Saudi Arabia has acceded to two important IMO treaties – the 1988 Protocol to the International Convention on Load Lines and the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks.
The 1988 Load Lines protocol harmonizes the Load Lines Convention's survey and certification requirement with those contained in the SOLAS and MARPOL conventions and revises certain regulations in the technical Annexes to the convention.
The Nairobi Convention provides the legal basis for States to remove, or have removed, shipwrecks that may have the potential to affect adversely the safety of lives, goods and property at sea, as well as the marine environment.
A delegation from Saudi Arabia, led by HRH Prince Khaled bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, deposited the instruments or accession with IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim during the 122nd meeting of the IMO Council in London this week (15-19 July).
Germany is the latest country to accede to IMO's treaty for safe and environmentally-sound ship recycling – the Hong Kong Convention.
The Convention covers the design, construction, operation and maintenance of ships, and preparation for ship recycling in order to facilitate safe and environmentally sound recycling, without compromising the safety and operational efficiency of ships.
Under the treaty, ships to be sent for recycling are required to carry an inventory of hazardous materials, specific to each ship. Ship recycling yards are required to provide a "Ship Recycling Plan", specifying the manner in which each ship will be recycled, depending on its particulars and its inventory.
Mr. Reinhard Klingen, Director-General Waterways and Shipping in the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure of Germany, met IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at IMO Headquarters, London (16 July) to deposit the instrument of accession.
The 13 contracting States to the Convention represent 29.42% of world merchant shipping tonnage.
South Africa has become the latest country to accede to a key compensation treaty covering the transport of hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) by ship.
When in force, the treaty will provide a regime of liability and compensation for damage caused by HNS cargoes transported by sea, including oil and chemicals, and covers not only pollution damage, but also the risks of fire and explosion, including loss of life or personal injury as well as loss of or damage to property. An HNS Fund will be established, to pay compensation once shipowner's liability is exhausted. This Fund will be financed through contributions paid post incident by receivers of HNS cargoes.
As required by the treaty, South Africa provided data on the total quantities of liable contributing cargo. Entry into force of the treaty requires accession by at least 12 States, meeting certain criteria in relation to tonnage and reporting annually the quantity of HNS cargo received in a State. The treaty requires a total quantity of at least 40 million tonnes of cargo contributing to the general account to have been received in the preceding calendar year.
The Honourable Mr. Fikile April Mbalula, Minister of Transport, South Africa, met IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at IMO Headquarters, London, (15 July) to deposit the instrument of accession to the 2010 Protocol to the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, 1996 (2010 HNS Convention).
The treaty has now been ratified by five States (Canada, Denmark, Norway, South Africa and Turkey).
"Just-In-Time" (JIT) operations have the potential to cut the time ships spend idling outside ports and help reduce harmful emissions as well as save on fuel costs. This can be achieved by communicating in advance the relevant information to the ship about the requested time of arrival - allowing the ship to adjust to optimum speed. A desktop trial in Just-In-Time ship operations has yielded positive results, showing emissions can be cut considerably. The trial was conducted by members of the IMO-led Global Industry Alliance to Support Low Carbon Shipping (GIA), at the Port of Rotterdam (10 July).
Technical adviser Astrid Dispert said, "More validation is needed and ultimately a real-time Just-in-Time trial - which is what we are working towards. But the desktop exercise showed the potential and the clear benefit that early communication between ships, port authorities and terminals can bring as it allows speed optimisation during the voyage."
During the desktop exercise, a voyage between Bremerhaven and Rotterdam (247 nm distance) was simulated a couple of times. In the first business as usual scenario, the ship receives an update on when it is requested to arrive at the pilot boarding place at the first Calling In Point (when the ship is in VHF radio range, around 30nm from port). The time that the ship is requested to arrive at the pilot boarding place is dependent on a number of variables, including the availability of the terminal as well as pilots and tugs. But the information is often only sent when the ship is already relatively close to port.
In the second Just-In-Time scenario, the ship receives several updates much sooner in the voyage to Rotterdam, on when to arrive at the pilot boarding place. The ship can then adjust speed to its optimum speed.
Comparing the two scenarios, 23% less fuel was consumed in the Just-In-Time scenario – a significant reduction in fuel and therefore emissions.
