Maritime law experts hold international meeting in Morocco

Maritime law experts are holding a meeting in El-Jadida, some 100 km south of Casablanca, to debate governmental licenses to maritime scientific research and technology transfer to developing countries.

This international meeting of the consultative body for maritime law ABE-LOS II, stemming from the UNESCO intergovernmental oceanographic commission, is the second of the kind and is held in cooperation with the Faculty of sciences of Chouaib Doukkali University (El-Jadida).

Recommendations adopted by the meeting, attended by experts from 32 countries, will be submitted to the UNESCO intergovernmental oceanographic commission.

Addressing the opening session of the three-day meeting Monday, Moroccan minister of higher education, staff training and scientific research, Najib Zerouali, said scientific progress has not only revolutionized technical structures used in sea resources exploration and exploitation but has also modified the approaches to maritime law, a fact requiring a permanent updating of these structures and laws.

He said the promotion of scientific research at the world level and technology transfer in the field require a multilateral coordination and cooperation, the trading of experience and the undertaking of joint studies. He also underlined the importance of technology transfer and the need for developed countries to extend material assistance to developing countries.

The first international meeting of the consultative body for maritime law ABE-LOS I was held in Paris in 2001.