IMO-UNEP-Norway Innovation Forum 2022 - closing remarks

IMO-UNEP-Norway Innovation Forum 2022

29 September 2022

Closing remarks

Kitack Lim, Secretary-General, IMO

Excellencies, distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen,

I wish you all a very happy World Maritime Day!

I would like to congratulate you all for the constructive discussions and the successful outcome of this second IMO-UNEP-Norway Innovation Forum.

The ideas generated by your debates will undoubtedly contribute to further strengthening work around some key issues, in particular, the need:

to work towards decarbonization and strengthened levels of ambition, whilst taking into account the needs of developing States, especially Small Island Developing states (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs); and

to deploy green technologies globally in a manner that facilitates blue economic growth in developing countries.

But technological innovation must proceed hand-in-hand with inclusivity.

Shipping will undoubtedly need new technologies, new fuels and innovation but there needs to be investment in R&D, infrastructure and trials to ensure that its benefits are widely spread, and opportunities explored.

We want to build partnerships between stakeholders among public and private sectors, not only in the shipping industry and ports but also within finance and academia, so that our capacity-building work and various partnership projects continue to support developing countries.

I am sure that the ideas, comments, and contributions generated over the past two days will help to achieve our common goals.

I reiterate my thanks, Baroness Scotland,  to the Commonwealth Secretariat for the Memorandum of Understanding signed today, and I look forward to continuing our fruitful cooperation.

I wish to once again appreciate the Government of Norway and UNEP and thank all the excellent speakers and panellists for sharing your views, as well as all the participants who joined this Forum.

I also wish to thank the whole IMO team and especially the Department of Partnerships and Projects for the work towards organising the event.

Thank you, and Happy World Maritime Day!