Discovering our deep maritime heritage to lay a stronger foundation for more sustainable development of maritime industries and greater efforts towards ocean conservation will form the key focus at the inaugural World Congress on Maritime Heritage 2019.
The three-day Congress, co-organised by the Consortium for International Maritime Heritage (CIMH) and Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) will be held from 13 to 15 March at RWS. With its theme ‘Connecting with the Past to Navigate the Future’, the Congress is set against the backdrop of the commemoration of the Singapore Bicentennial.
The event aims to bring together a diverse global array of maritime constituent groups, institutions, and stakeholders, including government leaders and economists, as well as shipping, heritage, archaeological, and ocean conservation communities. It will provide a unique opportunity for all to form new partnerships towards achieving a common objective: securing a sustainable future through better understanding of our common maritime heritage.
The Congress will address the current state of the shipping industry, examine the sector’s past influence on global trade and cultural influences, illuminate signature undersea archaeological and exploration activities, and connect these communities to provide a window into the future.
Mr Terry Garcia, Chairman of the Consortium for International Maritime Heritage, said: “The world today is a legacy of our maritime heritage. The first World Congress on Maritime Heritage provides an unprecedented opportunity to re-discover our past through the lens of our shared maritime heritage and examine how the factors that affected the past can inform the future.”
The Congress will be graced by government leaders and key figures across the maritime sector, including Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore; Mr Kitack Lim, Secretary-General, International Maritime Organization (IMO); Dr Koji Sekimizu, Secretary-General Emeritus, IMO, and Dr Ahmed Mohammed Salem Al-Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications, Oman.
Mr Kitack Lim, Secretary-General, IMO, said: “Since man first took to the water in boats, society has depended on shipping for food, transportation and energy. The oceans are our shared heritage, and it is important to connect with the past in order to see our way towards the future. This Congress will be the forum for that discussion as the ocean’s stakeholders will gather to identify how we can successfully move forward.”
The Congress coincides with the 200th anniversary of the founding of the modern state of Singapore, a major global hub and important gateway for shipping, finance, and commerce today. With its strategic location along the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, the maritime industry has been central to the history, rise, and development of Singapore.
Topics covered in the Congress include:
- How the ocean is a pathway to a sustainable future
- The discovery of heritage through exploration, archaeology, and historic investigation
- Tourism and maritime heritage in the global economy; and more.
The Congress will also include a session organised by the newly established World Maritime Heritage Society. Set up in Singapore to honour and embrace maritime heritage, it provides an inclusive platform for educational institutions, maritime societies, NGOs, and government bodies. The programme brings together local and international speakers to share on issues that include developing private and public partnerships for ecological and economic sustainability in fisheries management in Singapore.
The Congress is being jointly organised by the Consortium for International Maritime Heritage and Resorts World Sentosa with support from the IMO, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, International Chamber of Shipping, and the Singapore Shipping Association, amongst others.
RWS is also the official venue host for the three-day event which will include a programme held at the revamped Maritime Experiential Museum, the only one of its kind in Singapore dedicated to the exploration of the iconic Maritime Silk Route. Housing a total of 15 immersive galleries, the attraction holds a combination of state-of-the-art visual projections and multimedia shows. Highlights include the Jewel of Muscat, an Arabian ship which made a tumultuous 138-day voyage from Oman to Singapore in 2010 using ancient navigational methods with a crew of 15, and the Typhoon Theatre which simulates a sinking ship in a treacherous storm.
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