Bali – Ahead of the Opening of the Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum High Level Conference (Summit) in Bali, the call for strengthening solidarity in maritime issues reflects the basic principles of the forum’s initiation.
Head of the AIS Secretariat, Riny Madaso, said that the AIS Forum was initiated as a special forum to address the problems faced by island countries.
“Island and island countries generally face the same problems when faced with maritime issues. “One example is changes in atmosphere that cause sea levels to rise,” said Riny
Rini said, Strengthening solidarity highlights the importance of cooperation and support between island and island countries. In facing maritime challenges, solidarity is the key to jointly overcoming problems that may be difficult to face individually.
“To overcome common problems, collaboration and joint work are needed. “This then became a reference for the AIS Forum to convey the key message of solidarity as one of the derivative themes,” he said.
This call shows awareness of the common challenges faced by island and archipelago countries, such as rising sea levels, the risk of natural disasters, and maritime security issues.
Riny further explained, the theme “Fostering Collaboration, Enabling Innovation for Our Ocean and Our Future” promoted by the AIS Forum 2023 reflects an important focus on collaborative efforts to face challenges and exploit opportunities in the marine context and marine environment.
The meeting agenda focused on three key aspects – blue economy development, the challenge of climate change, and strengthening solidarity between island and island countries.
These three issues reflect the urgency and complexity of the issues faced by island countries and small island territories throughout the world.
“These three discussions are a summary of the four focuses of AIS Forum’s work so far. “Namely climate change adaptation and mitigation, disaster management, blue economy, plastic waste in the sea, and maritime governance,” he said.
By focusing on these three important aspects, the AIS Forum 2023 aims to create positive momentum in protecting the oceans and marine environment which are important for our future and to strengthen cooperation between countries in addressing pressing global issues.