Lobito - The CEO of the Port of Lobito, Celso Rosas, on Friday defended the need for constant coordination of maritime surveillance between the various entities involved, due to the growth of international illicit trade and environmental degradation.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) warns that the global economy loses more than 2 trillion US dollars every year to crimes such as smuggling, counterfeiting, trafficking in people and wildlife, and other forms of illegal transactions.

Speaking at the end of the maritime security course, Celso Rosas said that the Angolan coast, with its size and economic importance, is one of the country's greatest assets.

"For this reason, initiatives such as this course are very important because they directly contribute to the technical and strategic training of professionals, strengthening the resilience of our infrastructure and protecting our maritime interests," he said.

For the CEO, the course represents an investment in human capital in a sector as vital as the maritime and port sector, and underlines the need to continue investing in the training and development of personnel.

According to the manager, the increasing sophistication of threats requires constant updating and innovation.

During the four-day course, the auditors were trained in topics such as the geopolitics of the sea and the blue economy, the concept of maritime security, and the panorama of regional and global maritime security.

Maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and its regional and international contribution, the United Nations Strategy for Oceans and Seas in the 2030 Agenda - ODS14, were also part of the agenda.

The course aimed to train auditors to understand, analyze and apply maritime security strategy, integration and coordination of forces to protect Angolan and African waters from transnational threats and crimes.TC/CRB/TED/AMP