Data from this exercise will be fed into a Just-In-Time guide being prepared by the GIA. The exercise was conducted by representatives from the Port of Rotterdam, Maersk, MSC, IMO and Inchcape Shipping.
The GIA is an innovative public-private partnership initiative of the IMO, under the framework of the GEF-UNDP-IMO Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnerships (GloMEEP) Project that aims to bring together maritime industry leaders to support an energy efficient and low carbon maritime transport system.
The benefits and implications of acceding to the 1996 London Protocol on the prevention of marine pollution by dumping of wastes and other matter in the South Asian Seas Region were discussed at a regional workshop in Dhaka, Bangladesh (10-11 July).
The main objectives of the workshops were to inform relevant authorities of the benefits and implications of ratifying, implementing and enforcing the London Protocol. The purpose of the London Convention is to control all sources of marine pollution and prevent pollution of the sea through regulation of dumping into the sea of waste materials. A special emphasis was also placed on the protection of ports and ocean environment.
The regional workshop was followed up by a national workshop for Bangladesh (12 July), attended by around 30 participants from Government ministries, agencies, state enterprises and academia.
The regional workshop was attended by participants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Lead by IMO and the South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP), the event was hosted by the Government of Bangladesh in Dhaka.
Fishing is considered one of the most hazardous occupation in the world and, despite improvements in technology, the loss of life in the fisheries sector is unacceptably high.
In order to improve the safety of fishers and fishing vessels, IMO has put in place, over the years, several initiatives, culminating with the adoption of the Cape Town Agreement of 2012.
Accra, Ghana, was the host for a regional seminar (8-12 July), on "Ensuring Safety Of Ships and Fishing", to encourage discussion on promoting and ensuring safety in the fishing industry. The event also provided Member Governments with the assistance they may need in implementing the Agreement.
The 2012 Cape Town Agreement (CTA) will provide international standards for the safety of fishing vessels. It outlines regulations designed to protect the safety of crews and observers and provides a level playing field for the industry while setting standards for fishing vessels of 24 meters length and over.
Many Member States have observed a link between lack of safety at sea, forced labour and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The entry into force of the Agreement is expected to improve safety at sea in the fisheries sector worldwide. It will also be a useful tool in combatting IUU fishing and reducing pollution from fishing vessels, including marine debris.
In an important move, the Minister of Transport of Ghana, Hon. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah urged the Ghana Maritime Authority to set the process in motion for the ratification of the Cape Town Agreement. Fishing is an important industry for Ghana, a major exporter of canned seafood, including tuna.
So far, 11 states have ratified the agreement with 1,413 vessels out of the required 3,600 for entry into force. In Africa, only Congo and South Africa have ratified the Agreement.
The event was organized by IMO in collaboration with FAO, and Pew Charitable Trusts (Pew). It was attended by participants from nine countries in the West and Central Africa region.
How do you deal with maritime crimes at sea - and how do you train others to do so? These are the skills being taught on the latest in a series of regional training of trainers courses on combating insecurity in the maritime domain. Participants from 18 countries* are attending the course, at the Mohammed Bin Naif Academy for Maritime Science and Security Studies, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (30 June - 11 July).
Participants are learning teaching skills. They are also becoming familiar with how to deal with maritime crimes at sea, including piracy/robbery, drug trafficking, marine terrorism, weapons smuggling, and human trafficking. The training is being conducted by subject matter experts from the Saudi Arabia Border Guard, International Committee of the Red Cross/Red Crescent and IMO
The course is jointly organised by IMO and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the auspices of the Jeddah Amendment to Djibouti Code of Conduct. It is part of a training programme to prepare selected participants to acquire the necessary skills to deliver training in their own countries and regionally. This is the tenth course in a series under a sponsorship programme of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through IMO. To date, 226 students from across the region have benefitted from the training, since 2013.
* Bahrain, Bangladesh, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania and Yemen.
Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear can continue to capture and kill marine animals and may cause navigational hazards – as well as contributing to the global marine litter problem. IMO is working closely with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on reducing marine plastic litter from fishing vessels, including fishing gear, as part of the IMO Action Plan on the Reduction of Marine Plastic Litter. This collaboration includes IMO participation at a series of regional FAO-led workshops on best practices to prevent and reduce abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear.
