World Congress on Maritime Heritage Assembles Experts on Ocean Governance - A Pivotal Maritime Issue
SINGAPORE, 04 March 2019 – For centuries, humans have sought to create order in the oceans to facilitate trade, to use its resources and to govern the conduct of nations on the vast waters. It is no accident that nations fully utilizing the benefits of the oceans find economic and societal strength. Governance of these valuable resources has become increasingly important for trade as well as to meet geopolitical interests.
“Today, the need for all people to have a greater understanding of the oceans; their impact on the global economy and everyday lives, and how to govern the oceans in a sustainable manner has never been greater”, said Frederick Kenney, Director of Legal Affairs and External Relations at the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations specialized agency responsible for promoting safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans. To achieve Sustainable Development Goal 14 of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development – requires careful consideration of the ocean governance mechanisms in place. But, just as importantly, the history of ocean governance will inform the future.”
The Inaugural World Congress on Maritime Heritage, being held from 13 to 15 March 2019 at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore. The Congress will address current ocean governance mechanisms, both from how the oceans have been used as a pathway to project governance systems on land, and well as governing the oceans themselves. The Congress will also address the key role of the shipping industry in the world, oceans and sustainability, illuminate signature undersea archeological and exploration activities, and connect these communities to provide a window into the future. Importantly, participants in the Congress will include public-facing stakeholders such as maritime museums and others who will help to carry the ocean governance story.
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim will be a keynote speaker, along with top Singapore Cabinet ministers. Former Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu will open the Congress. Other topics being covered in the conference include how the ocean is a pathway to commerce and the global economy, a sustainable future, and cultural diversity. Additional features include “Why we must explore the past to navigate the future”, undersea commerce, tourism and maritime heritage in the global context, and regional breakout opportunities.
The Congress is being jointly organised by the Consortium for International Maritime Heritage and Resorts World Sentosa with support from the IMO, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), International Congress of Maritime Museums (ICMM), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA).
Resorts World Sentosa is also official venue host for the three-day event which will include a programme held at the revamped Maritime Experiential Museum, the only one of its kind in Singapore dedicated to the exploration of the iconic Maritime Silk Route. Housing a total of 15 immersive galleries, the attraction holds a combination of state-of-the-art visual projections and multimedia shows. Highlights include the Jewel of Muscat, an Arabian ship which made a tumultuous 138-day voyage from Oman to Singapore in 2010 using ancient navigational methods with a crew of 15, and the Typhoon Theater which simulates a sinking ship in a treacherous storm.
Registration for the Congress is now open. For more information on the programme and invited speakers, visit the official website of World Congress on Maritime Heritage 2019 (wcmh2019.com).
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MEDIA CONTACT
Carleen Lyden Walker | +203 255 4686 | c.walker@morganmarketcomm.com
About the organisers:
ABOUT THE CONSORTIUM FOR INTERNATIONAL MARITIME HERITAGE
The Consortium of International Maritime Heritage (CIMH) is a non-profit organisation formed with the purpose of raising public awareness of our connection to the ocean through understanding our maritime heritage. The goal is to develop new--and enhance existing-- mechanisms to connect the public with its maritime roots. The Consortium is dedicated to developing and supporting maritime heritage programming that can serve as focal points for a wide array of constituent groups to share culture values and experiences that shed light on how we are interconnected by the world’s oceans. Rediscovering the past through our shared maritime heritage allows us to collectively better navigate a sustainable future. Maritime heritage is the history of human involvement with the ocean and coastal lands and waters. It includes the history of ships, seafaring, marine transportation, navies, ports and communities, immigration, tourism, traditional maritime practices and trades, fishing, the marine environment, lighthouses, submerged cultural resources, museums and educational organizations, the arts, literature, law and history of human involvement with the sea. As a new organization the Consortium is currently focusing on its first effort, the inaugural World Congress on Maritime Heritage 2019.
For more information, please visit www.cimheritage.org.
ABOUT RESORTS WORLD SENTOSA
Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), Asia’s premium lifestyle destination resort, is located on Singapore’s resort island of Sentosa. Spanning 49 hectares, RWS is home to world-class attractions including Universal Studios Singapore, S.E.A. Aquarium, the Maritime Experiential Museum, Dolphin Island and Adventure Cove Waterpark. Complementing the adventure and adrenaline of its theme parks and attractions are six unique luxury hotels, the world-class Resorts World Convention Centre, a casino and the Asian flagship of a world-renowned destination spa. RWS offers award-winning dining experiences and exciting cuisine from around the world across its many renowned celebrity chef restaurants, establishing itself as a key player in Singapore’s vibrant and diverse dining scene and a leading gourmet destination in Asia for epicureans. The integrated resort also offers world-class entertainment, from original resident productions to concerts and public shows such as Crane Dance and Lake of Dreams. RWS has been named “Best Integrated Resort” since 2011 for eight consecutive years at the TTG Travel Awards which recognises the best of Asia-Pacific’s travel industry.
RWS is wholly owned by Genting Singapore, a company of the Genting Group. For more information, please visit www.rwsentosa.com.
/ResortsWorldatSentosa @rwsentosa www.rwsentosablog.com