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Imo Headquarters News

02 Feb 2024

IMO Secretary-General Sets Fresh Agenda for Maritime

Source: IMO

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has shared the Organization’s plans and focus areas for the next four years.Speaking at a press conference at IMO Headquarters in London, Dominguez outlined four strategic priorities:• IMO’s work to regulate international shipping;• its support to Member States – particularly Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries;• enhancing public awareness and image; and• relations with people and stakeholders. He said: “As a global industry that is responsible for transporting over 80% of trade around the world, shipping is indispensable.

12 Dec 2023

IMO Launches History Book

Source: IMO

A book detailing the history of the IMO has been published to mark 75 years since the adoption of the IMO Convention, creating for the first time a global body to promote the safety and security of shipping and the protection of the marine environment.The IMO Convention entered into force in 1958 and the new Organization met for the first time the following year. The IMO's first task was to adopt a new version of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).“Safer shipping…

04 Dec 2023

Pakistan Becomes Party to Hong Kong Convention

Source: IMO

Pakistan has become a Party to the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009 (Hong Kong Convention).Vice Admiral (Retd.) Iftikhar Ahmad Rao, Maritime Minister and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Maritime Affairs, Pakistan, deposited the instrument of accession with IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at IMO Headquarters in London on November 30.The deposit follows an IMO-run national seminar in Karachi to…

07 Jul 2023

Countries Adopt New Shipping Greenhouse Gas Emissions Target

Credit:Yellow Boat/AdobeStock

Countries on Friday adopted a revised greenhouse gas (GHG) strategy for shipping that sets a net zero emissions target "by or around 2050", which was viewed by environmental groups as falling short of what was needed. After days of discussion in London at U.N. shipping agency the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) headquarters, member countries agreed to reach net zero "by or around, i.e., close to 2050, taking into account different national circumstances". Countries…

19 Jun 2023

IMO to Review GHG Strategy and More at MEPC 80

MEPC 79 (Source: IMO)

The IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) - 80th session will meet at IMO Headquarters in London from July 3-7, and amongst key agenda items, the MEPC 80 session is expected to adopt an upgraded IMO greenhouse gas strategy.The revised IMO GHG Strategy will contain concrete greenhouse gas reduction targets for the sector and is expected to outline a range of technical and economic measures. Negotiations have been ongoing and will continue during the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 15)…

03 Apr 2023

Next IMO Secretary-General Could be a Win for Diversity

Source: IMO

Seven IMO Member States have nominated a candidate for the post of Secretary-General of the IMO in what could be a win for diversity in maritime.Three of the seven are women, and if elected, Nancy Karigithu of Kenya would also be the first African to hold the post. The other female nominees are Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry (Dominica) and Minna Kivimäki (Finland).They are joined by nominees Moin Uddin Ahmed (Bangladesh), Suat Hayri Aka (Türkiye), Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco (Panama) and Zhang Xiaojie (China).The term of the current incumbent…

08 Nov 2022

VIDEO: IMO Sec-Gen Pays Tribute to Late William O’Neil, IMO Secretary-General Emeritus

©IMO / YT Screenshot

International Maritime Organization's Secretary-General, Kitack Lim, used the annual IMO Awards ceremony as an opportunity to pay special tribute to the late William A. O'Neil, IMO Secretary-General Emeritus, who died in the United Kingdom on 29 October 2020, aged 93. O'Neil was Secretary-General of IMO from 1990 to 2003.Lim welcomed those attending the 2022 IMO Awards Ceremony, the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic that the Awards have been held in-person. Addressing the audience…

13 Dec 2021

IMO Assembly Elects New 40-member Council

(Photo: IMO)

The Assembly of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has elected the Members of its Council for the 2022-2023 biennium.The Council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization. Between sessions of the Assembly, the Council performs the functions of the Assembly, except that of making recommendations to Governments on maritime safety and pollution prevention.The Assembly of the International Maritime…

12 Mar 2020

IMO Shuts Headquarters due to Coronavirus

(Photo: IMO)

