Speakers
Biofouling Management: Regulatory Development & Technology
This presentation provides an overview of the GloFouling Partnerships project, highlighting the critical role of technical cooperation in promoting the adoption of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines on biofouling. By providing capacity building support and fostering collaboration with and between countries, regions and a wide range of stakeholders, the project has significantly improved the level of awareness and knowledge on this issue, increased the level of expertise in beneficiary countries and strengthened their policy and institutional capacities. Key achievements also include the successful engagement of the private sector, including the establishment of the Global Industry Alliance (GIA) for Marine Biosecurity, which has contributed to the adoption of best practices for biofouling management.
The presentation also addresses challenges and needs identified during the implementation of the project, such as the need for more homogeneous capacity building and the inclusion of other countries, as well as the need for longer-term technical support. The importance of preserving and extending the results achieved to date is highlighted, and the presentation concludes with a call for stakeholders to actively engage in supporting a second phase of GloFouling partnerships to further consolidate the progress made and ensure the global scaling up of sustainable biofouling management practices.
After obtaining with honors her PhD in Maritime Law in France, Dr Lilia Khodjet El Khil joined the IMO's Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) where she spent nine years supporting Mediterranean coastal States to strengthen their capacity and implement regulations and best practices for marine environmental protection. Lilia was awarded the “Mérite Maritime” from the French government in recognition of her work at REMPEC.
In 2010, Lilia relocated to Montreal, Canada, where she joined the Shipping Federation of Canada, a trade association representing international shipping in Canada, to lead on environment files. During her time with the Shipping Federation of Canada, she engaged with Governments on policy developments, advocated for shipping and guided members through complex regulatory and compliance issues. She later joined the CSL Group Inc., a major Canadian shipping company operating domestically and worldwide, where she held the position of Manager, Sustainability and Government Relations, to implement a sustainable development strategy across the company and also advocate for domestic shipping's interests.
In 2016 Lilia launched her own consultancy business, Maritimis Consulting to provide services to the industry, governments and non-for-profit organizations on environment issues related to shipping. In June 2019, she joined the International maritime Organisation to lead the execution of a multiyear flagship IMO project dealing with marine biosafety, namely the GloFouling Partnerships project.