Participants at the second regional workshop, in Bali, Indonesia (8-11 July), discussed the usefulness of developing a practical guide on the application of IMO's MARPOL Annex V for small fishing vessels and fisheries ports. This could help to promote port reception facilities for the delivery of fishing nets, the application of garbage management plans on small fishing ships and the use of reporting mechanisms for lost fishing gear. IMO addresses marine plastic litter in the oceans through both MARPOL Annex V (which prohibits the discharge of plastics into the sea from all vessels) and through the London Convention/London Protocol regime, which ensures that plastics do not enter the sea as part of any wastes allowed for dumping at sea.
The regional workshop, like the others in the series, focused largely on the practical application of the recommendations contained in the FAO's Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear (VGMFG)) in the countries of the region. Another opportunity to discuss the implementation of the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for the Marking of Fishing Gear will be during the 4th session of the Joint FAO/ILO/IMO Working Group on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and Related Matters, to take place 21-23 October, in Torremolinos, Spain from following the IMO-Government of Spain Ministerial Conference on fishing vessel safety and IUU fishing (21-23 October
The workshop was organized jointly by FAO and the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI). Participants represented Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor Leste, from national and regional authorities responsible for fisheries, and from ministries of transport and foreign affairs.
Government and private stakeholders have expressed their support for climate action in the Caribbean, with a focus on decarbonizing the shipping sector, during a regional workshop on Capacity Building for Climate Mitigation in the Maritime Shipping Industry, held at the Chaguaramas Campus of The University of Trinidad and Tobago (1-3 July). The workshop, the second for the region, was hosted by the Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre (MTCC) Caribbean - one of five regional centres established under the IMO-led, European Union-funded Global MTCC Network (GMN) project.
Participants were updated on pilot projects completed by MTCC-Caribbean, including a voluntary regional online reporting system to track energy efficient technology and fuel consumption onboard ships within the Caribbean. This has enabled the completion of baselines and databases, including for greenhouse gas emissions; for Energy Efficiency Operational Indicator (EEOI) for ships calling at Caribbean ports; for energy efficient technologies used on board ships calling at ports in the Caribbean; and for the type of fuel consumed by vessels within the region. Establishing the baseline is key, in order to then move forward with reducing emissions.
Following discussions, many participants acknowledged the need to support and sustain the MTCC Caribbean beyond the GMN project duration. A working group was established to address identified challenges, including securing funding and obtaining full political support at the national and regional levels. The MTCC-Caribbean is seen as having a key role in propelling the Caribbean forward with decarbonization in the shipping sector, in line with the IMO initial GHG strategy.
The workshop was attended by more than 100 international, regional and local participants, from Government ministries and agencies, including Maritime Services Division, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources; maritime administrations of various Caribbean States; major ports including Port Point Lisas (PLIPDECO) and Port of Spain; private sector stakeholders (including BP Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean Shipping Association Carnival Corporation, Energy Trinidad Limited, Fulcrum Maritime Systems Ltd, Methanex, NiQuan and Shipping Association of Trinidad and Tobago); the Caribbean Marine Environment Protection Agency (CARIBMEPA) and the Women in Maritime Association, Caribbean (WiMAC); and the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE).
More women are joining the maritime ranks in a variety of professions within the industry. To encourage this trend, IMO supported a training course aimed at female officials from maritime and port authorities.
25 women from 17 developing countries took part in the two-week "Women in Port Management" course, hosted in Le Havre, France (24 June - 5 July). The course covered lectures on port management, port security, marine environment, facilitation of maritime traffic, marketing, port logistics and other topics. Participants learnt about the necessary skills required to improve the management and operational efficiency of their ports.
Visits were organized to the Port of Le Havre and the Port of Rouen, giving participants the chance to experience for themselves the day-to-day operations of a port, with a view to applying this knowledge back in their respective countries.
The port management course was delivered through IMO's Women in Maritime programme, supported by the Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China and in partnership with the Port Institute for Education and Research (IPER) and the Le Havre Port Authority. It comes as part of IMO's ongoing and increasing efforts to support the UN Sustainable Development Goal number five: achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
This is the 15th training event of its kind. So far, 333 women have received training under this activity. Demand for the course has continued to grow substantially over the past years.
