IMO's role in implementing the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been highlighted at the first Maritime Administrators’ Forum in Singapore (19 April). Participants were informed of IMO's continuing efforts to link its technical cooperation program to the SDGs, including SDG 14 on conserving and sustainably using the oceans and SDG 5 on gender equality. The forum took the IMO World Maritime Day theme 2016: "Shipping: Indispensable to the World" to highlight the importance of shipping and raise awareness of shipping's role in supporting sustainable development.
Two sessions covered (i) Indispensable Shipping: Country Maritime Initiatives and (ii) Indispensable Shipping: Meeting the Regulatory Requirements. The forum was attended by participants from 16 countries from Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America, and convened by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore within the margins of Singapore Maritime Week 2016.
IMO was represented by Juvenal Shiundu of the Technical Cooperation Division – who also emphasized IMO’s work to support the exchange of ideas and networking among maritime administrations and help foster closer collaboration in the implementation of IMO instruments.