The France-India Ocean Summit, a hybrid conference organized by the CCIFI in partnership with our key member BNP Paribas and in collaboration with Waves of Change, Fondation de la Mer, Tech Mahindra, and Veolia, was held on October 8th at the BNP Paribas amphitheatre in Paris.
This summit brought together prominent leaders & experts in ocean sustainability, finance, and international cooperation, addressing critical issues related to ocean health, marine biodiversity, and sustainable investments in the blue economy.
The summit commenced with remarks from Coumar ANANDA, Vice President of CCIFI, setting the stage for the dialogues to follow.
Keynote Addresses :
Alain Papiasse, Chairman of Corporate & Institutional Banking at BNP Paribas, welcomed the audience and highlighted the importance of international collaboration for ocean protection.
Pascal Lamy, Chair of the Blue Economy & Finance Forum at the UN Ocean Conference, provided insightful comments on finance's critical role in driving ocean sustainability initiatives.
Ashok Adicéam, Deputy to the Presidential Envoy for the UN Ocean Conference, emphasized France’s commitment to ocean health and international collaboration.
Ms. Eenam Gambhir, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India in France and Monaco, delivered a keynote emphasizing maritime security's strategic importance for India, particularly in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific regions, underscoring India's partnership with France.
Panel Discussion:
Financing the Blue Economy: The session began with an insightful keynote by Anne Pointet. This panel, which included Pascal Lamy, explored how financial institutions can support ocean conservation through innovative mechanisms. The panel also featured Sandeep Chandna and Sanjay Singh. Session moderated by Charlotte Flemmig
Plastic Pollution Treaty Negotiations: Catherine Chevauché provided key updates on treaty negotiations, with insights from Tim Grabiel and Ribhu Vohra on reducing plastic waste. Panel moderated by Alix Chatton
Mangrove and Biodiversity Conservation: Moderated by Sayanika Roy Choudhury, this panel highlighted the importance of mangroves, featuring a keynote by Alexandre Iaschine. Vishwa Patel, Arup Ghosh & Raphaël Hara discussed innovative projects and the ongoing efforts to restore critical mangrove habitats & enhance biodiversity protection.
Closing Remarks: The event concluded with remarks from Ashok Adicéam, summarizing key takeaways.
Bénédicte Brouard, President of CCIFI, gave special thanks to Coumar Ananda for leading the summit and to Ashok Adicéam for supporting the idea from the beginning.
A particular note of appreciation to Bertrand de Rosamel for his significant contribution to the success of the summit. Thanks also to Youmna Noujaim and Himanshu Dixit for ensuring the event ran smoothly.
Also thanks to Fondation de la Mer, Waves of Change - Nicolas Occhiminuti , Tech Mahindra & Veolia for making this event a success.
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