Whats New 2016
Supporting Tonga’s seafarer training
IMO has assisted Tonga to implement the key international treaty concerning international standards for training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers. IMO experts visited Nuku’alofa, Tonga (3-8 October) to assess how the STCW Convention and related code and amendments were being implemented and provide relevant technical advice for improvements to Tonga’s Maritime Administration. Guidance was also given directly to the maritime training institution conducting seafarers’ training programmes in Tonga.
The mission comes under IMO’s Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme, which, when requested, supports IMO Member States to implement IMO treaties. IMO was represented by Milhar Fuazudeen and a consultant.
Counter-piracy measures still needed
Merchant shipping should continue to take protective measures against possible piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean through diligent application of IMO guidance and Best Management Practices (BMPs). IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim and Operation Commander Major General Rob Magowan of the EU Naval Force Operation Atalanta, which operates off the coast of Somalia, reiterated this key message when they met at IMO Headquarters in London today (6 October). more...
Chile accedes to Anti-fouling Systems Convention
Chile has acceded to the 2001 International Convention on
the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling
Systems on Ships (AFS). The Convention prohibits the use of harmful
organotins in anti-fouling paints used on ships and establishes a mechanism to
prevent the potential future use of other harmful substances in anti-fouling
systems. more...
40 years protecting the Mediterranean
IMO joined celebrations marking four decades of cooperation in the Mediterranean to prevent and combat marine pollution from ships under the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC). Speaking at the REMPEC 40th Anniversary Conference during the Malta Maritime Summit (3-6 October), IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim heralded REMPEC as a vitally important but often unsung player in the battle to protect one of the world's most sensitive and vulnerable marine assets. Mr. Lim also emphasized IMO’s pride in the role it played in helping to set up REMPEC – and of its continuing work in administering the Centre. more...
Preparing for the Polar Code
Focus on port security
As part of its continuing efforts to promote sustainable
development, IMO is actively helping governments to streamline port procedures
and remove operational barriers that can hinder or delay vessel movements.
Efficient port operation is founded on safety and security and both topics were
under the microscope at the 5th International Symposium "Human Sea -MARISK" in Nantes, France (3-4 October). more...
World celebrates World Maritime Day 2016
World Maritime Day was celebrated across the globe on
Thursday (29 September). From Trinidad and Tobago, where celebrations in Port of Spain
involved the whole community with ship visits and maritime themed activities,
to the Pacific, where school children in the Cook Islands got the chance to
visit a merchant ship. more...
Secretary-General highlights IMO’s diverse work in Republic of Korea visit
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has given keynote addresses
to two international conventions during an official visit to the Republic of
Korea (RoK). At the 23rd International Maritime Pilots’ Association
Congress (26 September), Mr Lim told pilots that their technical input on a
wide range of issues was a valuable contribution to the work of IMO. more...
Protecting global maritime traffic
The world economy depends on safe, protected, secure and sustainable maritime traffic. IMO’s Chris Trelawny outlined how sustainable maritime development, underpinned by good maritime security can support improved economic development, during the Offshore Patrol Vessels Middle East conference in Bahrain (28 September). more...