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Foreign And Commonwealth Office News

20 Aug 2020

How Will the Cruise Industry Recover from Coronavirus?

MSC Grandiosa in Genoa (Photo: MSC Cruises)

On Sunday the first major cruise ship to take to the Mediterranean in almost five months sailed out of the Italian city of Genoa. Passengers on the MSC Grandiosa were tested for coronavirus before stepping on board. The ship—which has brought in an array of strict measures to limit the spread of the virus—will stop at three Italian ports and the Maltese capital Valletta in a seven-day voyage. But will these measures be enough to help the sector survive the pandemic? A lot is riding on the success of this Italian cruise.After all…

10 Aug 2018

Gulf of Guinea Plans to Enhance Maritime Security

International Maritime Organization (IMO) is supporting countries from the Gulf of Guinea region in their plans to enhance maritime security.Participants from 10 countries - Benin, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal and Togo, as well as international partners such as INTERPOL and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office - are taking part in a workshop in Monterey, USA (6-10 August) on developing and refining their work plans. This includes introducing new topics directly related to the successful implementation of maritime security strategies – such as negotiation skills for secure political and inter-Ministerial cooperation.The workshop…

12 May 2017

UK Chamber Shipping Upbeat after US abandoning Jones Act Amendments

US authorities have abandoned plans to tighten Jones Act coastal shipping rules – and it’s all thanks to the coordinated efforts of international government administrations, US energy firms and shipping bodies, in which the UK Chamber played its part. A statement from UK Chamber of Shipping said that America’s Customs and Border Protection (US CBP) on January 18 announced a plan to revoke past US CBP rulings that allow non-US flagged offshore vessels to carry out specialised services in specific circumstances for US offshore energy projects. Under the Jones Act, vessels carrying cargo between American ports must be US-built, owned by US citizens and crewed by US seafarers.

24 Feb 2017

Maritime Cook Islands makes two appointments for Europe

Maritime Cook Islands (“MCI”), the international ship registry, hasrecently appointed Marilena Andrenacci as Fleet Manager, and Paula Manarangi as Manager for Europe, significantly boosting MCI’s presence in Europe. Both appointments are based in Italy. An experienced Project Manager, newly-appointed Fleet Manager Marilena Andrenaccispecialises in the implementation of government policy and stakeholder management often in an international and multilingual setting. Marilena has undergone introduction to MCI and fleet management and will complete Flag State Implementation training by the end of April 2017. Prior to her appointment at MCI…

07 Nov 2016

Political Issues Wrap Nickel Ore Trade

Peter Modev, Senior Loss Prevention Executive at UK P&I Club, and the Club’s local correspondent (Pandiman Philippines) provide an update on the risks in transporting nickel ore from the Philippines. Nickel ore cargo originates principally in the Southern region of the Philippines, where it is loaded at Mindanao, but loading areas are private enterprises and at present shippers/mines are not allowing any access to these facilities. It is difficult for foreign experts to currently travel to the area, as most Embassies have strict travel warnings about going to the region. There are numerous terrorist groups operating in the area, with bombings and kidnappings and the death of one Canadian mine manager, while Philippine military forces are at war with several factions.

25 Jun 2016

UK First to Accept Marine Geoengineering Amendments

The United Kingdom has become the first State to formally accept the 2013 marine geoengineering amendments to the 1996 “London Protocol”, the treaty covering dumping of wastes at sea. The amendments support the precautionary approach by providing for specific marine geoengineering activities to be permitted only when the activity is assessed as constituting legitimate scientific research. Currently, only ocean fertilization for research purposes may be permitted. Meanwhile, the marine scientific expert group GESAMP is currently undertaking a comprehensive study on marine geoengineering to better understand the potential impacts of proposed marine geoengineering techniques on the marine environment – including social and economic consequences.

24 Jun 2016

UK First to Accept Marine Geoengineering Amendments

Photo: IMO

The United Kingdom has become the first state to formally accept the 2013 marine geoengineering amendments to the 1996 “London Protocol”, the treaty covering dumping of wastes at sea. The amendments support the precautionary approach by providing for specific marine geoengineering activities to be permitted only when the activity is assessed as constituting legitimate scientific research. Currently, only ocean fertilization for research purposes may be permitted. Meanwhile, the…

09 Sep 2014

Genel Energy Returns Staffing to Normal in Kurdistan

Genel Energy reports that following a significant improvement in the security situation in the border region of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq ('KRI'), the Company has begun the process of returning staffing levels to normal. This follows the temporary and precautionary step of withdrawing non-essential personnel from non-producing assets. Genel's primary consideration is the safety and well-being of their employees. The decision to resume full operations has been made following a close monitoring of the situation, and in consultation with the Kurdistan Regional Government, Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the British Government, and other well-placed authorities. Genel's operations in the KRI remain safe and secure.

