Korea Maritime Week, Ministerial Conference, Keynote Speech - “Respond to Climate Change” - Policy for Green Ships, decarbonization and future vision
Korea Maritime Week 21 September
Busan, Republic of Korea
Korea Maritime Week, Ministerial Conference, Keynote Speech
"Respond to Climate Change"
Policy for Green Ships, decarbonization and future vision
Keynote Speech by Kitack Lim, Secretary-General, IMO
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
It is an honour to be here once again in Busan where I spent many years, as a student of nautical science and later as President of the port authority.
I would like to take this opportunity to commend the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries for the establishment of Korea Maritime Week.
The week is an important fixture on the international maritime calendar where pertinent high-level discourse takes place on relevant issues.
Shipping is close to my heart and here in Busan we see every day that shipping is truly essential to ensure the functioning of the global supply chains.
The COVID pandemic and current geopolitical challenges have only served to increase the world's awareness of its reliance on shipping and seafarers' invaluable role in global trade.
Since shipping is a truly international industry, it must operate within a framework of international standards.
Underpinning international trade by sea is the comprehensive regulatory framework developed by IMO over more than seven decades, to ensure shipping's safety, security and efficiency and environmental performance. Its 50 international conventions form a global regulatory framework that is fair and effective, universally adopted and universally implemented.
IMO's regulatory framework cover all aspects of international shipping – including ship design, construction, equipment, manning, operation and disposal.
As shipping evolves, IMO Member States along with the industry and partners throughout the UN system and beyond, work tirelessly to ensure this framework is constantly enhanced and strengthened. Automation and digitalization are transforming shipping and bringing both challenges and opportunities.
The imperative to tackle climate change, is a major topic on IMO's agenda, but we are also taking necessary steps to tackle other environmental issues, such as. a targeted strategy to address marine litter from ships
We also highlight the important role that seafarers play in all the work carried out by IMO, reflecting the key role of the human element in the safe, secure and environmentally sound operation of ships.
The transitions that are currently occurring in the maritime sector, in particular decarbonization, automation and digitalization, place an obligation on all stakeholders to ensure that these are just and equitable transitions that leave no one behind - and that seafarers from all countries have the opportunity to acquire the right skills to continue to contribute to international shipping.
The maritime professional of the future will need to be equipped with new and different skills and knowledge. We must rise to the challenge and create a workforce that will operate tomorrow's green and smart ships safely and securely.
To support this process, IMO is currently considering a global project to accelerate the digital transformation in partner countries that will identify capability and resource gaps and look into seafarer training requirements for the digital era.
Digitalization is already being harnessed to support greater efficiency of shipping. IMO has adopted mandatory measures for electronic data exchange between ships and ports and the 'maritime single window' for handling data within port environments.
Alongside this, we need to manage the risks of cyber security.
Autonomous ships of different sizes, with differing levels of automation, will become more commonplace. To provide the regulatory framework for these developments, IMO is working on a goal-based instrument for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships.
On the climate change agenda, IMO Member States have committed to revising and strengthening IMO's GHG Strategy, while taking on board the needs of developing countries to ensure that policies and measures do not deepen the existing divide between developed and developing countries. Impact assessments of proposed measures are a vital tool to support this.
IMO Member States have initiated discussions on a maximum carbon-content for marine fuels alongside market-based measures, such as a GHG levy, ETS, feebates or an incentive scheme to encourage development of zero-emission vessels and global availability of zero-carbon fuels.
We also are encouraging discussions that explore opportunities for developing countries to accelerate renewable fuel production that can also serve to accelerate their own transition to low-carbon economies.
The green imperative - and consequently IMO regulation - is helping to drive innovation in ship design and propulsion along with research and investment into alternative low and zero-emission fuels. IMO regulations are "technology neutral": setting goals, not prescribing technology.
IMO is also providing platforms to encourage information and technology sharing. One of those is the IMO-UNEP-Norway Innovation Forum that IMO will host next week to promote inclusive innovation for decarbonization of the maritime sector. In October, the Second IMO Symposium on low- and zero-carbon fuels for shipping will discuss how to ensure a just and inclusive transition towards low-carbon shipping.
Before I conclude, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Republic of Korea for its important input in the work of the IMO and for the generous support to IMO's work through the Voyage Together Trust Fund as well as capacity-building and technical cooperation efforts.
In addition, another Trust Fund, established in 2003, has supported various technical cooperation activities and fellowships at the World Maritime University and the IMO International Maritime Law Institute.
In particular, the Republic of Korea is generously funding the IMO Inclusive Transition to Alternative fuels Project and the Sustainable Maritime Transport Training Programme - or GHG-SMART – developed specifically to address needs of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in their implementation efforts of the IMO GHG Strategy.
Incidentally, a practical training session is taking place this week here in Busan.
Turning to another very pertinent topic - the safety of fishing vessels - I appreciate the Republic of Korea's stated intention to ratify the Cape Town Agreement on fishing vessel safety. The 11th of October will mark ten years since the agreement was adopted and I encourage all to work hard to achieve the entry into force of this key treaty.
I also take this opportunity to congratulate the Republic of Korea on establishing the country's Permanent Mission to the International Maritime Organization, which it opened last year in London, United Kingdom.
Ladies and gentlemen,
At this pivotal time in history, shipping is undergoing complex and substantial change.
Maritime transport remains the most economical and environmentally sustainable mode of transportation of large volumes of cargo. By working together collaboratively and cooperatively, we can harness the transition now taking place to make shipping greener, more resilient, more efficient, and more sustainable, for the benefit of all.
Thank you.
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