Financial Support for Polar Code
International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s work to protect the polar environment and the safety of seafarers and passengers navigating in polar regions has received a boost thanks to a donation by the Government of Canada.
IMO Secretary-General and Canada's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, H.E. Ms. Janice Charette, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at IMO Headquarters (23 November).
The MoU aims to deliver training programmes for seafarers on board ships operating in polar waters, in line with The International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters, better known as the Polar Code.
The Code, which entered into force on 1 January 2017, sets out mandatory standards that cover the full range of design, construction, equipment, operational, training and environmental protection matters for ships making polar voyages.
Under this initiative, Canada agrees to finance four regional train-the-trainer workshops on implementation of the Polar Code and assign IMO as the responsible agency for the management and execution of these activities.
The financial contribution of CAD $500,000, will also go towards activities related to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 14, which addresses life below water.