Whats New 2018
Simulation exercises to improve port security
Simulation exercises are proving to be a valuable tool to assist countries and port authorities to prepare for a wide range of potential threats and security situations. An interactive port facility/port security officer workshop in Panama City, Panama (13-14 December) presented a series of possible scenarios. more...
Addressing ship-source air pollution in the Mediterranean
Political, legal and technical obstacles can sometimes challenge ratification and subsequently the effective implementation of MARPOL Annex VI air pollution and energy efficiency regulations. A regional workshop to identify and address any such barriers for Mediterranean coastal States took place (11-13 December) at the headquarters of REMPEC, the IMO-administered pollution emergency response centre in the Mediterranean. more...
Training for managing insecurity in west Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden
IMO is providing training to
countries* in the west Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden on managing insecurity in
the maritime domain in a regional workshop at the Djibouti Regional Training
Centre (9-13 December). It’s the latest in an ongoing
series of capacity-building initiatives in the region, targeted at national
focal points and key personnel in maritime security. Participants include
officers from coast guards, marine police, navy and maritime administrations,
serving at sea or ashore, who have operational responsibility for maritime law
enforcement. more...
Maritime Single Window in Cameroon
Ships and ports will need to be able to exchange arrival and departure data electronically from April 2019, under IMO's Facilitation Convention. There requirements also encourage the use of a single window in which all the many agencies and authorities shall exchange data via a single point of contact. more...
Common contingency planning in Eastern Mediterranean
IMO’s Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response (OPRC 90) requires states to plan and prepare for marine pollution incidents. REMPEC, the IMO administered pollution emergency response centre in the Mediterranean, facilitated a meeting in Larnaca, Cyprus (6 December) between Cyprus, Greece and Israel, to follow up on the Implementation Agreement on the Sub-regional Marine Pollution Contingency Plan the three countries signed in May. more...
Wreck removal challenges
A ship wreck can be a hazard to
navigation. Other vessels and their crews can potentially be endangered,
and, depending on the nature of the cargo and remaining fuel on board, a wreck may also cause damage to marine environments and other coastal interests. Then there is the issue of costs and risks involved in marking and removing hazardous wrecks. To help
resolve these issues, IMO's Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention, covers the
legal basis for States to remove, or have removed, shipwrecks, drifting
ships, objects from ships at sea, and floating offshore installations. To
spread knowledge of the specific aspects of the Convention, IMO's Jan De
Boer led a panel discussion on wreck removal challenges, at the Salvage
& Wreck Removal Conference in London, United Kingdom (5-7
December). more...
Oman signs Jeddah Amendment on illicit maritime activity
Oman has become the 16th signatory* to the Jeddah Amendment
to the Djibouti Code of Conduct – the instrument developed and adopted
by countries in the Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden that has been a
key factor in repressing piracy and armed robbery against ships
operating in that region. The Amendment significantly broadened
the scope of the Djibouti Code when it was adopted at a high-level
meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in January 2017. more...
Inter-agency cooperation in maritime development
Civil-military cooperation can support effective maritime security and contribute to developing the maritime sector and the sustainable blue economy. This was the message highlighted by IMO at the Combined Force Maritime Component Command (CFMCC) Flag Course, in Naples, Italy (3-7 December), which was attended by senior naval officers from 28 countries.
Spreading the word about IMO’s GHG strategy
IMO is at the UN climate change conference (COP 24) in Poland, highlighting key elements of the Initial IMO Strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships. The strategy sets out a vision to reduce the total annual GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008, while, at the same time, pursuing efforts towards phasing them out entirely. This sets a pathway of CO2 emissions reduction consistent with the Paris Agreement temperature goals. more...