BLUE ocean Film Festival – November 7-9, 2015 – Monaco
The Principality will welcome the great names of planet Ocean in the occasion of Blue 2015 as an introduction to the United Nations Conference on Climate Change COP 21 to be hosted by France in Paris. The Blue Ocean Film Festival will run from November 7-9, 2015 at the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco.
Founded in 2009, BLUE has gained in notoriety thanks to the opportunity the festival offers creating awareness among the grand public of the need to love and safeguard our oceans, by initiating a series of discussions among the scientific experts about preservation and exploration. Monaco became the second BLUE site in 2013, after signing a partnership with the Prince Albert II Foundation and the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. In his presentation, HSH Prince Albert underlined the need for the global awareness and the power of BLUE to reach its objectives. “This festival uses the power of films, photography, entertainment and science to learn, advance and initiate a durable management of our oceans throughout the world”, he said. “To arouse consciousness in favor of a more concrete protection of the environment, our best tools are those that win hearts and mark our spirits.”
While BLUE 2015 concentrates on global marine issues, placing the oceans within the context of climate change, it brings attention to the Principality’s commitment on sustainability and the preservation of the oceans, when the implementers and experts prepare to meet during the United Nations Conference on Climate Change COP21/CMP11 in Paris from November 30 through December 11, 2015. This event originated in the Summit Earth of Rio de Janeiro, in 1992. COP means: “Conference of Parties” composed of all the States (parties) that gather every year and the one in Paris will be No. 21st. In preparation for COP21, each State must publicize the measures they are ready to take to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. COP21 will be a pivotal conference, as the objective is to achieve a new international agreement on the climate, applicable to all countries, with the goal of keeping global warming below 2 Centigrades.
BLUE is a non-for-profit association that utilizes the power of films to create awareness and provoke action. The annual event has become a fertile terrain for scientists, producers, explorers, artists, celebrities and companies in the marine field, as a trampoline for putting into action practices and politics to safeguard our planet’s marine ecosystem that covers 71% of its surface. Its itinerant program BLUE On Tour has presented educational events to millions of people in China, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand, by a partnership with the United Nations.
The BLUE Ocean Film Festival & Conservation Summit (BLUE) was created because of their fundamental belief that good films can help impact important social issues to inspire ocean protection. Their mission is to find solutions to change the course of the degradation of our oceans, thereby protecting our ecosystem for the present and future generations. The festival took place in Monaco in 2013 for the first time and will now return later this year.
In 2014, the BLUE Ocean Film Festival took place in St. Petersburg in Florida, and benefited from a local and international coverage, before, during and after the festival, through the printed press, radio, TV and internet. In that way BLUE 2014 welcomed a hundred of international press professionals that resulted in an excess of 490 million releases in the medias and generated 8,216 press articles. It was during the Monaco Blue Tie reception at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, that took place within BLUE 2014 that the following edition of the festival was launched with the Principality as host, scheduled for November 7-9, 2015 at the Oceanographic Museum.
The Principality of Monaco over and above being classified by the New York Times in 2014, as one of the most beautiful vacation resorts in the world, is a country that houses the most important concentration of units of marine research. Monaco is also a champion in terms of sustainable development with an environmental protection over 20% of its territory and not less than two marine surfaces protected.
Inspiring Expeditions
On September 29, 2015, the Oceanographic Institute, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and Abercrombie & Kent, world leader in exclusive voyages, announced a partnership in occasion of the presentation of the first “Ocean Exploration and Expedition in style” in the Palau archipelago on board super yacht Saluzi. There is nothing more powerful than going out to sea to discover the ocean and learn and get actively involved.
The Oceanographic Institute, under the honorary presidency of HSH Prince Albert II, has decided to engage in a new stage in his communication mission by developing a series of actions at sea throughout the world, gathered under the main title “Oceanographic Institute Expeditions”, to better understand, create awareness among the public and opinion leaders and give evidence of the oceans’ sustainable initiatives.
Abercrombie & Kent, has developed a new offer “Inspiring Expeditions” addressed to those searching high level comfort, discovery of exceptional sites (Palau, the Artic and Antarctic…) with a true approach based on knowledge and protection of sites visited. The Oceanographic Institute will bring its expertise, savoir-faire and technical and scientific assistance in the elaboration of this program and the organisation of the visits. Abercrombie & Kent will donate 5% of the revenues of its cruises to the Oceanographic Institute to support its communications actions.
Seminar at the Home of the Oceans in Paris
On Thursday, October 1, 2015, at the Home of the Oceans in Paris, the French Institute of the Sea organized, in partnership with the Center of strategic studies of the Marine and the Oceanographic Institute, Prince Albert I Foundation in Paris, a seminar entitled “The ocean, a resource of mankind: a utopia for the 21st century?” Just a few weeks before COP21, who could ignore the central role of the seas and oceans over the climate regulation, that makes us question ourselves over the ancient notion of “resource of humankind” and its applicability. Politicians, specialists, businessmen, editors, historians, jurists, scientists participated in round tables, to discuss the following topics:
New wealth versus new threats – The questions dealt wit the explosion of international maritime commerce, the emergence of new risks and threats at sea, the access to new energy or biological resources, issues that go over conscious awakening of the central role of the oceans over climate and sustainable development of the planet, to go further and take measures at the international level.
The sea, new common resource of mankind – When giving birth to the Montego Bay convention (CNUDM) almost three decades later, the 3rd UN Conference on the rights of the sea has established new relations among coastal States, maritime powers and emerging States. This charter have consecrated the principle of international sharing of potential resources of large sea-beds – through the concept of “common patrimony of humanity” – and laid the foundations for the protection of the maritime ecosystem. At the same time, crystalized a movement of appropriation of spaces very extensive areas, a territorialisation of the seas for the benefit of coastal States fencing a dissertation that became sometimes expansive, if not aggressive.
Common resource “future paradigm of the governance of the seas” – This conscious awakening of the sea – its status, usage and potential – is the key to the future of our planet Earth, pushing us to a new reflection over the concept of “resource of mankind”. The seas and oceans “res communis” a new sort of “mare nostrum” at the global scale where the traditional rapports of power among nations leaves larger room to the necessities of a new agreement. The sea, understood as unique space, independently globally and physically, or the expression of sovereignty would give way to a new collective responsibility, encouraged by the States as well as the civil society in a shared governance to enable reasonable development.
The high seas, premiere site of application of the ocean as common resource – The call from Paris (Appel de Paris) launched in April 2013 by the economic, social and environmental Council, sent an alert signal on the importance of collective protection of the high seas. The UN have decided to launch, as a prolongation of CNUDM, a negotiation on the conservation and protection of the wealth of biodiversity in the high seas. The principle of common resource would be a key element in the elaboration of new legal constraining instrument.
Today’s quote
“Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth… these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women’s empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.” Ban Ki-Moon
Monaco Reporter 