Maritime Safety Division News

Arsenio Dominguez, who took up office as the 10th elected Secretary-General of the IMO on January 1, has named his Senior Management Committee members:  Director of Administrative Division: Azara PrempehDirector of Maritime Safety Division: Hiroyuki YamadaDirector of Legal Affairs and External Relations Division: Dorota Lost-SieminskaDirector of Marine Environment Division: Heike DeggimDirector of Technical Cooperation Division: Jose MatheickalDirector of Conference Division: Xiaojie ZhangChief of Staff: Damien Chevallier.

The IMO and the Republic of Korea have signed a suite of agreements to formally establish and boost the IMO-Republic of Korea Sustainable Maritime Transport Cooperation (SMART-C) program.The goal of the KRW 25.5 billion (approximately $20 million) SMART-C program is to promote sustainable maritime transport systems and a sustainable marine environment by building knowledge and developing technical capacity in developing countries via long-term thematic projects.This Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding will ensure long-term programming of several technical cooperation projects.

Germany's Anneliese Jost has been selected as the recipient of the International Maritime Prize for 2022, the the International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced. The decision was made by the IMO Council at its 129th session, being held July 17-21, after Jost was nominated for the award by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.In its statement supporting her nomination for the prize, Germany cited Jost's "crucial contribution towards achieving the objectives of IMO…

World Maritime University (WMU) International Women’s Conference, Empowering Women in the Maritime Community was held in Malmö, Sweden (4-5 April), reflecting this year’s World Maritime Day theme.Remove structural barriers, build good networks and support quality education to ensure no woman, no girl is left behind in the maritime sector - where women remain significantly under-represented. These were some of the themes reiterated by maritime leaders speaking in the event.Opening the conference, WMU President Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry called on the whole maritime sector to “be bold for change” in order to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 5 on gender equality.

South Africa has become the 25th State to sign up to the IMO treaty on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F). The Convention sets the certification and minimum training requirements for crews of seagoing fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and above. H.E. Dr. Bonginkosi Emmanuel Nzimande, Minister of Transport of South Africa, met  International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim at IMO Headquarters, London, to deposit the instrument of accession (2 July). South Africa ratified the Cape Town Agreement on fishing vessel safety in 2016. When it comes to fishing vessel safety, the mission is clear, says Sandra Allnutt of the IMO: enhance safety to save lives.

Lifeboat inspection, fire drills, emergency generator training, keeping watch, new friendships, ports, building professional networks, and working far away from home and family. These, and many more, are all part of life at sea, and International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s own Sascha Pristrom is experiencing these during a voyage on the Monaco Maersk ultra large container ship. As 2nd Officer, he is gaining a direct insight into the practical implementation, on a ship, of IMO regulations and guidelines. This comes as part of IMO’s 70th anniversary events and celebrations, under the theme “IMO 70: Our Heritage – Better Shipping for a Better Future".

When it comes to fishing vessel safety, the mission is clear, says Sandra Allnutt of the International Maritime Organization (IMO): enhance safety to save lives. “We want to reduce loss of life in one of the most dangerous professions in the world, and we want to enhance safety on board fishing vessels,” said Ms Allnutt, Head of Maritime Technology in IMO’s Maritime Safety Division, following a regional seminar, in Cape Town, South Africa, to promote ratification and implementation of a key fishing vessel safety treaty known as the Cape Town Agreement of 2012. “This Agreement, once fully ratified, in force and implemented, will be an internationally binding agreement which will facilitate better control of fishing vessel safety by flag, port and coastal States.

The International Maritime Prize for 2016 will be awarded to former Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Koji Sekimizu for his contribution to the work of IMO over many years. The Council unanimously decided to award the Prize to Sekimizu, IMO Secretary-General Emeritus, in recognition of his invaluable contribution to the work and objectives of the organization and the international maritime community as a whole. Sekimizu held a long and distinguished career with the organization, culminating in his four-year stewardship as Secretary-General from 2012 to 2016.

