Archive 2020
Maintaining connectivity during the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has created important challenges in terms of coordinating work on safety and security within the Central and West African common maritime space. To address this, IMO helped set up a new video conferencing service for the Interregional Coordination Centre (ICC) in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Marine biosafety training in the Philippines
The IMO executed GloFouling Partnerships Project and the Government of the Philippines have organised the first delivery of a newly-developed general training course on biofouling management.
Keyworker seafarers - regional webinar for Arab States and Mediterranean
The latest regional webinar focusing on the crew change crisis has been held for the Arab States and Mediterranean (22 December). The virtual meeting was addressed by eight panelists drawn from across the maritime industry.
Virtual training to empower port women
More women are joining the maritime ranks in a variety of professions within the industry. To encourage this trend and with a view to continuing the momentum to empower women in the maritime community, IMO is supporting a virtual training course aimed at female officials from maritime and port authorities.
FSO Safer: contingency planning progresses as UN assessment mission gets green light
IMO has made significant progress with its contingency planning efforts to prepare for a possible oil spill from the deteriorating floating storage and offloading unit (FSO) SAFER, which is moored off the coast of Yemen. Contingency planning is taking place alongside preparations for a UN-led assessment mission on the FSO SAFER, scheduled to take place in early 2021.
More States join IMO call to designate seafarers as key workers
Forty-five IMO Member States and one Associate Member* have now designated seafarers as key workers, which is a key step in resolving the ongoing crew change crisis. In a circular letter (4204/add.35)issued on 14 December, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim calls on Member States that have not yet done so to take action as a matter of urgency.
Trialling Just-In-Time Arrival
Another desktop trial in "Just-In-Time" (JIT) ship operations has yielded positive results, showing emissions can be cut considerably. JIT operations have the potential to cut the time ships spend idling outside ports and help reduce harmful emissions. This can be achieved by communicating in advance the relevant information to the ship about the requested time of arrival – allowing the ship to adjust to optimum speed. The trial was conducted online (2 and 9 December) by members of the IMO-led Global Industry Alliance to Support Low Carbon Shipping (Low Carbon GIA) and follows on from previous work undertaken by the Alliance.
IMO minibus supports maritime security training in Djibouti
A new IMO-funded minibus will help support maritime security training in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden area. The minibus, for ferrying students attending courses at the Djibouti Regional Training Centre (DRTC), was funded through Japan’s contribution to the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC) Trust Fund. During the handover ceremony (7 December), His Excellency, Mr. Otsuka Umio, Japan’s ambassador to the Republic of Djibouti, lauded Djibouti for hosting the regional Centre, and IMO for its leading role in promoting safety and security of navigation in the region, through support for regional capacity-building initiatives under the Code of Conduct. The DRTC is a vital component in the provision of maritime security and other training in the region.
United in the fight against corruption
On International Anti-Corruption Day 2020 (9 December), IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has highlighted the Organization’s support for the fight against corruption in all its forms.