Council 105th session 1-5 November 2010
Work continued on financial sustainability of WMU
The Council, meeting for its 105th session, reaffirmed the immense importance of the World Maritime University (WMU) in the implementation of IMO standards and in the provision of valuable services to the shipping industry.
The Council, meeting for its 105th session, reaffirmed the immense importance of the World Maritime University (WMU) in the implementation of IMO standards and in the provision of valuable services to the shipping industry.
In the context of the University’s financial sustainability, the Council noted a progress report from the Correspondence Group it established, at its June 2010 session, to look into the matter, following the decision to make a £500,000 transfer from reserves in the Organization's Technical Co-operation (TC) Fund to provide short-term financial support for the institute.
The Correspondence Group, which had examined various ways of achieving sustainable financing for WMU, was re-established to further its work, taking into account the guidance and suggestions made during the Council session.
Day of the Seafarer endorsed
The Council endorsed the designation of 25 June of every year as the "Day of the Seafarer", as decided by the 2010 Conference of Parties to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, which was held in Manila in June 2010, adopting important amendments to the STCW Convention and its related Code. The IMO Assembly in late 2011 will be invited to endorse this decision.
The Council endorsed the designation of 25 June of every year as the "Day of the Seafarer", as decided by the 2010 Conference of Parties to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, which was held in Manila in June 2010, adopting important amendments to the STCW Convention and its related Code. The IMO Assembly in late 2011 will be invited to endorse this decision.
The Council also welcomed the inclusion of the Day of the Seafarer in the list of annual United Nations observances.
Member States urged to submit to Voluntary IMO Member State Audit Scheme
The Council encouraged Member States that had not yet volunteered to be audited, under the Voluntary IMO Member State Audit Scheme, to do so as and when they are ready and as early as possible and also invited Member States to continue to nominate as many qualified auditors as possible. Member States that may need assistance to enable them to participate in the Scheme were encouraged to seek such assistance through the Organization’s Integrated Technical Co-operation Programme.
The Council encouraged Member States that had not yet volunteered to be audited, under the Voluntary IMO Member State Audit Scheme, to do so as and when they are ready and as early as possible and also invited Member States to continue to nominate as many qualified auditors as possible. Member States that may need assistance to enable them to participate in the Scheme were encouraged to seek such assistance through the Organization’s Integrated Technical Co-operation Programme.
Meanwhile, the Council re-established the Joint Working Group on the Member State Audit Scheme, comprising members of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), Legal Committee (LEG), Technical Co-operation Committee (TCC) and Facilitation Committee (FAL), to progress the work needed for making the scheme mandatory (institutionalization of the scheme).
June 2011 Council to consider appointment of next Secretary-General
The Council invited the IMO Secretary-General, whose mandate will conclude at the end of 2011, to inform all Member States that nominations from Member Governments for candidates for the position of Secretary-General, as of 2012, should reach IMO by 31 March 2011 at the latest.
The Council invited the IMO Secretary-General, whose mandate will conclude at the end of 2011, to inform all Member States that nominations from Member Governments for candidates for the position of Secretary-General, as of 2012, should reach IMO by 31 March 2011 at the latest.
The appointment of the next Secretary-General of the Organization will be placed on the agenda of the 106th session of the Council, which is scheduled to meet from 27 June to 1 July 2011. Accordingly, the Secretary-General will, soon after 31 March 2011, circulate to Members of the Council, any candidacies received, or any other communications received.
Council Members will be invited to vote for the next Secretary-General in a secret ballot, based on a simple majority system. The decision of the Council will be submitted to the Assembly for its approval.
With regard to the voting procedure for the election of the Secretary-General, the Council agreed that, in the event of four or more candidates standing for the position of Secretary General, if, in the first and subsequent ballots, no candidate obtains a majority, a number of successive ballots will be held, in each of which the candidate who received the least number of votes in the previous ballot will not be included in the list of candidates for the subsequent ballot.