The inaugural Meeting of Anti-Piracy Contact Points and Workshop on Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships involving participants from Africa and Asia was held in Singapore today. Organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre (ISC), the two-day meeting gathered about 20 participants to foster closer linkages amongst anti-piracy contact points to enable more effective information sharing and communication. Timely sharing and dissemination of information can often play a decisive role in deterring incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships.

Interferry has unveiled a strategic plan promising to put safety issues at the heart of its work as the voice of the worldwide ferry industry. The pledge came at the global trade association’s 41st annual conference in Manila – a venue chosen to spotlight the challenges of domestic ferry safety in developing nations. According to Interferry, the plan signals its overriding ambition to help lift ferry safety in all parts of the world to the very high standard already in place in North America and Europe, where casualties in recent decades have been extremely rare.

The S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have appointed former Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Koji Sekimizu, as a RSIS-MPA Distinguished Visiting Fellow for a period of two years commencing on 1 May 2016. The fellowship was established by RSIS and MPA to engage eminent maritime personalities with specialised knowledge, expertise and international experience. Koji Sekimizu, a naval architect by training, began his career as a ship inspector with Japan’s Ministry of Transport and joined the IMO as Technical Officer in the Sub-Division for Technology, Maritime Safety Division in 1989.

The winners of ISWAN's International Seafarers' Welfare Awards 2016 were announced on 24th June at a high-profile ceremony held in Manila, the Philippines. The ceremony forms part of ISWAN's celebrations in the Philippines for the IMO Day of the Seafarer. The awards were presented by IMO Secretary General Mr Kitack Lim to seven recipients who have provided exceptional services for the welfare and wellbeing of seafarers. The Welfare Personality of the Year Award is named after Dr Dierk Lindemann who sadly passed away on 17 March 2014. Dr Lindemann served as the Shipowner's Group spokesperson at the ILO and took a lead role in the adoption of the Maritime Labour Convention. Shipping Company of the Year: Masamichi Morooka - Chairman of ICS.

Maritime security experts have met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (15-17 June) to share expertise on how cooperation on maritime surveillance monitoring and communication systems in the South Atlantic can benefit countries in west and central Africa. Delegates from 11 African countries, the Brazilian Navy and various African regional organizations and other countries shared their experiences and challenges in enhancing maritime security, with a view to improving maritime security through better maritime governance, maritime situation awareness and cooperation across the South Atlantic. The meeting also discussed the institutional framework required to foster maritime governance and security in the South Atlantic.

IMO and the World Customs Organization (WCO) have signed a partnership agreement to maintain, update, publish and distribute the IMO Compendium on Facilitation and Electronic Business. The compendium provides essential guidance and standardised forms for electronic exchange of information on cargo, passengers and crew, for ships, carriers, port authorities, customs, terminals, consignees and other parties in the supply chain. Under the agreement, signed on 22 December, the WCO takes responsibility for the technical maintenance of the compendium, including liaison with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the global focal point for trade facilitation recommendations and electronic business standards (UN/EDIFACT).

A three-day Stakeholders Forum will be held April 27-29 to review draft guidelines for the establishment of a Somalia Maritime Administration, coordinated and funded by the International Maritime organization (IMO), is being hosted by the Kenya Maritime Authority at the Sarova Whitesands Beach Hotel, Mombasa, Kenya. According to the IMO, the event aims to develop a framework for establishing a Somalia Maritime Administration to provide governance and oversight within which to develop a sustainable maritime sector…

Cruise Shipping Miami 2015 is gearing up to offer the most comprehensive and robust roster of panel discussions featuring the industry's most knowledgeable and experienced executives. The panels will be grouped under several broad themes based on industry trends during the four-day conference. The 31st edition of Cruise Shipping Miami is scheduled for March 16-19 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Organized by UBM Connect, thematic topics include The Geography of Cruise Tourism, Safety and Ship Operations, Market Segments and Cruise Product Development. On Tuesday morning, March 17, the conference will open with the popular State of the Industry session. Participants in that plenary session will be announced in the coming weeks. This program may be subject to alterations and additions.

