The Convener and Chairman of the Africa Blue Economy Roundtable (ABER), Dr. Piriye Kiyaramo has pat the President of the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) and the Honourable Minister of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea on the back for the opportunity granted to ABER members to participate in the prestigious international capacity-building programme co-sponsored by KMI and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF).
The intensive programme is currently holding at the Yeosu Academy of the Law of the Sea, Yeosu – a maritime city west of Busan, South Korea, with participants drawn from Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and coastal African states.
Kiyaramo in a statement made available to Maritime Bits described the participation of ABER members as a major milestone with immense strategic significance for capacity building in Africa.
His words: “The programme provides cutting-edge knowledge in smart and eco-friendly maritime operations, vessel technology, marine spatial planning, ocean energy and sustainable fisheries management. It aligns perfectly with ABER’s mandate to advance the African Union’s Blue Economy Strategy and Agenda 2063 by building a critical mass of African experts equipped to manage ocean resources sustainably. The platform creates a strategic bridge between Africa and Korea, opening doors for institutional linkages, joint research, student exchange and future partnerships with KMI, Korea Maritime and Ocean University (KMOU) and other Korean maritime institutions.”
Continuing, Kiyaramo who is a professional journalist and has practiced in several media houses including Nigerian Tribune newspaper where he was its Bayelsa State Correspondent for years said: “The knowledge gained will be instrumental in establishing and strengthening ABER’s proposed Blue Economy Research hubs in strategic locations across African universities. The presence of ABER members at the training positions Africa as an active stakeholder in global ocean governance and the emerging green shipping industry.”
He congratulated ABER members in Yeosu-Busan for their excellent representation and enjoined them to deploy the knowledge for the benefit of the continent.
According to the statement, Kiyaramo made the remarks during a virtual exchange with ABER’s National Coordinator for Cameroon, Engr. (Mrs.) Orock Joan Afangah who is among the participants.
Afangah disclosed that participants from no fewer than 30 countries are taking part in the training which is an Official Development Assistance (ODA) initiative of the Korean Government designed for maritime talents, policymakers and researchers from developing nations.
The three-week intensive programme features foundational and advanced lectures, workshops, examinations and field trips covering Territorial Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Management; EEZ Fisheries Management and Continental Shelf (outer limits); International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) – operations, climate change advisory opinion and landmark cases; Freedom of Navigation and International Straits; Marine Environment and Marine Scientific Research; Polar Law and Arctic Ocean Governance.
Others are Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) and UN treaty process; Islands, Delimitation and Archipelagic Waters; Submarine Cables and Deep Seabed Mineral Regulation (ISA); Maritime Security, Hot Pursuit and Maritime Law Enforcement; Emerging Technologies including Autonomous Ships; Overlapping Claims, Provisional Arrangements and Joint Development Models; and South China Sea Disputes and Arbitral Awards.
Among other things, the training includes practical activities such as a yachting excursion and a visit to the Korea Coast Guard Training Center.
Its targets include government officials, researchers, ocean policy professionals, professors and graduate students from developing nations.
It is on record that ABER’s West Africa Regional Facilitator, Captain Noah Isa Amwe is among those participating in the training programme.
