IMO NEWS
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ISSUE 3
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2016
IMO workshop in Morocco promoted energy-efficiency measures An IMO workshop to raise awareness of the organization’s regulatory regime dealing with improving energy efficiency and the control of GHG emissions from ships was held in Rabat, Morocco (19-21 July). Participants from Moroccan governmental departments, port authorities and maritime training institutes attended the three-day ‘MARPOL Annex VI and Technology Transfer’ workshop. The event was the latest in a line of workshops organized under IMO’s GloMEEP project, which supports uptake and implementation of energy efficiency measures for shipping in developing countries. Morocco is one of the 10 GloMEEP lead pilot countries. Additionally, Morocco held its First National Task Force meeting on 21 July to endorse the National Work Plan of activities under the GloMEEP project for the coming two years, which included decisions on which bodies are responsible for different GloMEEP activities.
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Promoting maritime security in west and central Africa Prevention of piracy, armed robbery against ships and illicit maritime activity in west and central Africa was on the agenda at a meeting of the G7 Group of Friends of the Gulf of Guinea in Lisbon, Portugal (6-7 June). The meeting focussed on implementation of the Code of Conduct, which was signed by governments in the region, in 2013, to enhance cooperation to counter piracy and armed robbery at sea. The meeting assessed future prospects of the implementation process, including efforts of the private sector to strengthen maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. Additionally, participants examined international initiatives in the region, including Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy (AIM 2050), the European Union Strategy for the Gulf of Guinea, together with initiatives by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP). The meeting was hosted by the Portuguese Presidency of the G7 Group of Friends of the Gulf of Guinea (G7++ FoGG).
Maritime code reviewed by stakeholders forum in Somalia The revised Somalia Maritime Code was finalized at a four-day Stakeholders Forum, sponsored by IMO (Kigali, Rwanda 1215 July). The workshop was part of IMO’s ongoing technical assistance to the Federal Government of Somalia and regional authorities in establishing a Maritime Administration for Somalia capable of undertaking flag, port and coastal state duties in line with IMO instruments. The revised Code reflects developments in international maritime law and best practices and, as such, provides the necessary legal backing for the effective functioning of the Somalia National Maritime Administration. The forum was attended by 25 legal and maritime experts from Somalia, led by the Minister of Ports and Marine Transport of the Federal Government of Somalia, Hon. Nur Farah Hersi. The official Launch of the review process took place in Mogadishu, Somalia (10 July) and was organized by IMO with support from the United Nations Assistance Mission to Somalia (UNSOM). During the launch, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia, HE Mohamed Omar Arte, hailed the move as a milestone in re-positioning the country to take full advantage of its extensive littoral heritage covering more than 3,300 kilometers of coastline, one of the longest in Africa. In his keynote address, the Deputy Prime Minister thanked IMO for its technical assistance thus far, and welcomed the prospect of further assistance from IMO to meet the country’s maritime capacity challenges. IMO programme for Somalia on the establishment of a National Maritime Administration started in 2014. IMO has
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worked with officials in Somalia to develop policy framework and draft regulations for the establishment of a national Maritime Administration and to produce the draft revised Somalia Maritime Code. In 2015, IMO conducted a workshop on coastal State, flag State and port State responsibilities to prepare selected Somali officials to participate effectively during the stakeholder reviews of the Maritime Code and the establishment of the Department of Maritime Administration (Nairobi, Kenya, 19-23 Nov 2015).
UN Photo / Tobin Jones
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