Dr, Karim HILMI, is physical oceanographer researcher at Institut National de Recherche
Halieutique (INRH - Morocco) since 1996 and currently holds the position of Research Director
within this institute. He obtained in 1995 his Master’s degree (MSC) in oceanography at the
University of Quebec at Rimouski (Canada) and his PhD in 2005 at Hassan II - Mohammedia
University (Morocco) in Physical sciences – Option Marine Hydrodynamic Modeling. Dr K. Hilmi
has assumed the vice-chaiperson of the electoral Group V (Africa and Arabic states) during two
mandates (2019-2023) and he is actually the National Focal Point at the Intergovernemental
Oceanograhic Commission of UNESCO (IOC/UNESCO) and a member of the National Ocean
Decade in Morocco. He has a pro active participation in IOC programs for many years, covering
multiple and different areas of IOC/UNESCO. During his mandate as vice chaiperson, he has
chaired many strategic groups and represented IOC interests in multiple fora. His knowledge
of the IOC/UNESCO Commission and its work, together for his experience since the last years
in IOC matters, motivates him more to desserve the African and Arabic interests, particulary in
the context of the launch in 2021 of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable
Development. He has also several scientific publications. Since 1998, he was involved into IPCC
activities and has a strong expertise in Working Group II (Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability)
for the Assessment Reports (AR3, AR4, AR5, AR6) at the Intergovernmental as Contributing
Author (CA), Lead Author (LA) and Reviewer Author (RA) mainly for Africa and Ocean chapters.
He is a member of the national delegation at UNFCCC – COPs.

Neil Holdsworth is a data management specialist with a background in both private and public sectors. He leads Data and Information at the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), an inter-governmental organisation that provides science-based management advice for the sustainable use of the oceans. 

As the head of Data and Information at ICES, Neil oversees data collaborations with various partners primarily in the North East Atlantic, such as OSPAR, HELCOM, European Commission and the European Environment Agency, providing them with a range of data hosting and dissemination services. ICES contributes to the coordination of ocean monitoring, best practices in data collection and as a key user of data collected by Governmental agencies, as well as industry data, in order to provide the a reliable and sustainable evidence base that can be used by as many stakeholders as possible. He is also involved in several projects related to ocean observation and data sharing, such as Mission Atlantic, EMODnet Chemistry, EMODnet Biology, EMODnet Physics and DTO Bioflow among others.   

Paul Holthus has been advancing ocean business, investment and sustainable development since the 1990’s and launched the World Ocean Council (WOC) in 2009. As the global Blue Economy Business and Investment Organization, the WOC brings together shipping, fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, offshore energy, investors and others in the international business alliance to create leadership, collaboration and action on “Corporate Ocean Responsibility”. 

The WOC includes a global network of 35,000+ ocean industry stakeholders, the Sustainable Ocean Summit (SOS) - the only annual gathering of the global ocean business community on sustainability and the Global Blue Finance Summit (BlueFIN). The WOC work program advances action on the key global ocean sustainable development and ocean, climate and biodiversity challenges and opportunities facing business. In 2011, he launched the WOC SMART Ocean-SMART Industries program, which is expanding ocean industry efforts to host or deploy instruments that collect ocean and climate data from commercial vessels, platforms and cables. 

Paul is a frequent speaker at international ocean, industry, sustainability and investment events. He was one of 5 people invited to be a member of the UN Secretary General’s Expert Group on Oceans for the 2012 Rio+20 conference. He is the first international ocean industry organization representative invited to address the UN General Assembly. 

Mr Holthus has worked on ocean, coastal and island sustainable development for over 40 years and in over 30 countries - working with UN agencies, companies, communities, industry associations, international non-governmental organisations and foundations. He has held senior positions with UNEP, IUCN, The Nature Conservancy and other international environmental organisations. 

Paul is a graduate of the University of California and University of Hawaii, was a Fulbright scholar in Australia and is an East-West Center alum.