The Sub-Committee on Implementation of IMO Instruments (III) brings together flag, port and coastal States, together with observer delegations, to consider implementation issues. At its sixth session (1-5 July), the Sub-Committee is expected to finalize updates to key instruments which assist in implementation, including the updated Survey Guidelines under the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification, the Non-exhaustive list of obligations under instruments relevant to the IMO instruments implementation Code (III Code), and Procedures for port State control, for adoption by the IMO Assembly at its thirty-first session in November 2019. A further draft resolution on Guidance on communication of information by Member States will also be finalized.
The III Code is a key instrument under the under the IMO Member State Audit Scheme. Following completion of the analysis of the first consolidated audit summary report at the last session, the Sub-Committee is expected to consider a proposal for a new output on the development of additional guidance in relation to the audit scheme.
How to harmonize port State control (PSC) activities and procedures worldwide is an ongoing issue under consideration by the Sub-Committee, which will receive the report of a correspondence group. Preparations will be made for the holding of a Workshop for PSC MoU/Agreement Secretaries and Database Managers (scheduled to take place in 2020). At present there are nine regional PSC regimes. Particular attention will be paid to the forthcoming "IMO 2020" sulphur requirement, following the adoption of specific PSC guidance by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 74). The Sub-Committee will also consider a proposal for a new output to develop a training manual for new entrants as flag State surveyors/port State inspectors.
Another key agenda item is the review and analysis of maritime casualties. The Sub-Committee will consider the analysis and review of 27 marine safety investigation reports, with a view to making recommendations for lessons learned and for any further regulatory work which may be needed. The Sub-Committee will also consider the need for a robust strategy on the wider collection and utilization of casualty data.
The meeting was opened by IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim. III 6 is being chaired by Ms. Claudia Grant (Jamaica). Click for photos.
In a spate of activity since its formal launch in March, the initial phase of the Glofouling Partnerships project is now well and truly underway with a series of technical workshops in the Pacific. The key message delivered to participants was that once introduced, marine invasive species can be hard to eradicate - and invasive species represent a potential major threat to the Pacific Ocean's biodiversity and the ecological integrity of Small Island Developing States. The GEF-UNDP-IMO GloFouling Partnerships project aims to protect marine biodiversity by addressing bioinvasions by organisms which can build up on ships' hulls and other marine structures.
Participants from South Pacific countries took part in a five-day regional workshop (3-7 June) in Suva, Fiji. This provided an opportunity to outline the main instruments which aim to prevent the spread of invasive species and address fouling on ships: the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention, the Anti-Fouling Systems (AFS) Convention and the IMO Biofouling Guidelines. Implementation of these conventions and guidelines can help prevent the transfer of invasive aquatic species into the Pacific region.
During the workshop, site visits to a dockyard in Suva provided an opportunity for participants to see at first hand hull cleaning/painting, and to see where fouling can occur in niche areas such as sea chests, bow thrusters or propeller shafts.
The regional workshop was organized by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), in collaboration with the Project Coordination Unit of the GEF-UNDP-IMO GloFouling Partnerships. The regional workshop was part funded by IMO's Integrated Technical Cooperation programme (ITCP).
It was attended by representatives from Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, the Federate States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. The workshop included consultants and support from Maritime New Zealand, the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), and the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
Fiji (10 June) and Tonga (12-13 June) - two of the 12 Lead Partnering Countries (LPCs) of the GloFouling Partnerships - hosted national workshops to review the programme of work and begin establishing national task forces. Both national meetings were attended by representatives from a wide range of government institutions and the private sector, such as the ministries of environment, fisheries, transport and infrastructure, port authority, biosecurity, port state control officers, dry docks, shipping agents and operators. Strong support was provided by the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources. One of the exercises of the participants was to review the institutions and stakeholders that should be contacted to take part in their National Task Force, to be set up in the coming months. The role of the national task forces will be to oversee the development of a strategy and action plan to implement IMO's Biofouling Guidelines and best practices for other maritime industries.
The GloFouling Partnerships will organize similar national workshops in the remaining Lead Partnering Countries in the coming months.
The IMO-executed GloFouling Partnerships project to address bioinvasions by organisms which can build up on ships' hulls and other marine structures is a collaboration between the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and IMO. Twelve lead partnering countries (Brazil, Ecuador, Fiji, Indonesia, Jordan, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Tonga), four regional organizations, IOC-UNESCO, the World Ocean Council and numerous strategic partners have signed up to the project.
