Badung – The Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Summit (Summit) Forum has begun to be held in Bali. In the meeting held from 10-11 October 2023, President Jokowi led a number of island and archipelagic countries.
It is known that the AIS Forum began with the Manado Declaration on November 1 2028. Initially the formation of the AIS Forum was only agreed upon by 47 countries before finally growing to 51 countries.
Director General of Information and Public Communication of the Ministry of Communication and Information (Dirjen IKP Kemenkominfo) Usman Kansong said that the AIS Forum Summit is believed to be able to help the aspirations of island and island countries be heard by the international community.
“We want the voices of these island and island countries to be heard at the international level,” he said
Later, these aspirations will be expressed in the form of a joint statement from the heads of AIS Forum member countries.
He added that the AIS Summit would discuss three important issues. Such as, blue economy development, the challenge of climate change, and strengthening solidarity between island and archipelagic countries.
Strengthening the solidarity of island and archipelagic countries is important because the AIS Forum faces the same challenges, for example illegal fishing.
“Illegal fishing disturbs the environment because fishing activities are arbitrary. “Fish of all kinds and sizes are taken,” he said.
Separately, the Head of the AIS Forum Secretariat, Riny Modaso, explained that the AIS Forum had launched the AIS Blue Hub and AIS Research and Development Center programs as side events for the 2023 AIS Forum Summit, at the Mulia Hotel, Nusa Dua, Badung Regency, Bali.
“The two programs are a derivative of the AIS Forum’s mission to provide innovative solutions in the blue economy and academic fields,” explained Riny.
The AIS Forum, he continued, pioneers and accommodates innovative solutions which are implemented into various derivative programs, in order to achieve sustainable development goals for the future of island and archipelagic countries.
Furthermore, Riny explained that the Blue Hub and AIS Research and Development Center were launched directly by the Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar and Head of UNDP Indonesia Representative Norimasa Shimomura. Representatives from various AIS countries, company representatives, academics, and participants from various circles also attended the launch.
“We hope that these programs can accommodate and facilitate blue innovators, academics and entrepreneurs. “Together we build and develop the blue sector,” said Riny
