governance, and on the research-management interface that can render governance operable. It highlighted the inter-linkages of multi-disciplinary inputs, and the support of technology to enable the effective achievement of ocean management and sustainable development.
The course was run by the IOI-Malta Operational Centre under the aegis of the IOI and was accredited by the University of Malta. It was sponsored by the Lighthouse Foundation, the United Nations University/EHS, the International Maritime Organisation, UNDP - Special Unit for South-South Co-operation, and the European Commission.
More information may be found at http://capemalta.net/ioimoc/course2008 . For details on future courses contact Aldo Drago, director of IOI-Malta, at aldo.drago@um.edu.mt.
The IOI-Malta Operational Centre carries out research and provides services in physical oceanography. It aims to promote education and training in the sustainable use of ocean resources. For more information, visit www.capemalta.net.