04 Aug 2014

Royal Navy Evacuates Britons from Libya

HMS Enterprise helps evacuate British citizens from Libya (U.K. Royal Navy photo)

A Royal Navy patrol ship is helping to bring home British citizens after an upturn in unrest in Libya. HMS Enterprise, which has been on operations in the Mediterranean, arrived at the capital Tripoli yesterday where there has been increased instability and fighting. Around 110 passengers were transferred to HMS Enterprise by boat and given supplies for the journey to Valetta in Malta where they arrived early this morning for onward transfer. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said, “The Royal Navy is helping British citizens leave Libya based upon ,Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice.

19 May 2014

UK Declares Strategy for Maritime Security

The strategy released by the Ministry of Defence, outlines, for the first time, the UK’s approach to delivering maritime security at home and internationally, setting out how the UK organises and uses its extensive national capabilities to identify, assess and address maritime security challenges. The strategy highlights the importance of the maritime domain to UK prosperity and security. It sets out how, through effective collaboration across government, with industry and our international partners, and through the integration of our assets and personnel wherever possible, the UK will deliver maritime security. Maritime security is a cross-government activity which brings together 16 government departments and agencies.

27 Oct 2013

UK Arctic Policy Document Supports IMO as Regulator

Arctic scene: Photo courtesy of UK Govt.

'Adapting To Change: UK policy towards the Arctic' introduced by Mark Simmonds Minister for the Polar Regions Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been released. The document acknowledges that the scale of the challenges facing the Arctic is immense and compounded by the speed of the changes. For this reason the whole of Government has signed up to the comprehensive set of measures outlined in the Policy Framework. It is the UK view that regulation of the shipping industry should take place on a global basis and be regulated universally without prejudice using an equitable approach.

11 Sep 2013

Satellite Radar

 David Beard BSc  CPhys MInstP

With the ocean moving more than 90% of world commerce, keeping it secure is of vital importance – yet our ability to monitor activity at sea is somewhat more challenging than on land given the vastness of the oceans. Also many maritime monitoring systems rely on ships to ‘opt-in’, that can leave potentially risky blind spots in our picture of maritime traffic. This article, derived from a presentation that David Beard of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory gave at the recent DMC and NovaSAR International Conference…

09 Jan 2012

Ince Welcomes FAC Piracy Report

The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee Report on “Piracy off the coast of Somalia”, published today, sets out the findings of the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) enquiry into the efforts of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the UK Government to combat increasing levels of piracy off the coast of Somalia. As part of their enquiry, the FAC invited Ince & Co partner Stephen Askins, who has provided legal advice to the owners and underwriters of a number of vessels hijacked by pirates, to appear before the Committee and provide evidence in connection with some of the legal issues that arise in dealing with the threat of piracy. Among other things, Stephen's input related to the (i) use of private armed security guards (PASGs) and the (ii) payment of ransoms.

25 Feb 2009

Meeting, Contact Group on Piracy

On Feb. 24, The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, opened the first meeting of a Working Group charged with considering modalities for operational coordination and information-sharing, the possible establishment of a regional coordination centre and regional capability development, in the context of on-going efforts by navies to protect international shipping from acts of piracy and armed robbery in the waters off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden. Set up by the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) - itself established in January 2009 following…

26 Aug 2003

New Director Appointed at NMMC

National Maritime Museum Cornwall (NMMC) has appointed Jonathan Griffin as the new Director. He has held a number of commercial senior management roles during his career including: Marketing Services Director for the British Tourist Authority (BTA) and the English Tourist Board, Marketing Director of English Heritage and Commercial Manager of London Zoo and Whipsnade Park. For the past four years, he has been based in London working on the country’s public presentation overseas. As Director of the Britain Abroad Task Force he drew on his marketing background to help develop and co-ordinate a strategy for the public-facing work of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office…

19 May 2003

Loughlin Appointed as Lloyd’s Register’s COO

Chris Loughlin has been appointed to the new post of Chief Operating Officer for the Lloyd's Register Group. He will take up his role on July 1, 2003. This appointment marks the successful completion of the second phase of the Lloyd’s Register recovery programme, during which David Moorhouse has carried out the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive. As Executive Chairman, Moorhouse will continue to take responsibility for the Group’s activities, with Loughlin joining him and Robert Biddle, Group Finance Director, as an executive member of the Board. Working with the Management Team, Loughlin will have the initial task of building on the quality and operational achievements since the business was restructured some three years ago.