The President of Malta to deliver special Public Lecture in Memory of Arvid Pardo

H.E. The President, Prof. Guido de Marco left Malta today on his way to Fiji where he will deliver the Special Public Lecture in memory of Arvid Pardo in the Pacem in Maribus XXVII Conference being hosted by the International Ocean Institute – South Pacific at the University of the South Pacific in Suva between 8 November and 12 November.

Pacem in Maribus (Peace in the Oceans) is the annual meeting of the International Ocean Institute which was established in 1972 with its headquarters in Malta. The Institute is the only international non-governmental organisation devoted entirely to the oceans. Other regional centres are in Canada, China, Costa Rica, India, Japan, Romania, Senegal, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Malta had hosted the 20^th edition of the Pacem in Maribus Conference in 1992.

Earlier conferences focused on the various aspects of the emerging new Law of the Sea. Recent conferences, including the one held in Malta, concentrated on implementation, the interactions with the Conventions, programmes and decision of the Rio Conference on Environment and Development and the joint impact of the UNCLOS and UNCED on the international system as a whole.

Pacem in Maribus has analysed emerging forms of "ocean governance" at local, national, regional and global levels, responding to the requirements of "integrated coastal and ocean management" and "sustainable ocean development" as identified by UNCED.

The theme of the Pacem in Maribus XXVII Conference is "Oceans in the New Millennium: Challenges and Opportunities for the Islands" and will focus on the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and the Barbados Declaration. Both UNCED and the Declaration have enormous implications for developing island nations world-wide.

The conference will consist of major plenary addresses and a series of high level panels which are aimed at leading towards the drafting of resolutions of relevance to small island developing states. It is anticipated that the resolutions resulting from Pacem in Maribus XXVII Conference will be sent directly to the United Nations.

Prof. de Marco will deliver the First Arvid Pardo Memorial Lecture on 9^th November. He will return to Malta on 11^th November.

Dr George Hyzler was this morning sworn in as acting-president.