Peru has acceded to an important IMO treaty helping to protect the marine environment – the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships (AFS) Convention. The treaty prohibits the use of harmful organotins in anti-fouling paints and establishes a mechanism to prevent the potential future use of other harmful substances in anti-fouling systems.
H.E. Mr. Juan Carlos Gamarra Skeels, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Peru to IMO, met IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at IMO Headquarters, London, to deposit the instrument of accession (2 July).
The treaty now has 87 contracting States, representing just over 96% of world merchant shipping tonnage.
Reducing atmospheric pollution from ships and improving air quality is an integral part of IMO's work. Under MARPOL Annex VI this principle is clearly enshrined. As a result a regional workshop on MARPOL Annex VI was held in Bangkok, Thailand (24-26 June).
The workshop, aimed at shipping stakeholders, strongly encouraged ratification and implementation of MARPOL Annex VI including regulations on ships' energy efficiency. Participants were reminded that proper implementation of the convention would have a significant beneficial impact on the atmospheric environment and on human health, particularly for people living in port cities and coastal communities.
The event also looked at new requirements for ships to cut sulphur oxide emissions, which enter into effect on 1 January 2020, marking a sea change in fuel used by ships. Participants also discussed port-related activities to facilitate reduction of GHG emissions from shipping.
The workshop was organized within the framework of the 'Energy Efficiency' programme of the Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP), with relevant contributions from IMO's major projects aimed at reducing atmospheric pollution from ships, namely GloMEEP and the EU-funded GMN project.
A key IMO initiative supporting ship decarbonisation – the Global Industry Alliance (GIA) – is set to be extended to 2023, in line with the timeframe of IMO’s Initial GHG Strategy.
The extension follows two years of good progress by the initiative, whose 6th Task Force meeting took place in Gothenberg, Sweden this week (25 June).
The task force discussed developments in a number of on-going projects, including the upcoming release of the first of three ‘Energy Efficient Ship Operation’ e-learning courses, which will be made available free of charge. Work is progressing on the second course, which will provide guidance on how seafarers working in engine and deck departments can contribute to reducing fuel consumption. Course three will be aimed at shipping companies and ports and what they can do to contribute to energy-efficient shipping.
Just-in-time (JIT) ship operation was also on the agenda, including how to address existing contractual and operational barriers. The group discussed how the required exchange of data between ships, ports and terminal could be further incentivised – and agreed to reach out to the aviation industry to learn how, through global data sharing, the aviation industry has improved the reliability of arrival slots.
Senior officials from the newly established Kenya Coast Guard Services are undergoing training on coast guard functions at a national workshop in Mombasa, Kenya (24-28 June).
Fifteen participants are taking part in the training, which is using scenario development methodology and plenary discussions to highlight issues, identify insights and develop deeper understanding of effective ways to meet coastguard functions – with a view to enhancing maritime security in Kenya.
The training is organised by the United Kingdom and IMO, under the auspices of the Jeddah Amendment to the Djibouti Code of Conduct. It is supported by a joint team from the UK Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA), Royal Navy International Defence Training (RNIDT), and facilitated by the British Peace Support Team Africa (BPST(A)) and IMO. Other international partners supporting the implementation of the Djibouti code of Conduct (Japan, Denmark and the International Committee of the Red Cross) are also in attendance and contributing to the discussions.
The 2019 academic year marks the 30th anniversary of the Malta-based IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI). A special event (pictured, top) to celebrate the occasion was held at IMO Headquarters (25 June). Malta's Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat (bottom left), spoke of his country's continuing commitment to hosting such an important global institution, while IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim highlighted IMLI's firm commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. See photos here.
IMLI's overall mission is to help build the legal capacity among IMO member states, particularly developing states, to fulfil their obligations under IMO treaties. It provides training in all aspects of international maritime law, as well as in legislative drafting techniques.
Its academic programmes include a Master of Laws in International Maritime Law, a Master of Humanities in International Maritime Legislation, a Master of Philosophy in International Maritime Law and Ocean Policy, and a cooperative Master of Laws in International Maritime Law and Immigration Law with Queen Mary University of London. Since the academic year 2018-2019 was completed, more than 1000 students from 146 States and territories have pursued studies at IMLI.
