An “inclusive and sustainable blue economy” is the main theme of “Ocean Dialogues 2024.” This international event, sponsored by OceanPact, will take place on August 8 in the main auditorium of the Brazilian development bank, BNDES, in Rio de Janeiro. The meeting will bring together public officials, executives and experts from the maritime and port industries, all of whom are major players in the global ocean economy.

The sustainability director of EnvironPact Sustentabilidade e Resiliência, Ana Lyra, will take part in a panel discussion called “The Future of the Oceans – O20 Civil Social Engagement,” at 11 a.m., describing future ocean-related opportunities and sharing insights for Brazil’s blue economy. This panel will be moderated by Dr. Thauan Santos, who has a doctorate about the blue economy from a U.S. university.

The panel will also include Alexander Turra, holder of the UNESCO Chair for Ocean Sustainability; Rear Admiral Ricardo Jaques, secretary of the Brazilian Interministerial Commission for Marine Resources; Ana Paula Prates, director of the Brazilian Environment Ministry’s Oceans Department; and Janice Trotte Duhá, director of the Rio de Janeiro-based National Institute for Ocean Research.

Ocean Dialogues 2024 will explore four main themes: governance and international collaboration; sustainable and competitive navigation; maritime regulation, the 1992 Civil Liability Convention and the Nairobi Convention; and the social and environmental just energy transition. The meeting is organized by the Oceans 20 Group (O20).