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has closed its headquarters in London as a precautionary measure due to the coronavirus outbreak, the United Nations' shipping agency said on Thursday.The IMO said the move follows an assessment on Wednesday by the World Health Organization, which said the virus can be characterized as a pandemic.IMO headquarters will be closed to staff and visitors on Thursday and Friday, and staff are working from home where possible, the agency…

19 Feb 2020

Finland Accedes to Cape Town Agreement

Finland has become the latest State to become Party to the Cape Town Agreement on fishing vessel safety, said International Maritime Organization (IMO).The Agreement outlines regulations designed to protect the safety of crews and observers and provides a level playing field for the industry while setting standards for fishing vessels of 24 meters length and over.The treaty will enter into force 12 months after at least 22 States, with an aggregate 3,600 fishing vessels of 24 meters in length and over operating on the high seas have expressed their consent to be bound by it. With Finland’s accession, 14 countries have ratified the Agreement.Finland’s accession follows IMO’s October 2020 conference on fishing vessel safety in Torremolinos…

19 Feb 2020

IMO Spotlight on Empowering Maritime Women

International Maritime Organization (IMO) headquarters in London has hosted yesterday 19 (February 19) a a major symposium on empowering maritime women.Removing barriers to women joining the maritime sector, the importance of education and how to increase visibility of women in maritime leadership roles – these were some of the key challenges under the spotlight.The symposium was part of IMO’s continuing efforts to maintain momentum in empowering women in the maritime community, and follow the 2019 IMO Assembly resolution to preserve the legacy of the 2019 World MaritimeTheme and work towards a barrier-free environment for women throughout…

03 Feb 2020

SDC 7 to Finalize Ship Stability Criteria

International Maritime Organization (IMO) 's Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC 7), meeting at IMO Headquarters (3-7 February), is expected to finalize a comprehensive set of interim guidelines on second generation intact stability criteria, including guidelines on vulnerability criteria, direct stability failure assessment and operational measures.According to the UN body the aim is to produce a set of guidelines for trial use. The session will also further develop associated explanatory notes.The Sub-Committee is also set to finalize draft amendments to the Revised Explanatory Notes to SOLAS chapter II-1 subdivision and damage stability regulations.For a ship to be considered seaworthy and safe it must be designed to remain stable and afloat in all conditions…

27 Jan 2020

IMO, WISTA Join on Gender Diversity

The Women's International Shipping and Trading Association Limited (WISTA International) and International Maritime Organization (IMO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on promoting greater diversity and inclusion through enhanced cooperation activities in the maritime field.According to a press release from the UN body, these activities will lay the groundwork for further discussion on how a diverse workforce will be essential for a sustainable future.Initiatives already under way include a study to collect and analyze data on the number of women employed in the maritime sector; developing a database of female experts in a wide…

27 Nov 2019

Training for L. American Maritime Leaders

A regional workshop organized by International Maritime Organization (IMO) has provided senior maritime administration officials in Latin America with the latest information on current and future developments at the Organization.The workshop for the regional maritime authorities networks, ROCRAM and ROCRAM-CA was held at IMO Headquarters in London (26 November) in the margin of the 31st IMO Assembly.The 28 participants received detailed information about the activities within the IMO's Integrated Technical Cooperation Program (ITCP) aimed at building capacity in the region to comply with international rules and standards related to maritime safety and the prevention of maritime pollution.Participants also heard from technical officers on issues such as the IMO Audits Scheme.

29 Oct 2019

WMO-IMO Addresses Extreme Maritime Weather

World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) held the first joint symposium on  extreme maritime weather: Towards safety of life at sea and a sustainable blue economy.The symposium has highlighted the need for the gap to be closed between met-ocean (meteorology and oceanography) information providers and the users of this information in the maritime industry.The October 23-25 event at IMO headquarters in London brought together about 200 stakeholders from shipping (including freight, passenger ferries, cruise liners), offshore industry, ports and harbors, coast guards, insurance providers and the met-ocean community - both public and private).Global examples of extreme maritime weather and a wide variety of related issues were discussed.

