By: Rizky Ananta)*
Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum is a cooperation platform formed in order to accommodate island and island countries throughout the world to jointly overcome the challenges and problems faced, especially in the maritime sector development sector. Indonesia plans to hold an AIS Forum’s High Level Conference (Summit) in Bali on 10 and 11 October 2023 which will be attended by the Head of State/Head of Government from the AIS Forum Participant State.
AIS Forum is an island and island state formed since 2018, through the Manado JointDeclaration, which was initiated by Indonesia in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Since it was formed four years ago, AIS forum regularly holds a Senior Official Meeting (SOM) meeting and a meeting of Ministerial Meeting (MM) every year. This forum involves the participation of island and islands, regardless of the area, size, or level of development.
The main purpose of AIS Forum is to reinforce collaboration in overcoming global problems with four main areas namely mitigation and adaptation of climate change, blue economy, handling of plastic waste in the sea, and good maritime governance. This includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing resistance to climate change.
This forum is used to find a way out of the problems faced by them as the owner of the island and archipelago countries (Archipelagic and Island States/AIS). Indonesia hopes that from the forum a continuing strategy can be prepared such as mitigation of climate change, handling plastic waste in the ocean, and creating a blue economy as part of a sustainable maritime governance.
Secretary of the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment of the Republic of Indonesia, Ayodhia Kalake revealed that Indonesia has initiated the formation of the AIS Forum since 2017. AIS This forum was formed to encourage collaboration between islands and islands throughout the world to jointly overcome the challenges and problems faced, especially in the sector Development of Maritime Affairs and Mitigation of Climate Change and Management of Pollution at sea.
AIS Forum is also massive campaigning for the sustainability of the blue economy. In this case, the use of marine economic resources always pay attention to aspects of the sustainability of ecosystems and biological sustainability. The strategic sector that is concerned is tourism, fisheries, and renewable energy. Reduction and prevention of plastic waste is one of the focus because it is realized that it is very threatening to balance the maritime environment.
Ayodhia Kalake also ensures that AIS Forum is not only limited to ceremonial but becomes a place to exchange ideas to formulate innovative solutions and formulate project technical assistance schemes and project funding that are in line with efforts to overcome the impact of climate change.
The blue economic program that is carried, includes the expansion of conservation areas, the application of quota-based measurable fishing policies, the development of environmentally friendly aquaculture, coastal and small islands, and the management of plastic waste in the sea. In addition to the Blue Economic Program, we also carry out mangrove forest restoration as a solution for adaptation and mitigation of climate change
Senior Advisor for Climate and Environmental Governance, AIS Program Manager, dr. Abdul Wahib Situmorang emphasized that the AIS Forum became a unique platform that brought together island countries and islands from various regions. Our goal is to encourage collaborative actions and overcome the joint challenges faced by these countries in overcoming global problems with four main areas.
Through cooperation between participating countries, AIS forum aims to strengthen good marine governance, sustainable management of sea areas, and manage and sustainable marine resources. It also aims to promote concrete actions, youth involvement, and innovative solutions to improve the livelihoods of coastal communities. Together, we can have a significant impact and achieve global goals, including the goals of sustainable development in 2030.
In addition to the four areas of cooperation above, AIS Forum also opened the door for cooperation with platforms and other organizations to enrich perspectives and achieve broader global goals. This forum also pays special attention to the empowerment of youth and coastal communities through ideas, creativity, and innovative solutions.
Indonesia also uses the AIS 2023 forum as a platform to strengthen international cooperation in overcoming climate change. This country is willing to cooperate with other countries in various initiatives, including the transfer of green technology, sustainable financing, and exchange of knowledge in an effort to achieve common goals in climate change mitigation.
In addition, Plt. Assistant Deputy (ASDEP) of Maritime Delimitation Zones and Border Areas, Sora Lokita (OKI) also said that Indonesia has an important and strategic role in the AIS Forum, Indonesia’s leadership is needed to bridge collaboration between developed and developing countries in AIS. Indonesia’s position allows encouraging concrete and inclusive collaboration between countries regardless of differences in economic status and regional area.
Hopefully Indonesia’s involvement in the AIS forum will be a very important step, especially in an effort to create a sustainable global sea and play the main actors of the struggle of the world community against climate change.
)* The author is a maritime observer
