IMO Forum Aims to Rebuild Somalia's Maritime Sector
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, to better reflect Somali’s commitments and obligations under international law, and to ensure the country is in compliance with international law and regulations.
The decline of piracy off the coast of Somalia more than ever before presents a good opportunity to implement sustainable shore-based interventions to support reform of the Somali maritime sector in building a safe and secure maritime environment, thus opening up the maritime economy in the country and contributing to the prevention of a resurgence of piracy, IMO said.
Two ministers from the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and other top officials from the FGS, Puntland and Galmudug, are attending the workshop, which is being funded under IMO’s technical cooperation program. Also attending are observers from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the European regional capacity building mission EU-CAP NESTOR and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).
IMO’s William Azuh, Head, Africa Section, Technical Cooperation Division, Kiruja Micheni, Counter Piracy Training Officer, Maritime Safety Division and Ms Purity Thirimu, Principal Programme Assistant, IMO Regional Presence Office, Nairobi, are coordinating the workshop.