IMLI is firmly committed to gender equality and to empowering females to become part of the maritime industries. One notable claim to fame is that IMLI has an official policy of reserving 50 per cent of its student places for female candidates. In recent years, the female student population has actually outnumbered the male students.
Speaking at the celebratory ceremony Secretary-General Lim expressed his sincere gratitude to the Government of Malta, the many donors and other institutions, both public and private, without whose support IMLI's success would not have been possible. At the end of the ceremony, IMLI director Professor David Attard, received a letter of appreciation and commemorative award, to mark his many years of outstanding service.
IMO is committed to ensuring the implementation of all its treaties. By carefully matching the needs of recipient countries with resources available from donors, the Organization's technical cooperation programme is the essential component in helping all governments to fulfil their responsibilities. With a strong focus on capacity building and training, the technical cooperation programme makes a strong and continuing contribution to sustainable development. IMO's Technical Cooperation Committee (TC 69) is meeting (25-27 June) to review activities carried out in 2018 and approve the Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme for 2020-2021.
The planned 2020-2021 programme has a strong emphasis on achieving the targets set in the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. A proposed new global programme dedicated to maritime development and the blue economy recognises the potential of the maritime sector to unlock growth and promote sustainable development.
The committee will also be updated on various programmes and activities, including the IMO Women in Maritime gender programme, which is particularly relevant to this year's World Maritime Day theme, "Empowering Women in the Maritime Community". Two special events will be held, one to launch the World Maritime University (WMU)-Koji Sekimizu PhD Fellowship on Maritime Governance and another one to mark 30 years of the IMO International Maritime Law Institute. All delegates will be encouraged to show their support for the international Day of the Seafarer, which falls on the first day of the meeting.
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim opened the 69th session (speech), which is being chaired by Mr. Zulkurnain Ayub (Malaysia). (Photos)
The Hon Mr Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Minister of Transport, Malaysia, addressed the Committee, pledging Malaysia's continued commitment to supporting IMO's technical cooperation activities and to the World Maritime Day theme, empowering women in the maritime community. Malaysia handed over generous funds to support WMU, IMLI and the GHG TC-Trust Fund.
A national training course in oil spill response has been delivered in Montenegro by REMPEC, the IMO-administered pollution emergency response centre in the Mediterranean (19-21 June). The course was designed to prepare the competent national authorities to co-ordinate and manage responses and make decisions on strategies and tactics to be used in clean-up operations. It was aimed at supervisors and on-scene commanders.
The training course will help Montenegro implement the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC 90), which specifically calls for states to establish relevant oil-spill training programmes. IMO has developed a range of "model" training courses to address all aspects of oil spill planning, response and management.
This particular activity was part of a comprehensive plan to protect Montenegro and the Adriatic Sea against the effects of oil spills. In 2011, Montenegro adopted a national contingency plan which REMPEC helped to draft. This will be complemented by the Adriatic Sub Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan (ASOSCoP)to be developed within a broader EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR). These, in turn, are encompassed in a wider approach (supported by IMO and REMPEC) in which Montenegro will prepare a national action plan to implement the 2016-2021 regional strategy for prevention of, and response to, marine pollution from ships.
IMO training on the International Safety Management (ISM) Code is underway for nine countries* in the eastern and southern Africa subregion. The code sets international standard for safe ship management and operation. Thirty-two participants are taking part in the event, which is hosted by the Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation (TASAC) in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania (17-21 June).
The course is focused on how the code evolved and its importance in efforts to improve safe ship operation and pollution prevention. Participants are senior maritime administrations personnel responsible for conducting shipboard and shore-based audits for verification of compliance with the code’s requirements.
The training, which is supported by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, includes interactive country-specific presentations focusing on the administrations’ tonnage, type of vessels, knowledge and perspective on ISM code implementation.
* Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania.
Identifying organisms and microbes in ballast water, as well as monitoring port marine life where ballast water may be released, are key for countries preparing to enforce IMO's Ballast Water Management Convention. The treaty involves measures to counter the threat to marine ecosystems by potentially invasive species transported in ships' ballast water.
