The President of the World Maritime University (WMU), Dr Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, and the President of the International Ocean Institute (IOI), Mr Nikolaus Gelpke, signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in January 2019.
The MoU builds on the shared commitment of the IOI and WMU in supporting implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 focused on sustainable oceans as well as the vital role of education and capacity building in support of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Dr. Doumbia-Henry welcomed the cooperation and stated, “Since its founding in 1983, WMU has contributed to sustainable use of the ocean by focusing on the implementation and enforcement of IMO instruments to reduce accidents and ship-source pollution. Today, ocean-related matters are incorporated across the breadth of our educational programmes and our research, playing a vital role in global maritime and ocean capacity building. Together with IOI, we will advance the ocean agenda through education, research and capacity building toward the implementation of Goal 14, safeguarding our oceans and marine resources through sustainable development.”
Mr. Gelpke commented, “In this era of new global challenges and sectoral integration, capacity building in ocean governance plays a pivotal role in ensuring safe and healthy oceans for the benefit of humankind and the planet. Additionally, obligations towards achieving the SDGs, notably SDG14 and its targets, and other intersecting SDGs, place a burden of responsibility on States and Institutions which may benefit from targeted capacity development and training opportunities for their staff. Implementing the joint actions envisaged in this MoU should enhance the understanding and development of best practice on regional oceans governance systems and the transfer of knowledge and technology for the implementation of the SDGs, particularly for developing countries, SIDS and LDCs.”
The MoU fosters the development of collaborative and reciprocal activities in the fields of ocean sustainability, ocean governance, the implementation of the sustainable development goal for the oceans, and the science-law-policy interface. Collaboration in research, training opportunities and capacity-building initiatives and in the delivery of conferences, seminars, workshops and joint publications on matters of common interest will contribute to the achievement of these objectives.