Whats New 2017
Liability cover for Antarctic waters
The issue of liability arising from
environmental emergencies in Antarctic waters is part of discussions at
the 40th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in Beijing, China (23 May
– 1 June). Amongst other maritime safety and environmental protection
issues, IMO is contributing to discussions on the legal aspects of the Antarctica Treaty and Protocol versus the applicability of IMO's liability and compensation regime. more...
Studying the London Protocol
The core functions of the treaty regulating dumping of wastes at sea - the London Protocol - have been presented to some 30 participants at a workshop in Accra, Ghana (22-24 May). The workshop provided relevant examples and experiences on the implementation of the Protocol. Participants also received information on various legal and technical aspects, including lessons on waste assessment guidance, the permitting and reporting procedures, as well as possible steps to ratification. more...
National maritime transport policy training in Antigua and Barbuda
A three-day National Maritime Transport Policy (NMTP) workshop has been held in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda (16-18 May). The event provided valuable knowledge and skills to those involved in the development, adoption and review of a NMTP in the country.
The exercise is part of a series of workshops and seminars being delivered in various regions of the world to provide training to interested IMO Member States in the development, adoption and updating of such policies, which are key to a coordinated and integrated approach to maritime transport. more...
Oil spills: prevent, prepare, respond, restore
International experts have been sharing experiences, new technologies and scientific advancements relating to oil spill response at the International Oil Spill Conference (IOSC) in Long Beach, United States (15-18 May). The theme of the conference is “prevent, prepare, respond and restore”, which fully aligns with IMO’s regulatory work to prevent oil spills from occurring and also its work to support countries to be prepared to respond to such incidents. IMO`s capacity-building activities include training for oil pollution preparedness and response through simulation of oil spills. Watch IMO’s oil spill response film here. more...
Asia centre launches on low-carbon shipping mission
A new regional centre, which will provide leadership in promoting ship energy-efficiency technologies and operations, and the reduction of harmful emissions from ships, has been launched at Shanghai Maritime University, China (15 May). The centre will cater to the needs of the Asia region under the Global Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre (MTCC) Network (GMN) – a project funded by the European Union (EU) and run by IMO. (Click for photos.) more...
Saudi Arabia ratifies BWM treaty
Saudi Arabia has become the latest State to become a Party to the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention. The treaty will enter into force on 8 September 2017 and aims to counter the threat to marine ecosystems by potentially invasive species transported in ships' ballast water. The number of contracting Parties to the BWM Convention now stands at 55, representing 53.67% of world merchant shipping tonnage. more...
New website launched for GMN energy-efficiency project
News and information about a major project to support low-carbon shipping can now be found on GMN.IMO.org – the newly-launched website for the Global Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre Network (GMN) project.
The initiative, funded by the European Union and run by IMO, unites carefully selected technology centres into a global network focused on supporting capacity building and technology cooperation by the shipping industry. more...
Turkey’s Prime Minister visits IMO
Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım visited IMO Headquarters on Thursday (11 May). During the visit, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim and Prime Minister Yildirim discussed maritime matters and reflected on this year’s World Maritime Day theme, "Connecting Ships, Ports and People". During his visit, Mr. Yildirim toured the IMO Headquarters building and met senior staff. Photos of Prime Minister Yıldırım’s visit to IMO can be downloaded here. more...
Pollution response at Panama workshop
The need to ratify and implement various marine pollution conventions has been highlighted at a regional workshop in Panama City, Panama (8-12 May). The workshop focused on the oil spill response convention (OPRC) and its related protocol, and liability and compensation conventions related to oil (FUND 1992) and bunkers.