Whats New 2016
Enhancing search and rescue services in western Africa
IMO is
supporting countries in western Africa to enhance their national search and
rescue (SAR) services with a regional training course and meeting taking place
in Lagos, Nigeria this week. The activities are assisting Member States under
the “Nigeria SAR Region” (Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo,
Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria and Sao Tome and Principe) to develop their
regional SAR Plan and to increase regional cooperation. more...
Planning for ballast water management
IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention
was the topic of detailed discussion at the “Planning
for Enforcement” forum in London, United Kingdom (23 November). With the
Convention set to enter into force in September 2017, requiring ships to manage
their ballast water to help prevent the spread of potentially harmful invasive
aquatic species, IMO’s Markus Helavuori gave an update on the Convention’s
latest developments. more...
Islamic Republic of Iran accedes to dumping of wastes at sea treaty
The Islamic Republic of Iran has become the latest country
to accede to the IMO treaty
covering dumping of wastes at sea. H.E. Dr. Hamid Baeidi Nejad, newly appointed Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of
Iran to the United Kingdom and Permanent Representative to IMO, met IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at IMO
Headquarters, London, to deposit the instrument of accession to the London
Convention Protocol of 1996 and corresponding 2009 amendments. more...
All aboard the IMO kids’ zone
A new kid-friendly website has arrived at IMO! http://kids.imo.org/ includes a specially- commissioned animation showing how IMO works to protect the marine environment and the atmosphere. By clicking on the colourful links, young people can learn more about IMO’s work. Topics include protecting the atmosphere; dealing with waste; clean oceans; invasive species; particularly sensitive sea areas; and protecting marine life from noise pollution. more...
Safe sea transfer of technicians on agenda
Technicians working in the growing offshore alternative energy sector often need to be transferred to their place of work by sea. This needs to be done safely and efficiently, and this week this week’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) will continue discussions on mandatory measures to cover this potentially hazardous activity. Other important items on the agenda include the adoption of amendments to SOLAS and STCW. The outcome of work by various technical Sub-Committees will be considered by the MSC. The session was opened by IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim and is being chaired by Mr Brad Groves (Australia). (Photos here) (opening speech here). more...
Disposal of mining wastes at sea – new expert group
New work to assess the environmental impacts of wastes from mining operations which have been disposed into the marine environment is set to begin shortly. The work will be undertaken by a dedicated working group, established by the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP). GESAMP, which is a UN advisory body, set up the working group when it met for its 43rd annual session, in Nairobi, Kenya (14-18 November). GESAMP’s annual meeting was attended by scientists and representatives of GESAMP’s UN sponsoring organizations. more...
Opening up for safety
IMO Secretary General Kitack Lim has officially opened the new Maritime Safety Research Centre (MSRC) at the University of Strathclyde in the United Kingdom. In his inaugural address, Mr Lim said that the centre could play an important role in the shift of maritime safety from empirical to risk-informed legislation and goal-based standards. The MSRC is an industry/university partnership, involving Strathclyde's Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean & Marine Engineering, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, and the classification society DNV GL. It will aim to improve safety at sea through a close collaboration between industry and academia.
Training for better ballast water management
Work to implement IMO’s Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention in developing countries is underway in Zagreb, Croatia this week, with two training activities under IMO’s GloBallast project. A seminar looking at inventories of marine life and risk assessment in and around commercial ports, a concept also known as Port Biological Baseline Surveys concludes today (17 November). more...