Who Certifies Ships?
Under International Maritime Organization (IMO) treaties, ships can be surveyed and certified either by officers of the relevant flag State, or by Recognized Organizations (ROs) acting on behalf of them.
As part of this process, countries delegating surveys and certification to ROs need to recognize, authorize and monitor these Organizations, which is the subject of a regional IMO workshop (Regional Workshop on Assessing, Authorizing and Monitoring Recognized Organizations) taking place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (31 October – 2 November).
The event is assisting participants from Arab and Mediterranean States to meet their responsibilities under IMO’s RO Code, which entered into force in January 2015. Participants are being provided with knowledge on the harmonized, transparent and independent mechanisms that can assist in consistent oversight of ROs.
The workshop is organised in close cooperation with the Federal Transport Authority of the UAE and Abu Dhabi Ports, under IMO’s Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme to support maritime development in the Arab States and Mediterranean region.
Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Naimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Chairman of the Federal Transport Authority of the UAE, opened the event.
IMO’s Jonathan Pace is coordinating the workshop, with additional support coming from host country the UAE, and the Republic of Singapore under the Singapore-IMO Third Country Training Programme.