• The importance of coastal communities understanding marine and territorial planning.

• The development of a socially and culturally appropriate dialogue that considers the cumulative impacts of other economic sectors on the territories.

• The need for human rights due diligence that is tailored to the context and realities of coastal territories, including:

  • Ensuring clear, timely, and culturally appropriate access to information.

  • Understanding the participation mechanisms and self-governance models of fishing communities.

  • Establishing early and continuous social engagement with a gender-sensitive and intersectional approach.

• The integration of appropriate and transparent mechanisms to ensure the fair and equitable distribution of benefits—going beyond a material focus to include cultural dimensions.

It is essential to embrace and learn from the experiences of wind energy initiatives in La Guajira, as well as from other offshore hydrocarbon industries in Colombia, to understand how communities must be recognized as key stakeholders in these processes and how multi-actor dialogue can be fostered at local and regional levels.

We extend our gratitude to the Colombian Network of Offshore Wind Energy Researchers, Andrés Francisco Gómez, Jairo Vergara, Weildler Guerra, and José Antonio Vega for this space for discussion. We hope such dialogue platforms will continue to be promoted to build informed perspectives on these highly relevant issues.