Whats New 2019
Turkey ratifies ship recycling convention
Turkey, one of the five major ship recycling countries in the world, has ratified the IMO Hong Kong Convention, the treaty for safe and environmentally sound ship recycling. H.E. Mr. Ümit Yalçın, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Turkey to IMO, met IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim to deposit the instrument of ratification to the treaty today (31 January). Turkey becomes the seventh State to become a Party to the Hong Kong Convention. more...
Promoting trade facilitation in Djibouti
New
requirements for electronic exchange of data for the clearance
of ships become effective from 9 April 2019. To help prepare for this, a
National Seminar on Facilitation of Maritime Traffic was held in
Djibouti (22-24 January). The workshop raised awareness of the new
requirements for participants from ministries with responsibilities
in the clearance of ships, cargo, crew and passengers at ports of
Djibouti, and private stakeholders. The event addressed the benefits of
using a maritime single window and electronic data exchange; and also
addressed other facilitation issues, including stowaways
and persons rescued at sea. The seminar was organized by IMO and the
Direction des Affaires Maritimes of Djibouti. more...
The Russian Federation accedes to passenger compensation treaty
The Russian Federation has acceded to the IMO treaty dealing with compulsory insurance covering passengers on ships. The 2002 Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea sets the limits of liability for incidents on a ship involving passengers, including death of or personal injury to a passenger and loss of or damage to luggage and vehicles. Mr. Yury Melenas, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to IMO, met IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim to deposit the instrument of accession (16 January).
Crossing language barriers
One of the great strengths of the UN system is its multi-national and multi-cultural nature. There are six official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) and the vast majority of international meetings throughout the UN system enjoy simultaneous interpretation into all of them. Interpreters are often the unsung heroes of international diplomacy. Last week (12-13 January) IMO hosted a meeting of the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC). more...
Polar communication and navigation equipment guidance to be finalized
IMO’s Polar Code helps ensure that ships operating in the harsh Arctic and Antarctic areas take into account extremes of temperature and make sure critical equipment remains operational. Draft guidance for navigation and communication equipment for ships operating in polar waters is expected to be finalized by the Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue (NCSR 6, 16-25 January). IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim opened the session, chaired by Mr. Ringo Lakeman (Netherlands). more...
Seafarers, technology and automation - managing future challenges
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has highlighted the need to consider seafarer training and standards as shipping evolves, with increasing levels of technology and automation. Speaking (15 January) at the launch of a new report “Transport 2040: Automation, Technology and Employment - the Future of Work”, Mr. Lim set out key questions that will require focus from all stakeholders: “How will the seafarer of the future manage the challenges related to an increasing level of technology and automation in maritime transport? How will the new technologies impact on the nature of jobs in the industry? What standards will seafarers be required to meet with respect to education, training and certification to qualify them for the jobs of the future?” more...
Qatar accedes to load lines convention
Qatar is the 111th State to accede to the International Convention on Load Lines
(1988 Protocol) – an important IMO ship safety treaty. Limitations on
the draught to which a ship may be loaded make a significant
contribution to the ship's safety. These limits are given in the form of
freeboards, which, together with external weathertight and watertight
integrity, is the main objective of the Convention. Measures under the
treaty take into account the potential hazards present in different
zones and different seasons. more...
IMO helps Member States with sustainability targets
In 2015, 193 countries adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 associated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It calls for action by all countries to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development by 2030, world-wide.To help its Member States gain a better understanding of the SDGs and the role IMO can play in achieving them, IMO and the United Nations System Staff College held a workshop (11 January) for Member State delegations at IMO’s London headquarters. Among the topics covered in the workshop were how to integrate different stakeholders and develop coherent policies with regard to sustainable development, and how to generate engagement and buy-in among potential partners. more...
Training on maritime counter-terrorism measures in Viet Nam
IMO is assisting the Government of Viet Nam to implement international counter-terrorism measures involving the
maritime sector. The
training workshop is part of an on-going project with the UN Office on
Drugs and Crime, which assists States’
capability to implement and enforce maritime safety and security
legislation* to support countering terrorism, piracy and armed robbery
against ships. more...