The maritime capacity of the Solomon Islands is to be strengthened through a new capacity-building partnership signed between Belgium, the Solomon Islands and IMO. Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at IMO Headquarters (30 November), Belgium has pledged €350.000 through IMO's Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme to support the Solomon Islands Maritime Safety Administration (SIMSA) to enhance its capacity to address maritime challenges. This could include the provision of training and human resources to support the safety authority to meet regulatory and safety requirements, in particular those of the international maritime treaties to which Solomon Islands is a party.
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim, Captain Eugeen Van Craeyvelt, Director General Shipping of the Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport of the Kingdom of Belgium and Mr. Trevor Unusu, Minister Counsellor, Solomon Islands High Commission to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland signed the MoU.