(Members of) the young generation in AIS must start to unite their vision and mission and focus on efforts to develop the maritime sectorNusa Dua, Bali (ANTARA) - Indonesian Youth and Sports Minister Dito Ariotedjo emphasized the importance of the young generation managing the maritime sector of the Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum, with its vast potential for the blue economy.
"(Members of) the young generation in AIS must start to unite their vision and mission and focus on efforts to develop the maritime sector," he remarked at the Startup Blue Business Summit as a series of the First High-Level Meeting (HLM) of the AIS Forum in Nusa Dua, Bali, Tuesday.
The minister also called on young people to collaborate with stakeholders, non-profit organizations, the business sector, and the government to realize concrete steps in preserving the sea since the AIS Forum participating countries are surrounded by sea.
As the future generation, young people living in a marine environment must manage the oceans and aim for blue economy opportunities, focus on sustainable development, and balance economic growth, Ariotedjo remarked.
He then outlined five initiatives as driving forces for the blue economy, with the first being collectively protecting maritime ecosystems to ensure connectivity and prevent exploitation by maintaining ecological balance and maritime species.
The second initiative is to ensure collaboration to tackle climate change by reducing carbon emissions and mitigating sea level rise.
Third, involving environmentally friendly businesses in the maritime sector, such as fisheries, tourism, transportation, new and renewable energy, maritime technology, and research.
The fourth initiative entails realizing multi-sectoral collaboration related to coastal communities based on maritime resources, while the fifth pertains to maintaining maritime transportation as a gateway to global economic growth.
The AIS Forum aims to strengthen collaboration between island and archipelagic countries to overcome the four global problems of climate change mitigation and adaptation, blue economy, handling plastic waste at sea, and maritime governance.
This 1st HLM was held to strengthen the role of the AIS Forum as a center for smart and innovative solutions and as a forum for mutual cooperation in pushing forward the future agenda, namely global ocean governance.
The forum also puts young people as one of the important pillars for innovative solutions in determining the future of maritime affairs.
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Translator: Dewa Ketut S W, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Sri Haryati
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