Whats New 2017
Inspection training for cleaner shipping
Inspection training for Port State Control Officers in South and Central America is underway at an IMO workshop in Buenos Aires, Argentina (6-8 November). Port State Control is the process, supported by IMO, by which officials in ports can board visiting foreign-flagged vessels to verify compliance with international safety and pollution standards. more...
IMO updates COP23 on climate change work
The progress made in starting to shape a draft comprehensive IMO strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships has been reported to the COP 23 climate change conference, meeting in Bonn, Germany (6-15 November) by IMO’s Stefan Micallef. He reported that more than 2,600 ocean-going ships have now been certified to the mandatory energy efficiency design requirements, which have been in force since 2013. more...
Digital technology for sustainable development
Information and communication technology
(ICT) experts from across the United Nations system have gathered to discuss
the UN’s digital vision – a vital part of efforts to deliver the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). Innovation in analytics, Artificial
Intelligence (AI) and machine learning were among the topics discussed at the
CEB-ICT Network meeting at the United Nations Office at
Geneva, Switzerland (31 October – 2 November) as the Network continued to
develop its digital vision paper on the future of data, security, mobility,
innovation and partnerships. more...
Teaching energy-efficient ship operation in Argentina
Maritime
training institutions in Argentina are the latest to benefit from IMO work to
help introduce the topic of energy-efficient ship operation into teaching
curriculums. A
workshop, taking place in Buenos Aires (2-3 November) under the Organization’s GloMEEP project is supporting maritime
training institutes to deliver the IMO Model Course 4.05 to seafarers. The
course consists of a series of lectures, interactive exercises and videos
to enhance the learning experience and ensure there are properly
trained crews who can contribute to efficient shipping. more...
Who certifies ships?
Under
IMO treaties, ships can be surveyed and certified either by officers of
the relevant flag State, or by Recognized
Organizations (ROs) acting on behalf of them. As part of this process,
countries delegating surveys and
certification to ROs
need to recognize, authorize and monitor these Organizations,
which is
the subject of a regional IMO workshop* taking place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab
Emirates (31 October – 2 November). more...
Focus on piracy prevention at Djibouti workshop
A high-level workshop in Djibouti has seen an
exchange of ideas on preventing a resurgence of piracy in the West Indian Ocean
and Gulf of Aden, as well as addressing other transnational organized crimes at
sea that
threaten the security of navigation. The event (29 October) was hosted at the
Djibouti Regional Training Centre, which is part-funded by IMO and supports
implementation of the Djibouti Code
of Conduct – the international treaty that has been instrumental in
repressing piracy and armed robbery against ships in the region. more...
Maritime security for sustainable development
A gathering of navy chiefs from
around the world have heard how effective, joined-up and forward-looking
maritime security can be key to an efficient maritime sector, and, therefore,
national and regional economic development. Forty-seven navies, including 29
Chiefs of Navies, and 11 international and national organizations
participated in the XI Venice Regional Seapower Symposium in Italy (17-20
October), which was hosted by the Italian Navy under the theme of “Navies
beyond traditional roles: crewing efforts to project stability and security
from the sea”. more...
Training for spill response in East Africa
The question of how to manage emergency preparedness and
response in the oil and gas sector was on the agenda at a workshop in Zanzibar,
United Republic of Tanzania (17-20 October). Participants from countries across the East Africa region*
gathered to highlight good practices in developing national preparedness and
response systems, as well as how to improve understanding of risk assessments
related to oil and gas development and potential impacts on environment. The
group also worked to identify areas for strengthening emergency preparedness
and at national and regional levels. more...
Spotlight on maritime security at Mexico workshop
Mexican port security officials have undergone training on complying with IMO’s International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS Code). Forty participants took part in the workshop in Manzanillo, Mexico (16-20 October), focusing on the practise of self-assessing compliance with regulations under the Code that apply to port facilities. more...