Whats New 2017
Arab Women in Maritime Association launched
A ground breaking event took place in Alexandria, Egypt (15-19 October) when 30 women from nine Arab countries officially launched The Arab Association for Women in the Maritime Sector (AWIMA). The new network joins the IMO family of regional Women in Maritime Associations (WIMAs), giving visibility and recognition to the role women play as key resources for the maritime sector. Ships’ surveyors, harbourmasters, marine engineers and maritime lawyers, to name a few, came together at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) to set a framework for the new network. The goal is to provide training and knowledge-sharing to facilitate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably SDG 5, which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. more...
Training for port security officials in Tunisia
Antigua and Barbuda gets set for single window
Antigua and Barbuda is getting ready to implement a maritime single window for ship notifications relating to stay and departure of the vessel, under a project facilitated by IMO technical cooperation programme. Norway is financing the project as well as providing technical expertise. The first phase of the project has been initiated with a kick-off week in St. John's (9-13 October). more...
Busy agenda for IMO chief in Cyprus
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim was in Cyprus this week (9-11 October) for a series of high-level meetings with ministers and officials. First, he delivered a keynote address at the Maritime Cyprus event under the theme: "Future Shipping Strategy: Regulators vs. Industry". He said, "an industry where standards of safety, security and environmental stewardship are high is far better placed to attract both the financial investment and the high-calibre personnel it needs to sustain itself in the long term". more...
Maritime policy for good governance
The latest in a series of workshops around the world to provide training in the development, adoption and updating of a National Maritime Transport Policy (NMTP) has been held in Bangkok, Thailand (9-11 October). The event highlighted the importance of a national maritime transport policy as a good mechanism for improved maritime governance in a sustainable manner. more...
IMO regional pollution centre assists Greece oil spill clean-up
The IMO-administered Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) is providing technical expertise to help clean up beaches in Greece affected by an oil spill. Two experts are in Greece (8 to 14 October) to give technical support on sunken oil assessment, removal techniques and efficient oil removal from sandy beaches. This follows the sinking of the AGIA ZONI II, off Piraeus, on 10 September. more...
Learning about port management and efficiency
High-level officials and decision-makers from maritime and port authorities around the world are undergoing intense training on port management and operational efficiency at the annual Advanced Course on Port Operations and Management based in Le Havre, France (11 September to 13 October). The course includes class-based training and site visits, including to the port of Le Havre. more...
The fibreglass vessel problem
A large number of abandoned or no-longer usable fibreglass vessels - including fishing vessels and leisure craft - are dumped at sea each year, possibly due to a lack of land-based disposal facilities. This was a concern raised by Pacific delegations to the Parties to the treaties which regulate the dumping of wastes at sea. This week, the Parties to the London Convention and London Protocol are meeting at IMO Headquarters in London (9-13 October). The meeting is expected to commission a study into the disposal of fibreglass vessels. (photos here). more...
An ocean for life
Over the last few decades, marine environments have undergone widespread deterioration. To help turn this tide, the Our Ocean Conference 2017 held in Malta (2-3 October) brought together world leaders looking to commit to actions to reduce marine pollution, manage aquatic resources sustainably, mitigate climate change, and set up marine sanctuaries. IMO attended the conference and reaffirmed its commitments made at the UN Oceans Conference in New York in June 2017 to develop, maintain and implement a set of global regulations to ensure shipping's sustainable use of the oceans. more...