Improvements in security have not reduced the number of stowaways or the number of incidents and it is seafarers who have to cope with the extra work, delay, uncertainty and possible violence. This is why The Nautical Institute has today (Wednesday, April 9, 2014) launched Maritime Security handbook: stowaways by sea, aimed at helping people who have to deal with stowaways by giving advice on the preparation and training that is needed both onboard and ashore. The handbook gives practical guidance on making a vessel secure against stowaways, managing any that have succeeded in getting onboard, collecting the necessary evidence and organising the repatriation process.

After taking office on 1 January 2012, the IMO Secretary-General Mr. Koji Sekimizu today announced a number of changes in the structure of the IMO Secretariat. Mr. Sekimizu said: “The biggest challenge I see in the coming years, in terms of management of the Organization, is how to improve the ‘delivery mechanism’ in the Secretariat to address the demanding issues we face, such as anti-piracy measures, the introduction of the mandatory Member State Audit Scheme and our ever-increasing workload.

Koji Sekimizu of Japan has been elected as the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), effective January 1, 2012, for an initial term of four years. The vote took place during the 106th session of the IMO Council, which is meeting from June 27 to July 1. The decision of the Council will be submitted to the IMO Assembly, which meets for its 27th session from November 21-30, 2011, for approval. Sekimizu, 58, is currently Director of IMO’s Maritime Safety Division.

Two new senior level appointments have been made at the International Maritime Organization following the accession of Mr Efthimios E. Mitropoulos of Greece to the position of Secretary-General at the beginning of the year. Mr Koji Sekimizu of Japan moves across from the Organization's Marine Environment Division to fill Mr Mitropoulos's previous role as Director of the Maritime Safety Division, while Mr Jean-Claude Sainlos of France steps up to become Director of the Marine Environment Division. In announcing the two appointments, Mr Mitropoulos said, "With the MSD having to service two important sub-committees in the course of this month alone and the MED preparing for next month's all-important International Conference on Ballast Water Management for Ships and MEPC 51 in March…

Two new senior level appointments have been made at the International Maritime Organization following the accession of Mr Efthimios E. Mitropoulos of Greece to the position of Secretary-General at the beginning of the year. Mr Koji Sekimizu of Japan moves across from the Organization's Marine Environment Division to fill Mr Mitropoulos's previous role as Director of the Maritime Safety Division, while Mr Jean-Claude Sainlos of France steps up to become Director of the Marine Environment Division. In announcing the two appointments, Mr Mitropoulos said, "With the MSD having to service two important sub-committees in the course of this month alone and the MED preparing for next month's all-important International Conference on Ballast Water Management for Ships and MEPC 51 in March…

Amendments to the STCW Convention have been made at the right time to make it relevant for today's and future needs, according to Rear Admiral Peter Brady, Director General of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica. Officially opening a regional seminar in Jamaica entitled "Familiarisation With The Manila Amendments To The STCW Convention And Code", Admiral Brady told delegates: "The Convention and the Code had to provide for the needs of today and many years into the future." He said…

Mr. Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Transport, visited the IMO Secretary-General, Mr. Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, at IMO Headquarters in London on Friday 14 March 2007, within the framework of co-operation between the two sides aimed at promoting maritime safety and security and environmental protection. The meeting was the fourth between the two following previous regular meetings successively held in London and Brussels since February 2005. On the first item, Mr. Mitropoulos briefed Mr. (b) towards implementing the Action Plan on Greenhouse Gas Emissions, possibly bringing forward some deadlines to expedite the Organization's contribution to worldwide efforts in preparation for the Copenhagen Conference in December 2009. Mr.