The first Ocean Governance Training Programme offered by IOI Chile, entitled “Ocean Governance in South America: Challenges and Opportunities/Gobernanza de los Oceanos en Sudamérica: desarrollo y oportunidades”, was delivered in January, in Santiago, Chile. 9 participants from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Panama and Peru, with different backgrounds, from social sciences to marine biology attended this four-week course (one online). This was the first training programme offered completely in Spanish in the newly established IOI Training Centre in Chile, at the Universidad Autónoma de Chile, contributing to the promotion of ocean governance across the regions of the world. The Director of the Programme was Frida Armas Pfirter, and the Coordinator was Nicolás Ojeda, Director of the IOI Chile Training Centre.
The programme was structured in four modules. The first one, General Aspects of Ocean Governance, focused on the international regulation of ocean affairs, mainly UNCLOS, its development, and international and regional organisations that have shaped the current legal landscape, as well as geographical aspects of the South Pacific, South Atlantic, and Antarctic. Building up from the lessons of the first week, the second module, Blue Economy, explored the activities that constitute an important part of the economy in the region, such as fisheries, commerce and supply chains, and tourism, among others, discussing their influence and the main regulatory and practical issues that drive them. The third one, Ocean Management, centred on the tools and mechanisms relevant to the integral management of the ocean, including scientific research and citizen science, marine protected areas, and marine spatial planning, providing an important insight about the role of the different stakeholders in ocean management. The final module analysed the Challenges and Opportunities that the governance of the ocean faces, considering issues like the use of AI and new technologies; climate change, multilateral cooperation; and the exploitation of natural resources in the high seas, among others.
There were two educational trips, one to the Pre-Columbian Museum in Santiago, which contains exhibitions from indigenous peoples in America, and another to the Navy’s Hydrological and Oceanographical Service in Valparaíso, where the participants learned about the Tsunami Warning System and cartographic maps, among other tasks.
The lectures were delivered by renowned lecturers from various institutions, including the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS); the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea; the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat; the Hydrological and Oceanographical Service from Argentina and Chile; the Chilean Ministry of Environment; and the Chilean National Service of Fisheries and Aquaculture, among others, as well as international NGOs and Universities.
Antonella Vassallo, Managing Director, IOI HQ, Malta, travelled to Chile for the launch of this first training programme. Ms Vassallo accompanied the group during the last week of training and assisted with the simulation exercise that tested the knowledge and negotiation skills of the participants. The successful programme culminated with the graduation of the first Class of 2024 and a celebratory dinner with the presence of Judge Maria Teresa Infante and Judge Frida Armas Pfirter, from the ITLOS.