A regional workshop in Malé, Maldives (18-20 June) is training participants from four countries* in compliance monitoring and enforcement of the Convention. The event also includes training on how to conduct a relevant risk assessment for implementing and enforcing the BWM Convention – with a focus on ship targeting for port State control and exemptions under a key regulation (regulation A-4) of the BWM Convention.
The workshop also included training on how to plan and conduct a port biological baseline survey using standardized protocols.
Find out more about the BWM Convention, including frequently asked questions and an infographic on complying with the treaty, here.
* Bangladesh, India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka
IMO is at the UN climate change conference in Bonn, Germany (17-27 June), where governments are meeting to work towards significantly accelerating the pace of climate action. IMO is reporting to the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technical Advice (SBSTA 50) on the latest and ongoing work to implement the Initial IMO Strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships. The strategy sets out a vision confirming IMO's commitment to reducing GHG emissions from international shipping and, as a matter of urgency, to phasing them out as soon as possible in this century.
Specifically, IMO has highlighted the achievements of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 74), which approved amendments to strengthen existing mandatory requirements for new ships to be more energy efficient; initiated the Fourth IMO GHG Study; adopted a resolution encouraging voluntary cooperation between the port and shipping sectors to reduce emissions from shipping; and, importantly, approved a procedure for the assessment of impacts on States of new measures proposed.
Capacity-building and technology transfer feature heavily in IMO's work, including the continued successful execution of important capacity-building projects, the GEF-UNDP-IMO Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnerships (GloMEEP) and the European Union-IMO GMN (Global Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres Network). An international project to support the initial IMO GHG strategy has been launched - the GreenVoyage-2050 project, a collaboration between IMO and the Government of Norway.
IMO's submission to SBSTA 50 can be downloaded here.
Students at the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) marked the successful completion of an intensive year of studies at a graduation ceremony held in Malta, (15 June).
"Dear students, do not forget that it will be our concerted efforts that will ensure that our beautiful oceans are protected for future generations." said IMO Secretary-General, Kitack Lim who was addressing the graduates.
Covering a wide range of international maritime law courses - including the law of the sea, shipping law, marine environmental law and more, 51 students from 36 States have graduated, and enhanced their knowledge in international maritime law for the benefit of their countries and the international community.
This year, IMLI celebrated its 30th graduation ceremony at the prestigious Malta Maritime Museum, Vittoriosa.
A key IMO-administered pollution response facility in the Mediterranean is to undertake a far-reaching programme of activities designed to help address the adverse effects of shipping on human health and marine ecosystems.
At their bi-annual meeting in Malta (11-13 June), focal points for the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC), have agreed:
· to continue developing and strengthening pollution response capacity and cooperation at national, sub-regional and regional levels
· to explore and establish synergies between the Regional Plan on Marine Litter Management in the Mediterranean and the IMO action plan to address marine plastic litter from ships
· to examine further the possibility of designating the Mediterranean Sea area as an Emission Control Area for Sulphur Oxides under MARPOL Annex VI
· the need to define a sustainable and collaborative approach to implement the Offshore Protocol and its action plan effectively, and
· to launch a wide consultation process to prepare a draft post-2021 Mediterranean strategy for prevention of, and response to, marine pollution from ships involving all coastal States and relevant regional organizations
The meeting marked the 25th anniversary of the Mediterranean Assistance Unit (MAU), a group of experts and centres of expertise that can be mobilised by REMPEC in emergencies, and welcomed its latest member, the Adriatic Training and Research Centre for Accidental Marine Pollution Preparedness and Response.
More than 80 participants attended the meeting, from IMO, 19 Mediterranean coastal states, the European Union/European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), UN Environment, as well as other governmental and non-governmental organizations and shipping industry representatives.
Shipping activity in the Mediterranean has been rising considerably in recent highlighting the need for continued regional cooperation on pollution prevention and response. In particular, a rapid rise in cruise activity makes it now the world’s second busiest region for cruises.
France has become the 29th State to sign up to the IMO treaty on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F). The Convention sets the certification and minimum training requirements for crews of seagoing fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and above. It entered into force in 2012 and is a key pillar among the international instruments addressing fishing vessel safety. Ambassador Nicole Taillefer, Permanent Representative of France to IMO, met IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at IMO Headquarters, London, to deposit the instruments of accession (12 June).