Whats New 2017
Helping to prevent stowaways
IMO is continuing to assist
countries with the highest number of stowaway incidents by spreading the
knowledge of effective port security measures, and, thereby, helping to
facilitate the free flow of international maritime traffic. At
workshops in the ports of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire (11-15 December) and
Dakar, Senegal (18-22 December) participants from the relevant national
authorities are being trained to plan and conduct effective
self-assessments and internal/external audits of port facilities, in
line with IMO guidance on voluntary self-assessment. more...
New 'women in maritime' network launched
Central and Latin America celebrated the launch of a new women in the maritime network - the Red de Mujeres de Autoridades Marítimas de Latinoamérica (Red-MAMLa) - in Valparaíso, Chile (13-15 December), which 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. Sixty two women from 18 countries* came together to set up a framework for the newly formed network as well as share ideas and knowledge about the industry. more...
Africa maritime cooperation centre launched
Africa has
launched its maritime technology cooperation centre as part of an ambitious
IMO-EU project to establish a global network of centres to further global
efforts in addressing climate change. The centres
will act as regional focal points for a wide range of activities including
improving compliance with existing and future international energy-efficiency
regulations; promoting uptake of low-carbon technologies and operations in
maritime transport, and establishing voluntary pilot data-collection and
reporting systems to feed back into the global regulatory process. In doing so,
they will play their part in supporting the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). more...
Pacific centre launches on low-carbon shipping mission
The Pacific region has celebrated the launch of a centre of excellence for low-carbon shipping technology, which joins
centres in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America as part of a
global network run by IMO and funded by the European Union. Through this
network – the Global Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre Network
(GMN) – these centres will develop and promote low-carbon maritime
transport systems, supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs). The
Pacific centre (MTCC-Pacific) was launched in Suva, Fiji (12 December)
where it will be hosted by the Pacific Community (SPC) in collaboration
with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
(SPREP). more...
What next for ballast water management regulation?
Protecting marine ecosystems from
potentially harmful invasive aquatic species transported in ships’ ballast
water is an important part of IMO’s work to protect the marine environment. The treaty supporting
this is the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention, which requires ships in
international traffic to manage their ballast water and sediments to a certain
standard, according to a ship-specific ballast water management plan. more...
Keeping the Red Sea clean
In continuing its work to keep the oceans clean, IMO encourages member countries to ratify and enforce the London Protocol to prohibit dumping at sea. As part of such efforts, a seminar was held in Djibouti City, Djibouti (11-13 December) on implementing the London Protocol. The workshop introduced participants from Djibouti and Somalia to the benefits of protecting the marine environment of the Red Sea from pollution of dumping of wastes and other matter at sea. more...
Enhancing seafarer training standards in Jordan
The safety and security of life at sea, the protection of the marine environment and over 90% of the world's trade depends on the professionalism and competence of seafarers. This is where IMO's International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) comes in; the first internationally-agreed Convention to address the issue of minimum standards of competence for seafarers. In continuing its work to address human element issues, IMO supports Member States in properly implementing the STCW Convention. As part of these efforts, a workshop was held in Aqaba, Jordan. more...
Work continues to combat illicit maritime activity
Prevention of piracy, armed robbery against ships and illicit maritime activity in west and central Africa is on the agenda at a meeting of the G7 Group of Friends of the Gulf of Guinea in Lagos, Nigeria (11-12 December). The meeting is reviewing progress made in implementing the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, which was signed by governments in the region, in 2013, to enhance cooperation to counter piracy and armed robbery at sea and other illicit maritime activity. The meeting also stresses the importance for States in the region to promote and implement a combined effort to improve maritime security within their areas of jurisdiction and responsibility. The meeting is also looking at gaps in capacity-building and assessing needs in equipment. more...
Private sector partners in the pursuit of low carbon shipping
The
ground-breaking Global Industry Alliance (GIA) – a partnership of key maritime
stakeholders pursuing low carbon shipping – has met at IMO Headquarters, London
(7 December). The
GIA is made up of leading shipowners and operators, classification societies,
engine and technology builders and suppliers, big data providers, port and oil
companies – tasked with identifying and developing innovative ways to encourage
use of energy-efficiency technologies and operations. more...