Ethiopian maritime security officials are enhancing their knowledge and skills around flag State control and compliance through an IMO workshop taking pace in Addis Ababa (1-5 July). 

It is the latest in a series of workshops delivered by IMO under the EU-funded Regional Programme for Maritime Security in the Red Sea Area (Red Sea Project).  

The workshop covers control and compliance measures related to the different obligations and duties of a flag State, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and various IMO instruments.   

With 25 participants engaged from a range of government departments, the training promotes multi-agency collaboration and a whole-of-government approach towards meeting Ethiopia’s maritime security obligations as a flag State. 

Participants receive training on the implementation of IMO instruments, recognition and monitoring of Recognized Organizations (ROs), and regional regulations and codes for non-SOLAS ships which are not covered by regulations under the SOLAS treaty (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974). 

The Red Sea Project, funded by the European Union, is delivered by IMO, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), INTERPOL and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Through the project, IMO aims to assist participating countries in the Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, to enhance maritime security and safety in the Red Sea Area, in line with the 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy.