Whats New 2019
Seychelles gets train the trainer workshop
Proper implementation of IMO's maritime security measures is essential for trade. The Seychelles is the latest country to benefit from training on the implementation of SOLAS Chapter XI-2 and the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. Participants discussed ways to cooperate at the national level to acquire the necessary support they need in order to take ownership of implementation and compliance with IMO maritime security measures. They also learned how to train other officials with similar responsibilities. more...
Oil spill response – building Caribbean capability
Developing and maintaining sound capability to respond effectively to marine pollution incidents involving oil, hazardous and noxious substances is a priority in the Caribbean, which is home to many vulnerable ecosystems. In response, the Curacao-based Regional Marine Pollution Emergency, Information and Training Centre for the Caribbean (REMPEITC-Caribe) organized a transboundary oil spill response exercise in Suriname (27-28 August). more...
IMO helping maritime into the development mainstream
IMO has delivered the latest in a series of initiatives designed to help put the maritime sector into the mainstream of plans and initiatives to achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), agreed by world leaders in 2015. The United Nations development system collectively supports countries working to achieve the SDGs through a mechanism called the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). more...
Importance of Polar Code stressed at Greenland summit
Changing climatic conditions are opening up the polar regions to more and more maritime activity. But ships which operate in the harsh Arctic and Antarctic regions are exposed to many unique risks – so their safety, and the protection of the polar environment, have always been a matter of concern for IMO. IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim is visiting Ilulissat, Greenland (25-29 August) to participate in a high-level roundtable on Arctic shipping. It is the first ever visit to Greenland by an IMO Secretary-General. more...
Legal framework key for the newly established Somalia Maritime Administration
Somalia has more than 3,300 km of coastline, the longest and perhaps the most geographically significant in the Horn of Africa, four main commercial seaports and about five minor ports. But plagued by decades of civil war, a lot of effort is required to rebuild the sector. IMO and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) have organized a workshop in Mogadishu, Somalia (25-27 August 2019) to finalize the much-awaited Somalia Shipping Code with the hope that it will be enacted in parliament. more...
Protecting marine biodiversity in the East Indian Ocean
"The introduction of invasive aquatic organisms into new marine environments not only affects biodiversity and ecosystem health, but also has measurable impacts on a number of economic sectors" said Lilia Khodjet El Khil, head of the IMO-led GloFouling Partnerships project. The GEF-UNDP-IMO GloFouling Partnerships project has concluded two workshops, one workshop in Madagascar and one in Mauritius (19-20 & 22-23 August, respectively), two of 12 lead partnering countries whose aim is to protect marine biodiversity by addressing biofouling. more...
Steps towards new treaty to protect marine biodiversity
The IMO Secretariat is attending the latest in a series of conferences to develop a legally binding international instrument, under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction - known as 'BBNJ'. The 3rd Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) is being held at UN Headquarters in New York, United States (19-30 August). The current Conference session is the third in a series, with the fourth (final session) set to take place in the first half of 2020. more...
Oil spill contingency planning in South East Asia
One of the key elements in oil spill contingency planning is to define the communication channels to be used by cooperating parties when facing an incident. A workshop in Pulau Indah, Klang, Malaysia (19-21 August) has brought together officials from states in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to help bring into operation the Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan, which was adopted in 2018. more...
Training for maritime security in Libya
IMO maritime security training is underway for Libyan port facility security officers, managers and designated authority officials (18-22 August). The workshop, delivered in English and in Arabic, aims to assist the Libyan Government in enhanced security risk assessments and controls on maritime transport through its territory. more...