IMO’s technical cooperation activities are critical for implementation of IMO measures and for developing a sustainable maritime sector. The Technical Cooperation Committee oversees this important work and is meeting in virtual session this week (7-11 December). Acknowledging the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, IMO Secretary-General told the Committee that a well-organized shipping sector will be critical in ensuring Member States' post-COVID economic recovery and, in the longer term, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. “Although there is bound to be economic impact from the pandemic, it is imperative that Member States and development partners invest in maritime development and training, both through supporting the Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme and through direct support to our global training institutions, the World Maritime University and the IMO International Maritime Law Institute,” Mr. Lim said.
The agenda for this week’s session includes implementation of the integrated technical cooperation programme (or ITCP), resource mobilization and partnerships, and the regional presence scheme. The Committee will also continue work on developing SMART indicators for data collection within IMO's mandate for technical cooperation, in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 2020 world maritime theme Sustainable Shipping for a Sustainable Planet.
The Committee will also consider actions taken by the IMO Secretariat to adapt methods of delivering technical cooperation assistance to Member States, in particular, Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries, in order to meet the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
During his opening remarks, Mr. Lim also took the opportunity to once again remind Member States that seafarers have been the silent heroes and collateral victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, as travel restrictions have left hundreds of thousands of them stranded on ships, or unable to join ships. He again called on Governments to classify seafarers of all nationalities as key workers, and to adopt a comprehensive, multi-agency approach to facilitating crew changes. He also highlighted the work of the Seafarers Crisis Action Team in supporting seafarers and resolving issues and recognized the contribution of the staff of the Technical Cooperation Division in staging regional webinars to bring these issues to a wider audience. (Download speech).
The Technical Cooperation Committee 70th session is being chaired by His Excellency Mr. Laurent Parenté (Vanuatu).