28 Oct 2019

UN Secretary-General on Beating Climate Change

Beating climate change and achieving the targets set in the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda are the two defining challenges of our time, according to former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who warned against rising unilateralism."In times of increasing discord, I believe that achieving the UN SDGS and meeting the Paris Climate Change Agreement are two efforts that should unite all nations, all industry and all civil society," Ban said, addressing an audience of representatives of International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member States, NGOs and IMO staff at IMO Headquarters in London (28 October). Ban lauded IMO's work on climate change…

21 Oct 2019

IMSAS Trains Audit Team Leaders

Auditing International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member States to assess how effectively they administer key IMO instruments is an important part of the Organization’s work to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is universally adopted and implemented.To support this process, new audit team leaders were trained under IMO’s Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS) at a course held at IMO Headquarters, London (14-17 October).The course involved thirteen auditors who had been part of audit teams under the Scheme between 2016 and 2019 and are now ready to act as audit team leaders in future audits. Auditors nominated by: Argentina…

07 Oct 2019

Carbon Capture and Storage Under Seabed

Carbon capture and storage under the seabed is recognized as one tool in climate change mitigation. An International Maritime Organization (IMO) treaty, the London Protocol, provides the basis in international environmental law to allow CO2 storage.This week, a proposal to agree the early application of an amendment to allow sub-seabed geological formations for sequestration projects to be shared across national boundaries will be put before Parties to the London Protocol (LP) and its forerunner, the London Convention (LC).It would remove a barrier for countries which wish to make use of carbon capture and storage - but which do not have ready access to offshore storage sites within their national boundaries.

10 Sep 2019

Do Ports Need Global Regulation?

Ports are essential for the global supply chain - but do they need more international regulation?High-level speakers engaged in a lively debate at a joint Hutchison Ports, International Maritime Organization (IMO) and IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) seminar (9 September), to address the question: "Do ports need international regulation?"IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim reminded the audience that the IMO Convention does give the Organization a mandate to regulate in ports and some current IMO regulations do indeed extend to port operations - for example those surrounding security, reception facilities and the Facilitation (FAL) Convention."However…

21 Aug 2019

UN Treaty to Protect Marine Biodiversity

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretariat is attending the latest in a series of conferences to develop a legally binding international instrument, under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction - known as 'BBNJ'.According to the UN body, the 3rd Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) is being held at UN Headquarters in New York, United States (19-30 August). The current Conference session is the third in a series, with the fourth (final session) set to take place in the first half of 2020.The current conference session is discussing the draft treaty text.

24 Jul 2019

Caribbean to Enhance Maritime Capacity

International Maritime Organization (IMO) has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Chile, to extend Chile's technical assistance to countries in the Caribbean region, in addition to Latin America.According to the UN body, the MoU on Technical Cooperation, signed by the Directorate General of Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine (DIRECTEMAR) of the Republic of Chile, replaces earlier MoUs (signed in 2002 and 2005) and strengthens the collaboration between IMO and DIRECTEMAR for the provision of technical assistance in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region."This will particularly support the provision of experts (including Spanish-speaking experts) to deliver training in Latin America and the Caribbean…

24 Jul 2019

IMO Council Selects Theme for 2020

International Maritime Organization (IMO) council has selected "Sustainable shipping for a sustainable planet" as the World Maritime theme for 2020.According to a press note from the UN body, this will provide an opportunity to raise awareness of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and showcase the work that IMO and its Member States are undertaking to achieve the targets.The IMO Council, meeting for its 122nd session at IMO Headquarters in London, officially endorsed the theme, following a proposal by IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim."I believe that this theme will provide flexibility to the Secretariat and the Member States in highlighting the myriad topics and challenges in meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

17 Jul 2019

Germany Joins Hong Kong Convention

Germany is the latest country to accede to International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s treaty for safe and environmentally-sound ship recycling – the Hong Kong Convention.The Convention covers the design, construction, operation and maintenance of ships, and preparation for ship recycling in order to facilitate safe and environmentally sound recycling, without compromising the safety and operational efficiency of ships.Under the treaty, ships to be sent for recycling are required to carry an inventory of hazardous materials, specific to each ship. Ship recycling yards are required to provide a "Ship Recycling Plan", specifying the manner in which each ship will be recycled, depending on its particulars and its inventory.Mr.

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