IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim today (23 January) spoke to delegates at the Arctic Frontiers conference about new regulations for ships operating in polar waters. With more and more ships navigating in polar waters, IMO has addressed international concern about the protection of the polar environment and the safety of seafarers and passengers with the introduction of the Polar Code, which entered into force on 1 January this year.
The Polar Code sets out mandatory standards that cover the full range of design, construction, equipment, operational, training and environmental protection matters that apply to ships operating in the waters surrounding the two poles. Mr Lim told the conference, in Tromsø, Norway, that the Polar Code is the single most important initiative to establish appropriate safety and environmental regulation for polar shipping.