ACATMAR celebrates: member Arthur Rocha Baptista becomes Honorary Consul of Norway in Itajaí

ACATMAR is proud to celebrate an achievement by one of its members. Attorney Arthur Rocha Baptista, who leads ARB.Legal (Advocacia Rocha Baptista), has taken office as Honorary Consul of Norway in Itajaí, Santa Catarina.

The inauguration took place on July 23, with the opening of the Honorary Consulate of Norway in the city, in a ceremony attended by the Consul-General of Norway in Rio de Janeiro, Mette Tangen. A significant milestone for Itajaí and the entire region.

A bridge between Brazil and a maritime giant

Norway is one of the world's leading references when it comes to the sea: blue economy, fisheries, naval technology, energy, ocean research and sustainability. Having a consular representative in Itajaí, one of the country's main port and nautical hubs, opens a direct channel of cooperation between the two countries, precisely in the areas that drive the Blue Economy.

Also on the agenda in Itajaí, projects developed at Univali in partnership with Norwegian universities were presented, in the areas of health and the environment, reinforcing the university's role as a bridge between applied research and international cooperation. Initiatives like these expand the opportunities for academic and environmental collaboration in Santa Catarina.

Someone who knows the nautical sector

The choice is fully aligned with ACATMAR's agenda. Arthur Rocha Baptista is one of the most respected names in Maritime Law in Brazil. An attorney registered with the Brazilian Bar since 2001 and managing partner of ARB.Legal since 2007, he holds a Master's degree in Maritime Law from the University of Southampton, in the United Kingdom, and served as an observer for the Brazilian Delegation before the Legal Committee of the IMO, the International Maritime Organization, in London.

His work is internationally recognized: he is listed as a recommended transport and shipping lawyer by Legal 500, a "Leading Lawyer" by Chambers, and appears in "The Best Lawyers in Brazil" and in the Who's Who Legal: Transport report. His specialties include maritime and port law, international trade, shipbuilding contracts and yacht law, subjects at the very heart of the Blue Economy.

He has chaired the Maritime, Port, Customs and Waterways Law Committee of the Brazilian Bar Association in Rio Grande do Sul and the Maritime Cluster of Rio Grande do Sul. In addition to ACATMAR, he is a member of entities such as the Brazilian Association of Maritime Law and the Commercial Association of Itajaí. At the V ACATMAR Technical Training Forum, he was one of the speakers, addressing safety and compliance with laws and standards as a value in the nautical sector.

Proud to have him as a member

For ACATMAR, seeing a member take on a diplomatic mission like this is a source of pride and the certainty that the region's Blue Economy relationships will grow even closer. Congratulations, Arthur Rocha Baptista. May this new role open many doors for Brazil, for Norway and for the entire maritime production chain.